Peterborough Company Found Guilty of Health and Safety Offences

Peterborough City Council has led a successful prosecution against a local company for failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees. At Peterborough Magistrates Court on 20 March, Hagemeyer (UK) Ltd, owners of Newey and Eyre, the electrical distrubutors, were found guilty of failing to ensure legal safety requirements were met.

Hagemeyer (UK) Ltd were fined a total of £7,000, with costs of £2,288, awarded to the city council, after pleading guilty to offences under:

• Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, for failing to ensure 'the health, safety and welfare at work of his employees'
• Regulation 19 of Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, for 'failing to assess the risks to young persons at work'

The prosecution followed an accident at Newey and Eyre, Padholm Road, Peterborough, in December 2001. A 17 year old employee fell from the forks of a fork lift truck.

In a statement to the press, Peterborough city council said that "Hagemeyer UK Ltd had failed in their duty to provide sufficient health and safety information along with instruction and training to the injured person and had failed to conduct a young persons risk assessment for his activities in the warehouse."

Katherine Batty, Environmental Health Officer for the city council, said after the hearing, "We are pleased with the level of fine imposed by the courts. This sends out a clear message to all employers of the need to comply with health and safety requirements and to ensure the health and safety of their staff while at work. It particularly highlights the needs of young people. We would strongly urge all employers to ensure they place health and safety in the workplace as a top priority."