Employers are still responsible for the health and safety of their workers wherever they waorking, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has stated.
HSE inspector Michelle Taylor issued the warning to employer’s following a court case in which a cardboard box maker was fined £20,000 after an employee had an accident while working off site.
The cardboard box making firm was prosecuted following a worker suffering injury while delivering flat-packed cardboard boxes to a customer.
The court heard that the worker was attempting to pull a pallet of cardboard boxes across his trailer from the driver’s side to the curb side. The pallet strapping snapped and the worker fell nearly three metres backwards and 1.5m down onto the pavement.
The firm pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was ordered to pay costs of £12,190 in addition to the fine, bringing the total charge laid upon them by the court to £32,190.
Following the hearing, Ms Taylor said: “The company failed to adequately consider the risks that delivery drivers face when they are not on site. This led to this severe and entirely preventable incident which has had such a long-lasting and devastating effect on this worker.”