Legal News

The Co-operative Group has been fined £400,000, after Cornwall Council’s Public Protection department prosecuted the company for a breach of the Health and Safety Act.

Truro Crown Court heard that, in July 2015, Stanley May, 74, slipped in water which had accumulated on the floor of the Co-op store in Boscawen Street, Truro, following a leak from a faulty appliance.

Mr May hit his head on the floor and died later in hospital from a subdural haematoma.

The court was told that water had been intermittently leaking from under a sandwich chiller over a period of nearly 44 hours – and although mopping up of the water had occurred, there had been no effective method employed to stop or contain the leak, or prevent customers from accessing the area.

Engineers had been called to repair the chiller the day prior to the incident leading to Mr May’s death and the machine appeared to have been repaired effectively.

However, it had continued to leak – and on the day in question, the leaking chiller had not been reported as a maintenance issue and the only control method was a wet floor sign.

Following an investigation by Cornwall Council’s Public Protection officers, Co-operative Group Ltd pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

At a sentencing hearing on Monday 22 May 2017 at Truro Crown Court, the Co-operative Group Ltd was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £50,000.

Following the hearing, investigating officer Sarah-Jane Brown – from Cornwall Council’s Business Regulatory Support team – said:

“This case demonstrates the importance of slip risks being adequately controlled.

“It should serve a warning to the retail industry – and particularly supermarkets – that signage alone is not an adequate control.

“Proactive measures must be taken to either prevent floors becoming slippery, or precluding public access.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise those who have suffered injury as a result of a slip, trip or fall caused by third-party negligence on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation, including claims relating to: