The true cost of safety failures: £1.28m fine after tragic loss

Samworth Brothers Limited, the owners of the bakery company Ginsters, has been ordered to pay £1.28 million following the tragic death of a worker crushed by a reversing lorry at their Callington, Cornwall facility.

The incident, which occurred on December 2, 2021, resulted in the death of 40-year-old Paul Clarke, an intake operator. Mr Clarke was moving strip curtains within the loading bay when he was struck by the reversing vehicle. These strip curtains, installed to control temperature and pests, had not been subject to a formal risk assessment.

Crucially, Mr Clarke and other staff members had received no training or instruction on their safe operation, leading to unsafe practices, including positioning themselves directly behind reversing lorries. Despite being airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Mr Clarke succumbed to his injuries. A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed significant systemic failures in the company's safety protocols.

Samworth Brothers Limited pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. In addition to the fine, Plymouth Magistrates’ Court ordered the company to pay £24,106 in prosecution costs.

Mr Clarke's mother provided a poignant victim impact statement, emphasising the devastating loss to their family. "Paul was a family man and loved big family holidays, which will never be the same without him. I haven’t been on one since. I feel so much guilt. We don’t celebrate Christmas anymore; the date of his death is too close.” She detailed their close relationship, including weekly calls, bike rides, and walks, and spoke of the profound void left by his absence.

In a statement, Samworth Brothers expressed their "shock and sadness" at the incident, claiming that health and safety is their "highest priority." They stated that an immediate internal review was conducted, leading to the implementation of changes to their safety systems, and that they fully cooperated with the HSE investigation.

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