The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a company in the West Midlands for failing to report an accident in which an employee fell through a floor and ended up trapped under sacks of rice and pulses.

In February 2008, Noshad Ali was injured when a mezzanine floor collapsed at multinational Wednesbury-based firm KTC (Edibles) Ltd. Mr Ali fell through the floor and was trapped by bags of foodstuffs weighing 1,000kg. The injury was only reported eight months later, however, despite a Local Authority Environment Officer reporting the incident to the HSE.

An HSE inspector visited the site and was advised that no one had been near the collapsed floor at the time of the incident. The inspector provided advice on how to install protective edging to the hole left by the collapsed mezzanine. The company was later served with a prohibition notice to prevent employees working near the hole, after protective edging was found not to have been installed. On a further inspection of the site, the inspector identified other breaches of health and safety regulations, including a person being carried by a forklift truck in a homemade cage – and a lorry colliding with a building, which narrowly missed hitting a person.

On Monday (14/12/09) at West Bromwich Magistrates’ Court, KTC (Edibles) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 3(2) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 at its Moorcroft Drive premises. It was fined a total of £12,500 and ordered to pay £2,388 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Gardabil Singh Tiwanan said that the company had shown ‘scant regard’ for health and safety practices, which had put employees at risk of serious injury – ‘if not death’.

‘The company lacked leadership and competence in applying the duty placed on them

for the health and safety of their employees and it’s lucky no one has died.

‘Good health and safety not only protects your workers but is good for business. The management of KTC Edibles Ltd had ample opportunity to report the incident to the visiting authorities.’

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