Saint Gobain fined £120,000 over trailer fatality

Prosecutions and Claims |
24.06.2008

Saint Gobain Building Distribution has been fined £120,000 over the death of HGV driver Nigel Sargeant.

Sargeant, who was working for Calders and Grandidge (part of the St Gobain group), suffered fatal head injuries when he fell 4.5 metres from a trailer in August 2005.

He had been concerned about the height of a load of metal poles so had climbed onto a vehicle to try to lower it. He cut the bands round one of the packs of poles which caused the load to shift, and he lost his balance.

Calders and Grandidge had previously only supplied timber telegraph poles, and they had not risk assessed the loading of metal ones.

HSE inspector Jo Anderson said workers "had been left to their own devices to work out a method to load the poles."

On 23 June at Lincoln Crown Court, St Gobain was found guilty of breaching Regulations 5(1) and 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations for failing to put in place arrangements to manage new products and systems, and failing to properly risk assess the loading of steel poles onto trailers.

At an earlier hearing the judge dismissed charges brought under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act after the jury failed to reach a decision.

St Gobain was fined a total of £120,000 plus £51,000 costs.