Two subcontractors from Sheffield have each been given eight-month prison sentences, suspended for 18 months, following the death of a worker.
56-year-old William Ward sustained catastrophic injuries when part of a 33-tonne metal barge collapsed on top of him in the incident, which happened at European Metal Recycling Ltd’s Kingsbury depot in Warwickshire.
Earlier this month (4th February) Warwickshire Crown Court heard how Mr Ward, also from Sheffield, had been working for brothers Stuart and Dennis Cheesman to dismantle two steel barges with oxy-acetylene torches.
He was working alongside the brothers on the day of the incident and had just finished cutting through the outer layer of the barge’s hull. He had moved inside the structure, which was now unsupported, to cut supporting braces and the side crashed in on him, killing him instantly.
It was found that the brothers, contractors working for European Metal Recycling (EMR), had not ensured that the barge was sufficiently supported to prevent a possible collapse. In addition, they had failed to properly assess or manage the work.
The company was fined £150,000 after serious flaws were identified by the HSE.