Court Fines Battersea Laundry Firm for Ignoring Improvement Notices
Saturday, November 26th, 2011
The City of London Magistrates’ Court recently punished a laundry firm based in Battersea for overlooking the improvement notices handed out by the HSE and violating health and safety rules. Niva UK (Ltd) admitted guilty to violating two rules under Section 33 (1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and not taking corrective action against the improvement notice served to them by the HSE. The Court instructed the firm dealing in the name of Sunbeam Laundry to pay £2,000 as fines and £5,062 as prosecution costs.
Prior to the verdict, the Court heard that the firm underwent a regular inspection by the HSE inspector on May 6, 2010. During that time, the HSE handed out two improvement notices to the laundry firm. One related to clearing hindrances like laundry stacks and other materials from the pathways, staircases and the entrance of the female staff lavatory and the second related to studying and taking steps to cut the existing problematic system of carrying and managing laundry piles. However when the HSE returned after two months to check if the improvement notices have been conformed with, they observed that the firm had not taken any steps to conform with both the notices. The laundry staffs were still found to be lifting and transferring heavy loads of clothes and other materials from one area to other through the passages that were blocked by hindrances. This increased their chances of stumbling over them and falling down, resulting in injuries. The Court deliberated on all the proofs before declaring the verdict.
Speaking on the verdict, HSE Inspector Clare Hawkes stated that the legislation needs firms to offer passages that are clear from all kinds of hindrances so that their staff can walk securely and at will, without any danger of stumbling, falling and getting hurt. Action will be taken against firms who are found to be evading their obligations. Firms found not conforming to the enforcement notices handed by the HSE will mostly face a trial, just as this firm was prosecuted, added the Inspector.
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