Upon launching an inquiry into the incident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that defeating the interlock during set-up was customary practice for the organisation and that the risk assessment carried out for the work was insufficient and not reviewed on a regular basis.

As a result of this, Walraven Limited was found guilty of breaching regulations regarding the provision and use of work equipment, as well as breaching health and safety at work regulations and was fined £40,000, as well being ordered to pay an additional £1,353.60 in costs.

This kind of regulation breach is easily done but can have hugely costly consequences for a business, in this case a total of over £41,000. Unexpected costs like this can cripple smaller businesses and prove a hugely unwelcome for larger ones which is why it’s important that you have insurance cover in place that can cover you from legal expenses such as this.

If your business is in the manufacturing, engineering or construction trade, or you need to hire in plant on a one-off basis, you can talk to the team at Boyd Insurance about a policy to protect you from risks like employee accident and breach of regulation.