The Liverpool Crown Court has slapped a fine of £80,000 and costs of £118,000 on British defence giant BAE systems in a five-year-old accidental death case of an employee at its Lancashire site.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) initiated legal proceedings against BAE Systems Land Systems (Munitions and Ordnance) Ltd after an explosion at the company’s Chorley unit killed Lynda Wilkins on March 2, 2005.

Although, the HSE investigation could not point to the exact cause of the explosion, the court was told that Wilkins was handling a sensitive explosive, lead styphnate, when it blew up, killing her. The HSE accused the company of failing to implement adequate safety measures required for working with such explosives.

On January 14, 2010, the Liverpool Crown Court ordered the Farnborough, Hampshire-based defence contractor to pay fines and costs after the company accepted responsibility to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, thereby failing to protect its employees at the workplace.

HSE Inspector, Colin Hutchinson, slammed BAE Systems for their laxity in maintaining proper health and safety standards at their explosives’ plant. He also expressed HSE’s sympathies with Lynda Wilkins’ grieved family.

Hutchinson confessed HSE’s failure in determining the exact cause of the explosion as Wilkins was alone at the time of the accident but noted that BAE Systems should have monitored anyone working with such a sensitive chemical.

Hutchinson called upon explosives’ companies to take lessons from the case and ensure that proper safety measures are put in place so that no more lives are lost in similar accidents.

Protecting the health and safety of employees or members of the public who may be affected by your activities is an essential part of risk management. The NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health can be of benefit to organisations in providing the knowledge to manage safely and effectively in compliance with both legislative requirements and best practice.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 21st, 2010 at 1:46 pm and is filed under Biz Stuff, Health Management, Legal Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.