Woman Killed In Fatal Work Accident

A firm has been ordered to pay out more than £200,000 after a grandmother died while cleaning out a vending machine.
 
Lynda Trebilcock was working the night shift for Delico Ltd when a powered door on a machine she was cleaning closed unexpectedly, giving her severe head injuries.

She received fatal injuries and died at the scene in the early hours on May 2007.

Food manufacturers Delico Ltd was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay £40,452.60 at Aylesbury Crown Court after admitting breaking health and safety regulations in an earlier hearing at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court.

Karl Howes, an inspector for the Health and Safety Executive, said that employers must ensure that safety measures on machines, like guards, must not be switched off.

He added: "All areas of risk need to be assessed, including cleaning and maintenance tasks, to make sure that tragic incidents like this do not happen."

The firm was fined for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which states employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees while at work.

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David Urpeth from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “This was a terrible, fatal accident at work.

“Workers need to be protected from dangerous parts of machines. It is therefore of great concern if safety devices intended to protect workers are taken out of commission.  By doing so, this will obviously increase the chances of a worker being injured or killed in a work accident.”

If you have lost a loved one due to an accident at work, our serious injury solicitors could help you claim compensation to help get the answers you deserve. Visit our fatal accident claims or accidents at work claims page for more information.