A bread company based in Barnet in Greater London has been prosecuted and fined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an employee fell from a ladder in a fatal accident back in 2009.
Ovenpride Wholesale Ltd’s Finchley Road bakery was visited by two HSE inspectors after handyman Rocco Carofalo fell from a stepladder, which he was standing on to work on shelving. He was last seen standing on the ladder in the morning, but was later found lying on the floor, bleeding from the head. He died from his injuries on 23rd June 2009.
A prohibition notice was issued to Amjad Mahmood, the owner of the business, by HSE inspectors shortly after the incident. This notice related to working at height, due to the unsuitability of access equipment.
The City of London Magistrates Court heard that the stepladder Mr Carofalo was working on was in poor condition, and prosecutors also accused Ovenpride Wholesale Ltd of failing to provide a proper risk assessment and a safe system of work for employees. Mr Mahmood and his company, which should by law be covered with employers’ liability insurance, were both fined over the incident.