A pizza manufacturer has been fined after failing to comply with an improvement notice, which required the installation of edge protection around an open first floor doorway.
An unannounced visit by the Health and Safety Executive to Capri Foods Ltd’s factory in Isleworth, Middlesex discovered an unguarded doorway on the first floor, which was used to load and unload goods from a forklift outside of the building. Although no loading was taking place at the time of the visit, the doorway was left open with nothing to prevent anyone falling from the building.
The firm was issued with an improvement notice that required edge protection to be installed. However, a further inspection found that no attempt had been made to comply with the notice.
Capri Foods pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for failing to comply with an enforcement notice, and the Work at Height Regulations SI 2005/735. It was fined £7,500 for each offence and ordered to pay £2,607 in legal costs.
HSE inspector Steve Kirton commented, “Falls from height remain one of the biggest dangers in the workplace, accounting for a fifth of all deaths and scores of serious injuries in the food-manufacturing sector alone, according to our latest official figures. So it’s incredibly frustrating to see a company like Capri Foods blatantly ignoring calls to protect employees when such a clear and obvious risk has been identified. Fortunately, no one was hurt on this occasion, but the consequences of falling through that door could have been horrific.”
The company responded by saying it had no previous convictions. It has now complied with the notice by installing sliding gates in the doorway, which can be operated by a remote control.
