'Utterly preventable' accident at work leads to engineer's death

A fatal accident at work has seen a company prosecuted and fined after the case was taken before the City of London Magistrates Court by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

According to the organisation - the UK's national regulator for workplace health and safety - Balbir Rayatt, aged 55, was working as an engineering and maintenance manager for car mat manufacturer Cannon Automotive Limited in London when in 2008 he was killed by a heavy steel fabrication barrier fell on him while repairing a rubber-mixing machine. He died from his severe head injuries.

Investigations by the HSE found the barrier in question was left unsecured against containers of rubber compound powder. It was also stored vertically.

Furthermore, the study revealed the firm did not "supervise, manage, monitor, audit or review" how maintenance should be carried out on the mixer with regards to health and safety standards.

Commenting on the news, HSE inspector Neil Fry said: "This tragic death was utterly preventable. Poor standards and failure to keep working environments in a good condition are a major cause of these types of incidents and also occupational diseases."

He went on to state that he hopes this accident at work will cause companies across Britain to "take note" and improve conditions at their place of work.

Cannon Automotive Limited, after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, was fined £20,000 and also ordered to pay costs worth £13,100.