A wholesale fruit and vegetable firm faces a fine and costs totalling £6,000 after one of its staff was seriously injured when he fell off a ladder. A David & Co Ltd of Bishop Sutton was prosecuted by Bath and North East Somerset Council for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. Bath Magistrates convicted the company and fined it £3,000, with £3,000 costs awarded to the council.
The council also took Bath restaurant Jamie’s Italian to court for breaching safety legislation and fined it £8,500 after managers pleaded guilty to three offences.Councillor Charles Gerrish (Con, Keynsham North), B&NES Council’s cabinet member for customer services, said the authority would vigorously pursue firms it believed were in breach of health and safety legislation.
“Every worker has the right to safe working conditions,” he said. “Bath and North East Somerset Council takes its health and safety responsibilities very seriously and will prosecute if a business needlessly puts the lives of its staff at risk by failing to have the correct measures in place.”
B&NES took the business to court after it found the accident might have been prevented had the appropriate health and safety measures been in place. “These cases demonstrate that no business is above the law. Businesses have a responsibility to their staff and if there is any doubt about the required health and safety precautions they should contact the council’s public protection team for advice,” said Mr Gerrish.
