Nottinghamshire paintshop fined £20,000 after 60 year old killed by steel grid

HSE press release E056:05 - 19 April 2005

Nottingham paint shop Leadmaster Ltd was fined £20,000 at Newark Magistrates' Court yesterday (Monday 18 April).

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution followed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Robert Fountain, who had been spray-painting a 300kg fabricated steel grid hanging from a forklift truck in the company's Newark paint shop on 17 June 2004. He was found by his son, Jason Fountain, trapped against a steel table by the grid, which had fallen on him.

Leadmaster Ltd is based on the Colwick Industrial Estate, Nottingham, and has a factory at Beaconside Works, Beacon Hill, Newark, which employs eight people and trades as Parsons (Newark).

The company admitted one charge under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £20,000, the maximum at magistrates' court, and ordered to pay costs of £2,922.

HSE Inspector David Appleton said: "This was a tragic incident to a newly recruited employee. It would have been simple and cheap to prevent this death by using a rope or strap to secure the fabrication, or by placing it on trestles for painting.

The incident underlines the need for a safe system of work to be devised for all tasks and for everybody involved to understand how to do the job safely."

Note to Editors

1. Under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have a duty to ensure as far as is reasonably practicable the safety of employees.

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