Legal News
Demolition firm fined over fatal incident (6 July 2015)
Date: 06/07/2015
A demolition firm has been successfully prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after a worker died when he drove a mini digger out of a fourth floor opening.
The HSE found that 31-year-old James Stacey was using the opening as part of a “drop zone” to drop large fibreglass tanks that had been cut in half to the ground below.
The opening was not properly protected to prevent the machine falling from the building, however, and the tank got stuck on the digger and pulled the vehicle with it.
Mr Stacey died from his injuries in the incident on 9 November 2011 at the former Cadbury’s Somerdale factory, near Bristol.
On Wednesday, 1 July at Bristol Crown Court, Euro Dismantling Solutions Limited (now in liquidation) pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, after they failed to ensure the safety of James Stacey whilst carrying out demolition work.
The company was fined £80,000.
Site Supervisor, Paul Ben Priestley, 54, was also charged under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, after failing to take reasonable care.
He denied the charges, but was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on 21 May 2015 – and was given a 12-month custodial sentence suspended for two years, with costs of £7,500.
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