Large companies can afford to spend money on safety, says HSE
April 19th 16:30 Health and Safety
Large businesses with high turnovers can afford to spend time and money on making sure health and safety regulations are adhered to.
This is the view of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after international metal processing firm All Metal Services (AMS) was fined when an employee was run over by a forklift truck.
AMS was fined £12,500 and ordered to pay £4,230 in court costs by Manchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to breaching regulation 17 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
The fine was imposed after an HSE investigation revealed that the truck was required to manoeuvre down a narrow aisle after items of stock were left in the way
As a result, Derek Baxter was hit and suffered three broken toes and several fractures to bones in his foot.
The employee still has difficulty walking 18 months later due to "extensive" skin, muscle and tissue damage.
HSE principal inspector Alex Farnhill said: "Derek Baxter has been left with a badly damaged right leg as a result of AMS's poor health and safety procedures. He had to take sixteen months off work and still has a swollen foot which makes it difficult for him to walk.
"The company has an annual turnover of more than $180 million with bases in the UK, France and China. Any organisation [of] that size can easily afford to spend time and money on basic health and safety."
