Asda rings up £53,000 bill for freezer floor slip

0

Health and Safety at Work has reported today that supermarket giant Asda has appeared in court after an employee slipped on an ice-covered floor in a storage freezer at the retailer’s Barnsley store.

Barnsley Magistrates’ Court heard that the worker suffered knee injuries and had to take several months off work.

When Barnsley Council environmental health officers investigated, they found that Asda had left employees to chip ice off the freezer floor and sweep it away. The company also failed to provide adequate personal protective clothing for staff working in the freezers.

At the site, officers served the firm with a prohibition notice, preventing use of the storage freezer.

Last week (30 May), the company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £33,000 in costs, after earlier admitting offences under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

District Judge Foster, who heard the case in the magistrates’ court, said Asda had shown a “dereliction” of its responsibilities.

The company’s systems were inadequate, he added, and there were unacceptable delays in identifying the problems.

In mitigation, Asda said it had spent £31,000 on repairs to the freezer since the August 2011 accident.

Source: http://www.healthandsafetyatwork.com/hsw/slips-trips-and-falls/asda-freezer-slip

Risk assessments must be completed and recorded by any employer who has 5 or more employees.  The assessments must identify the significant risks that are present in the workplace and must be suitable and sufficient.  This can become a complex and difficult exercise so here at Maurice Young Consulting we are here to help you with our risk assessment services.  Our risk assessment services will help you to identify problem areas.  We will walk through the assessment with you, step by step, making sure you understand all that is involved and have the necessary tools and skills to make any necessary improvements.  Many clients find that undertaking a risk assessment can be time consuming and confusing, we aim to make it as simple and clear as possible