Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Oldham manufacturer fined over £100,000 after death of worker

An Oldham manufacturing company has been ordered to pay over £100,000 in fines and costs after one of its employees was killed in a workplace accident.

Refinery Supplies Limited, a business specializing in the manufacturing of kettles for the zinc and lead smelting industries, was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £125,000 by the Manchester Crown Court after one of its employees was killed in a workplace accident in July 2011.

Mr Michael Wickstead, who was 63 at the time of the accident, was working for the company on the Greengate Industrial Estate in Chadderton on 11 July 2011 when the accident occurred. On the day in question Mr Wickstead was working on a crane carrying a three-tonne piece of steel. As he was operating the crane another of the cranes on the site crashed into Mr Wickstead’s crane, causing the heavy piece of steel to fall from the crane and onto Mr Wickstead. Mr Wickstead sustained fatal crush injuries in this accident and was later pronounced dead.

The Health and Safety Executive (“HSE”) was notified of the accident and subsequently investigated. This investigation found that Refinery Supplies Limited should have had a clear and safe system of work in place to avoid the potential for workers to be injured by moving cranes. A prosecution of the company was therefore recommended as it was believed there had been a breach of s.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – that the company hadn’t taken reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all its employees.

The case came to the Manchester Crown Court on 24 October 2014. Refinery Supplies Limited pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was consequently fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £35,000.

HSE Inspector Helen Jones commented on the judgment: “Refinery Supplies knew there was a risk of cranes colliding at the factory and, in fact, this had happened on several previous occasions without the same catastrophic result. However, the firm failed to take any action to make sure workers weren’t put at risk of being injured.”

Chris Hadrill, an employment solicitor at Redmans Solicitors, commented on the case: “Employers have a responsibility for the health and safety of their employees and in this instance it was found by the court that the company had not done enough to prevent Mr Wickstead’s death.”

Redmans are no win no fee employment solicitor and are Chiswick employment solicitors

Redmans Solicitors

Redmans Solicitors

Commercial law, employment law and litigation firm based in Richmond, London
Share the Post:

Related Posts