Cambridgeshire power company fined �150k for death of man struck by 700kg bale of straw
A CAMBRIDGESHIRE power company has been ordered to pay �150,000 for its role in an incident which left a man dead after he was struck by a straw bale.
Gary Darnell from Ely, was working as a driver at EPR Ely Ltd’s site on the Elean Power Station in Sutton, on 16 September 2008 when he suffered fatal injuries from a 700kg bale of straw which fell on to him.
Cambridge Crown Court heard on 11 February 2011, that the 53-year-old received fatal injuries from mechanical asphyxiation when, during an unloading operation using an overhead gantry crane, the bale of straw fell from a lorry on to Gary.
EPR Ely Ltd of Woodbridge - which produces electricity from burning straw at its Elean Power Station - was fined �120,000 and ordered to pay costs of �30,735.
The investigation and prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found a number of failings regarding the movement of straw bales around the loading and storage area.
You may also want to watch:
Gavin Bull, HSE inspector, said: “Incidents like this are entirely preventable - it is tragic that Gary Darnell lost his life.
“Companies need to make sure that they do not put drivers at risk from unsafe loading procedures. They should have systems of work in place keep drivers or other workers away from places that might be unsafe.
Most Read
- 1 Neighbours want council to call time on off-licence
- 2 Man who spent Christmas alone in intensive care proposes to girlfriend
- 3 High life ends for Bentley owning drug dealer
- 4 Fishing park owners await green light to open third lake
- 5 Transgender rapist - with anatomy of a man- jailed for 15 years
- 6 No queue as vaccinations for 500 patients in a day begin
- 7 Nitrous oxide canisters no laughing matter say Fenland police
- 8 Driver bids to drift towards fruitful career with national success
- 9 'Sorry for any delay' but we're getting there says vaccine rollout manager
- 10 Man suffers serious injuries after two-vehicle crash on A47
“If necessary they should use a banksman to assist the driver, or have other equipment such as effective CCTV to make loading operations safe.”