Safety Signs News

Firms fined �£125,000 for worker death

10th November 2009 | Health and Safety Signs

Companies have been warned about workplace safety and having the correct safety signage after two companies were fined £105,000 following a worker death and another injury.

Laing O'Rourke Infrastructure Limited, of Dartford in Kent and SGB Services Limited, based in Kingston Road in Leatherhead, were prosecuted after the incident, where a concrete slab collapsed at Heathrow Airport in 2005.

The first company was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £75,000 in costs, while SGB Services was fined £30,000 and will pay costs of £30,000.

During the incident, 27-year-old Mathew Gilbert died and 21-year-old engineer's assistant Parminder Singh was left with a broken back, leg and jaw, giving him continuing pain in his back when he sits.

Karen Morris, a Health and Safety Executive inspector, said: "The tragic death of one man and the serious injuries suffered by his colleague could have been prevented if both companies had had more robust systems in place."

HSE inspector Caroline Penwill has recently warned companies about the dangers of transport in the workplace and having the correct safety signs, saying that businesses need to think more about the welfare of their staff. ADNFCR-2754-ID-19451388-ADNFCR