Could businesses seek facilities management health and safety assistance after bakery directors are fined?
June 16th 16:26 Health and Safety
The importance that bakeries and other retailers should place on health and safety compliance has been highlighted by an incident in Bedford.
Genaro Saiano and Dejan Durkin, the directors of a bakery in the area have been fined after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection discovered that staff were being exposed to the threat of electrocution and flour dust.
The directors were fined a combined total of £5,500 and ordered to pay a further £1,000 in court costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 in relation to exposed wires and Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
HSE inspector Emma Rowlands said: "It is simply unacceptable to operate machinery with live wires exposed - someone could have been killed or suffered a serious injury.
"All company directors must remember they have a duty to ensure their staff arrive every day to a safe working environment. This case has shown the importance of maintaining equipment in a safe condition and HSE is planning a series of inspections in the county for later in 2010."
