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Health and safety failure led to worker's fall

A Welsh company has been fined £1,750 and ordered to pay £1,374 in costs after health and safety failures led to a worker fracturing a rib.

Tregroes Waffle Bakery pleaded guilty after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The worker fell four feet while cleaning a flour hopper, but would have fallen twice as far if she had not landed on a container below her.

HSE inspector Scott McKinnon said the company had taken action to avoid similar accidents happening in the future but that there had been nothing to stop the employee falling.

He commented: "Many serious - and sometimes fatal - injures are caused by falls from distances below head height."

The case is the latest in which a company has been prosecuted by the HSE after an employee was hurt in a fall.

Charles Painting of South Yorkshire was fined £2,000 after admitting health and safety failures following an incident where a man fell seven metres, suffering serious injuries as a result.

Quantum Risk Management are leading Health and Safety Consultants

Posted on 16/02/2010

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