Fines and costs of nearly £30,000 have been imposed on the operators of a site where a haulier was killed when his tipper trailer touched an overhead power line.
Basildon Magistrates’ Court heard how truck driver Christopher Wilson was killed in 2016 when his tipping trailer was raised and made contact with overhead power lines alongside a grain store at a Suffolk farm.
The site was managed by Nicholas and Roger Watts, partners of FS Watts & Sons. Mr Wilson was electrocuted and died at the scene.
An investigation by the HSE found that FS Watts and Sons had failed to take suitable precautions for work near to the overhead electric power lines despite the recommendations given to them previously by NFU Mutual Risk Management Services.
Nicholas and Roger Watts each pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 3(1)(a) contrary to regulation 14, of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and each was fined £9,500 and ordered to pay costs of £4,700.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Saffron Turnell, said: “This tragic incident led to the avoidable death of a young father. This death could easily have been prevented if those in control of operations at the grain store had acted to identify and manage the risks involved and put a safe system of work in place.”
