Cambridgeshire grain store firm fined £180,000 by HSE following worker's death
A Cambridgeshire grain store company has been fined £180,000 following he death of a 45-year-old worker at its site in Linton.
Peterborough Crown Court heard how, on July 27, 2016, an employee of Camgrain Stores Ltd suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a lorry at the site.
Edward Orlopp had left the control room to walk across the site but on leaving the building walked in front of a moving lorry.
The driver had checked his mirrors of the 15m-long vehicle but said he did not see Mr Orlopp and moved forward, hitting and fatally injuring him.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Camgrain Stores had failed to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles could move safely around the site, and that they had not provided measures to prevent employees walking into areas where large vehicles were moving.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Faulkner said: “Being struck by vehicles is one of the most common causes of workplace fatal accidents.
“This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident caused by failure of the host company to undertake a number of simple measures.”
Camgrain Stores, of London Road, Balsham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £180,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 costs.
Simon Willis, CEO of Camgrain, said it had “worked closely with the HSE to understand and adopt all possible learning points” and it continues “to foster a culture of continuous improvement.”
The inquest was also told by Camgrain operations director, Philip Darke, that new safety features had been put in place since the accident, including improved walkways and barriers.
Camgrain is the UK’s largest farming co-operative, providing storage for wheat and other crops at four sites.