Firm fined after man's head crushedA brick manufacturing company has been fined £280,000 after a worker was killed when he had his head crushed between a metal platform and concrete blocks.
Hanson Building Products Ltd was also ordered to pay costs of £29,204 following the death of 57-year-old Peter Clarke on April 26, 2008. The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at the company's distribution plant in Coleshill.
The accident happened when Mr Clarke, who had only been at the site for two weeks, was inspecting the quality of concrete blocks on a conveyor moving groups of them from a kiln to a packaging area, Warwick Crown Court heard. Sections of blocks were formed into larger groups for packaging by moving the conveyor's direction of travel backwards and forwards.
Mr Clarke, from Bedworth was standing next to a low bridge over the conveyor when he leaned forward to remove some blocks from the machine. Another worker changed the direction of the conveyor, crushing Mr Clarke's head between the concrete blocks on the conveyor and the metal platform. The operator of the 30m conveyor could not see Mr Clarke because his view was obscured.
HSE inspector Peter Snelgrove said: "Employers should understand that where failing standards in the workplace result in serious injury or death, HSE will prosecute."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
| 
