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Company sentenced over corporate manslaughter charges (29 December 2015)

Date: 29/12/2015
Duncan Lewis, Crime Solicitors, Company sentenced over corporate manslaughter charges

Preston Crown Court has sentenced a crane company to a £700,000 fine after the company was found guilty of corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences.

The company was also ordered to pay all Crown Prosecution Service costs and half of the Health and Safety Executive's costs.

The conviction of Baldwin Crane Hire Ltd followed the death of one of their employees, Lindsay Easton, in 2011.

The court heard that Mr Easton was employed by Baldwin Crane Hire as a crane operator. At the time of his death, he was driving a 16-wheel, 130-tonne crane down an access road to Scout Moor quarry and wind farm Edenfield in Lancashire.

The crane had been brought to the site to replace another crane which had broken down. As Mr Easton drove the crane down the access road, it crashed after failing to negotiate a steep bend and he was killed in the collision.

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive, the crash was found to have been caused by serious problems with the braking system of the crane, which had not been properly maintained.

The crane was fitted with four separate auxiliary braking systems in addition to the ordinary footbrake – three of the auxiliary braking systems had been disconnected altogether and the fourth was damaged.

There were also serious faults with the main braking system, with no operable brakes at all on seven wheels – and faults or excessive wear to the remaining nine.

The court found that Baldwins Crane Hire Ltd were responsible for these failings.

After sentencing, a CPS spokesperson said:

“The company had a duty of care to its employees to maintain the crane to ensure it was safe and roadworthy. This hadn't happened. The jury also found that the company had put other road users at risk due to poor maintenance of its vehicles.

“Following further investigations of the company's fleet, several cranes were found to have faults with their brakes or other operating systems. Had the company serviced and maintained the vehicles, this accident would never have happened.

“Mr Easton put his safety in the hands of his employer and they failed him.”

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