Proceedings came to an end at Warrington Crown Court in a case pertaining to neglect of safety regulations at a work site. Three oil companies were fined for negligence of regulations. As a result of the companies’ negligence, an employee of one of the companies was severely injured in an accident at
Hertel UK Ltd, Shell UK Oil Products Ltd, and Dalprop Ltd were fined by the court following prosecution by HSE. A total fine of about £280,000 has been deemed adequate for the accident that left employee Stephen Rizzotti paralysed below the waist and bound to a wheel chair.
Rizzotti sustained a fractured back, pelvis and fractured legs when a container with 500 kgs of waste material fell on top of him. It had been suspended above the walkway where Rizzotti was working. He was engaged in removing concrete lining in the cracker unit of the plant during a refurbishment work.
Hertel Ltd was the company that had installed the scaffolding and boarding for the project. The boards around the waste container had come loose causing it to fall down from a height of 30 feet right on Rizzotti. For negligence to Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the company was fined £83,333. Costs of £16,204 were also imposed on the company.
The accident which occurred at Shell’s Stanlow Manufacturing Complex near Ellesmere Port also brought fines on the victim’s employer, S.G. Blair and Co. Ltd (now known as Dalprop Ltd) and Shell UK Oil Products Ltd. These companies were reprimanded for neglecting to follow guidelines stated in the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. Shell was asked to pay a fine of £116,666 plus costs of £16,204, while Dalprop was fined £83,333 plus costs of £11,115.
The NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH Certifcate) is a qualification designed to help those with health and safety responsibilities to carry out their duties at work more effectively and to protect the organisations for which they work. Take a look at the course details for more info and to make sure you are aware of your responsibilities as an employer to keep you employees safe and protected.