Company fined over fall from vehicle

A building company has been fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £51,000 costs after an employee fell 15 feet from the trailer of his vehicle, suffering fatal head injuries.

The worker was concerned with the height of the load of metal poles and climbed onto his vehicle to lower it, cutting the bands around one of the packs, which caused the load to shift, and pushing him to his death.

Lincoln crown court imposed the financial penalties on Saint Gobain Building Distribution for breaching regulations 5(1) and 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

The judge discharged charges brought under section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 after the jury failed to come to a decision.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Jo Anderson said companies must implement procedures to identify new product lines and the impact they will have on existing practices.

"In this case, there was no procedure in place and therefore no risk assessment was undertaken for the loading of metal poles, despite it being a recognised problem," she said.

According to the HSE, the economic and human cost of falls from vehicles in 2004/05 was more than £36 million.