Firm fined £260k after worker put in a coma for three-and-a-half weeks
A warehouse accident that left a worker with life-changing injuries has led to bosses being hit with a fine of more than £250,000.
A warehouse manager at Probus Creative Housewares, formerly of Virage Park, Bridgtown, Cannock, was working on storage racking on December 8, 2015 when a pallet gave way underneath him.
He fell 15 feet onto a concrete floor and was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma for three-and-a-half weeks.
The victim’s injuries have been life-changing and he now suffers from a range of complications, meaning he is unlikely ever to work again.
The worker, from Walsall, who does not want to be named, now suffers from epilepsy and is unable to drive due to the risk of fits.
He is currently undergoing rehab with Headway, a charity that works with people suffering brain injuries.
On June 5, the company pleaded guilty at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates Court to four charges under health and safety laws – failure to ensure the safety of employees, inadequate risk assessments, failure to train the injured employee and failure to properly plan and supervise work at height.
Director Srdjan Urosevic, who lives in Germany, also pleaded guilty to failure to ensure the safety of employees and inadequate risk assessments.
District judge Jack McGarva imposed fines and costs totalling £260,000 on the company and £30,000 on Mr Urosevic.
Judge McGarva said: “Falls from height are a major cause of workplace injuries and death in Britain.
“This incident resulted from long-standing failures to improve health and safety, despite warnings from both the council and the company’s insurers.”
Councillor Muriel Davis, health and wellbeing portfolio leader with Cannock Chase District Council, who prosecuted the company, said the accident happened ‘because of poor health and safety’ at the site.
She said: “The council expects that all employers will take reasonable precautions to ensure employees’ health, safety and welfare.
“This accident happened because of poor health and safety and has had tragic consequences for the employee and his family.”
“I hope these sentences will serve to highlight the importance to all employers of ensuring basic health and safety precautions are in place.”
No-one from Probus was available for comment.
