A UK COMPANY and its director have been sentenced today for causing the death of a factory worker who fell into a piece of machinery at a recycling yard.
The worker, Safi Qais Khan, died at Master Construction Products Skips Ltd (MCPS) after he became entangled in a trommel machine, which is used to sort waste material.
MCPS admitted the corporate manslaughter of Khan following an investigation into his death.
The investigation found there was no safe system of work for the trommel and it was placed in a dangerous site. Essential guards to prevent entrapment were missing, there was no emergency stop button on the machine and it was surrounded by uneven and waste-strewn ground.
The company also admitted to a breach of its health a safety duty owed to its employee, in failing to ensure measures were in place to minimise the risk of entrapment, crushing or falls whilst working at the trommel.
Jagbir Singh, director of MCPS, pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence, admitting that he was aware of the way in which the company operated the trommel.
The company was fined £255,000 for corporate manslaughter.
Singh was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and 300 hours of community service at Birmingham Crown Court.
He was also disqualified as a company director for eight years and ordered to pay £11,500 in prosecution costs.
Michael Gregory, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “MCPS let the trommel and the area around it fall into a dilapidated and dangerous state.
Little thought was given by the company to the safety of its employees when working at the machine. This failure caused the death of Mr Khan.
“Singh admitted the offence after the CPS successfully showed how senior leaders’ management of the machinery played a substantial part of Mr Khan’s death. Our thoughts are with Mr Khan’s family.”
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