Heavy Fine Imposed after Worker Becomes Confined to Wheelchair
Recently, Warrington Crown Court imposed a very heavy fine on three companies, viz. Shell UK Oil Products Ltd, Dalprop Ltd (formerly S.G. Blair and Co. Ltd) and Hertel UK Ltd, for the accident of one of the workers stationed at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex near
As a result of the accident that took place in 2007, worker Stephen Rizzotti has been confined to a wheelchair. He not only hurt his back but also broke his legs and pelvis when a container weighing around 500kgs fell on him from the height of 30 ft.
The court found that the accident happened due to the container being kept above the walkway and thus fined Dalprop Ltd to tune of £83,333 and ordered it to pay costs of £11,115 for the infringement of Regulation 8(1)(c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. For the same reason, Shell UK Oil Products was fined £116,666 and ordered to pay costs of £16,204 after pleading guilty.
In addition to these two companies, Hertel UK was charged for the infringement of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, as it had put up the scaffolding and platforms which were being used for the refurbishment project. The container had fallen as the boards supporting it broke suddenly. The boards were put around the lifting equipment. Hertel
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