Car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has been sentenced for safety breaches which were discovered during an investigation into a workers death at its plant in Merseyside.
It was heard in Liverpool Crown Court that Graham Begley, from Halewood, was found trapped between two 24 tonne pieces of car making machinery called 'dies' on 26 September 2011.
It is thought that Graham, 49, was moving the machinery with a crane when it's chain or hook snagged on the die which caused it to move towards him and crush him.
As part of their investigation into the incident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Jaguar Land Rover had failed in its duty to undertake a suitable risk assessment of the risks to its employees.
It was accepted in court that the regulation breach was not causative of Mr Begley’s death but Jaguar Land Rover Ltd were prosecuted by the HSE over breaches of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
After entering a guilty plea, the company were fined £30,000 and agreed to make a contribution towards HSE costs of £20,000.
HSE head of operations for the north west, Mark Dawson, said: "A suitable risk assessment is an essential step in ensuring that the risks arising from work activities are properly controlled. This is particularly important where the work is hazardous and has the potential to result in serious harm. Employers are therefore reminded of their legal responsibility to identify the hazards and decide on the precautions that may be necessary."
