Company fined
by Keith Hunt
A company has been left with a bill of almost £50,000 over the
death of one employee and injuries suffered by two others at
work.
Lenham Storage was fined £24,000 for health and safety breaches
with agreed costs of £25,000.
Alan Wratten was knocked down and killed by a fork lift truck
driven by Carlos Hollman in a warehouse at the family business’s
premises in Ham Lane, Lenham, Maidstone, in December 2006.
The truck’s reversing alarm was switched off at the time.
A coroner later found there was no evidence to support “a
finding that anybody was so grossly negligent of what they were
doing that this fatal incident could amount to a crime.”
Maidstone Crown Court heard this week that warehouse worker
Celia Bovis suffered back injuries when hit by a fork lift truck in
October 2006. She has since been unable to work.
The third incident four days later involved fork lift truck
driver Desmond Chilton, who was injured by a large suspended
warehouse door collapsing on him.
He suffered fractures to his left shoulder blade, ribs, left
hip, left leg and ankle.
Lenham Storage was fined
at Maidstone Crown Court
Mark Watson, prosecuting, said the breaches involving Mr
Wratten, 59, and Celia Bovis concerned deficiencies in workplace
transport safety.
The offence involving Mr Chilton came under use of equipment
regulations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a case in which the
prosecution seeks to submit that the defendant’s breach of duty was
a significant cause of the death of Mr Wratten,” said Mr
Watson.
But he added: “The management of health and safety at the
premises was poor and fell well below the acceptable standard.
“The company failed to heed the obvious warnings in relation to
work place transport safety, which should have been obviously
apparent following the incident involving Ms Bovis.”
The company had since remedied the deficiencies.
Latest accounts showed that the company had a turnover of £18
million and growth pre-tax profits of £718,000.
Judge Michael Carroll fined Lenham Storage £20,000 for the
offences involving Mr Wratten and Ms Bovis and £4,000 for the
breach involving Mr Chilton.
He allowed six months to pay the £49,000 total.
09/05/12
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