Vion Foods fined £16,000 after worker's fall

Taunton Magistrates’ Court heard that Barry Walton, aged 64, from Taunton, was working at Vion Foods UK‘s processing plant in Wiveliscombe when the incident happened on February 10 2010.

A gust of wind blew Walton from the top of the shipping container as he was lifting metal sheets from a forklift onto the roof. Falling two-and-a-half metres to the ground, Walton broke his ribs and damaged muscles in his leg and shoulder. He was unable to work for seven weeks.

Prevent a fall​

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Vion Foods had failed to plan the work properly. It had not carried out a risk assessment or ensured that a safe system of work was in place to prevent a fall.

Although the work was being supervised by another employee, Walton had not had adequate training for working at height.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Kate Leftly said:“Any work at height needs to be properly planned and supervised to minimise the risk to workers. If these things are not done, falls can happen all too easily with serious consequences.

“In this instance, Mr Walton did not need to be standing on the shipping container to carry out the work. He could have used a vehicle such as a fork lift to deposit the sheets or he could have worked from a contained elevated platform.”

Pleaded guilty​

Vion Foods UK of Livingstone, Scotland, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £12,000 plus £4,400 in costs.

Meanwhile, falls from height are one of the most common accidents at work and a big cause of work accident fatalities.

According to an HSE statement:“Falls are the biggest cause of deaths in Britain's workplaces. 53 people died in 2004/5. On top of this, nearly 3,800 suffered major injury such as broken bones or fractured skulls.

“You don't have to fall far to be hurt, seven deaths and 2,247 major injuries were from a fall from below head height.”