Fruehauf fined £200,000 after fatal fall at factory

Trailer manufacturer Fruehauf has been fined £200,000  with £5,622 costs over the death of a worker who fell from a cherry picker at its Grantham factory.

The unnamed worker sustained fatal injuries when he fell while climbing from the basket of a cherry picker onto an overhead travelling crane to carry out a repair. Neither suitable harnesses nor equipment to prevent falling were used.

The HSE found the work had not been properly planned and Fruehauf did not have a safe system of work for accessing overhead cranes in the factory.

A hearing at Lincoln Crown Court was told Fruehauf did not have appropriate arrangements in place for controlling, monitoring and reviewing the safety of maintenance tasks, nor was the work properly risk-assessed.

HSE said the fall could have been prevented if Fruehauf had provided appropriate supervision and suitable fall arrest equipment.

On 31 July Fruehauf pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety law.

Inspector Martin Giles said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working.”