Last month, multinational cement firm CEMEX Operations UK Ltd was fined £200,000 after one of its workers died in an explosion at its premises in Rugby.
28-year old Peter Reynolds died in January 2008. He had been treating waste cement dust and whilst clearing a blockage in the mixer, there was an explosion so violent it blew him through the side of the building and onto the road some ten metres below.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that CEMEX had been aware of the potential for blockages to cause explosions. However, they had taken no action to prevent them. They had also failed to review their risk assessment after an incident two years before when another worker had suffered injuries whilst using the same machine.
CEMEX Operations UK Ltd, of Egham, Surrey, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £172,000 costs.
Factory accident claims life of 24-year old
In January 2008, 24-year old night shift worker Mitesh Prasher died in an accident at a factory in Berkshire.
Mr Prasher had been carrying out quality checks on rolls of rubber and cloth printing blanket using an automatic inspection machine. At around 2am, colleagues heard Mr Prasher cry out and when they found him, his head, torso, left arm and shoulder were trapped in the machine. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Duco International Ltd was found to have not assessed the hazards of using the machine. Additionally, there was no guard to prevent access to the machine’s dangerous parts and adequate training had not been provided to employees. They were fined £200,000 and ordered to pay over £43,000 in costs.
Fatal accident compensation can allay financial concerns
When accidents claim lives, for those left behind of course there is nothing that will relieve the pain of losing their loved one. But if an accident was caused by the negligence of another, then seeing those responsible brought to justice and fined will at least ensure the same suffering is prevented from being inflicted on another in a similar incident.
And whilst difficult, it is important to think practically during such times. If your loss has left you in financial difficulty, perhaps because you have lost your household’s main income, then a compensation award could help to alleviate the pressure.
If you would like professional and sympathetic support in making a fatal accident claim, talk to Stephensons. We have a great deal of experience in this area and will guide you through every step. You can speak to us in complete confidence by calling 01616 966 229.
By personal injury solicitor and Stephensons’ Partner, Kate Sweeney
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