Better Protection Measures Needed for Employees in Waste Industry
A recent case has highlighted that there is a need to do much more in the direction of health and safety of workers. Basingstoke Magistrates Court fined John Stacey and Sons Ltd, which is a company engaged in waste management, £60,000 for the demise of its employee, Frederick Aubrey, while working on the site.
The facts of the case show that Frederick Aubrey met with an accident in June 2007 when he was hit by a reversing company vehicle while he and two of his colleagues were sorting out waste with hands. He was working at the Tadley site, which is a waste collection station of the company. A company employee was driving the vehicle. After struggling with his injuries for five days, Aubrey died in the hospital.
The company was charged for infringing Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, 1999. Instead of defending itself, John Stacey and Sons Ltd accepted their guilt before the Basingstoke Magistrates Court and stated that they had failed to fulfil the minimum safety requirements mentioned in the provisions and also agreed to pay the fine and cost.
In light of this case, the
