July 08-A Rochdale plastics manufacturer has been fined 140,000 after a cleaner was crushed to death by a pallet of bags weighing nearly one and a half tonnes, reports the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
Following the incident at the Stakehill Industrial Estate in Middleton, the HSE prosecuted TS (UK) for failing to ensure the safety of its employees, and for not having a trained first aider on duty.
Manchester Crown Court, Minshull Street, heard that 38 year-old Abel Lages was cleaning up a spillage in the yard on 15 July 2005 when a wooden pallet, containing 55 bags of polypropylene, fell on him.
The material, which is used to manufacture washing up bowls, buckets and plastic products, is dangerous to stack, said the HSE, as it can pour out if there is a tear in a bag, making the stack unstable.
Mr Lages was found trapped under one of the collapsed pallets and died from his injuries at the scene.
John McGrellis, an HSE Principal Inspector for Greater Manchester, said: "Mr Lages died because TS (UK) didn't treat the health and safety of its workers as a priority. Labels on the polypropylene bags made it clear how to store them safely, but this advice was ignored.
"The company didn't provide guidance about how to stack the pallets, and no one trained in first aid was on duty to help try to resuscitate Mr Lages when the pallet fell on him.
"Since Mr Lages' death, TS (UK) no longer stacks them on top of each other. If this action had been taken previously, Mr Lages might still be alive today."
TS (UK) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 3(2) of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
The company was fined at Manchester Crown Court on 7 July and ordered to pay an additional 10,588 towards prosecution costs.
Following the incident at the Stakehill Industrial Estate in Middleton, the HSE prosecuted TS (UK) for failing to ensure the safety of its employees, and for not having a trained first aider on duty.
Manchester Crown Court, Minshull Street, heard that 38 year-old Abel Lages was cleaning up a spillage in the yard on 15 July 2005 when a wooden pallet, containing 55 bags of polypropylene, fell on him.
The material, which is used to manufacture washing up bowls, buckets and plastic products, is dangerous to stack, said the HSE, as it can pour out if there is a tear in a bag, making the stack unstable.
Mr Lages was found trapped under one of the collapsed pallets and died from his injuries at the scene.
John McGrellis, an HSE Principal Inspector for Greater Manchester, said: "Mr Lages died because TS (UK) didn't treat the health and safety of its workers as a priority. Labels on the polypropylene bags made it clear how to store them safely, but this advice was ignored.
"The company didn't provide guidance about how to stack the pallets, and no one trained in first aid was on duty to help try to resuscitate Mr Lages when the pallet fell on him.
"Since Mr Lages' death, TS (UK) no longer stacks them on top of each other. If this action had been taken previously, Mr Lages might still be alive today."
TS (UK) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 3(2) of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
The company was fined at Manchester Crown Court on 7 July and ordered to pay an additional 10,588 towards prosecution costs.
