In a recent series of events, footage shot for TV documentary on medics was used by HSE as evidence to get a construction company convicted of negligence in observing health and safety regulations resulting in death of an employee.
The company, Regentford Ltd, of Hackney, was charged under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The case was heard by Croydon Crown Court and after a brief trial, the employer was found guilty of the offence and fined £250,000 along with an additional penalty of £71,603.01.
The incident leading to the prosecution of the company involved the death of an employee, Balwinder Kumar in February, 2005. The employee was a mason and plasterer with the company. He was working on a scaffolding on the first floor when he fell down and suffered serious head injuries. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died after five days.
During the investigation, HSE found that the scaffolding used by Mr Kumar had been removed. However, the investigators found that around the time of accident, a BBC television crew was present on the site right after the mishap for shooting a documentary called ‘Trauma’. HSE managed to obtain footage that proved that the scaffolding had been in a very bad shape.
The investigation concluded that the employer had failed to observe health and safety regulations as there was inadequate standing space and insufficient guarding rails on the scaffolding. They also failed to hire a person to address on-site safety concerns.
The integration of good health and safety management systems is an essential principle of any business. Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions to employees with regard to health and safety issues. IOSH training courses, accredited by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, from Workplace Law are designed to give managers and supervisors all they need to know to help their organisation find the best ways to lead and promote health and safety.