News

Corus Packaging Plus has been fined £250,000 for a breach of health and safety legislation that led to the death of an employee at a plant in Wales.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the company after Francis Coles died after being hit on the head by a piece of machinery at the Trostre Tin Plate works in Llanelli on 4 January 2003.

Swansea Crown Court yesterday (19 February) imposed a fine of £250,000 and told Corus to pay costs of £42,965.

The company had previously pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.

HSE Inspector Alan Strawbridge said the investigation had shown "serious shortcomings" in the firm's risk management systems.

"Employers have a legal duty to ensure safe systems of work are in place to protect their staff and contractors. In this case, the systems were not being actively enforced," he said.

Strawbridge added that the case should "serve as a warning" for employers to comply with legal obligations.

Annanya Sarin, Corus group spokeswoman, said the firm "regretted the tragic loss of Francis Coles" and accepted the court's decision.
 
She said the firm took its responsibilities very seriously and had cooperated fully with the HSE.
 
"Health and safety is one of our highest priorities and we have taken on board the learnings [from this incident] to ensure that it will never happen again," she said.