Iceland fined £2.5m over death of man in South Yorkshire store

Iceland Foods has been fined £2.5m over the death of a contractor who fell through a ceiling.

Tony Hopkins had visited the store in Rotherham to replace filters within an air conditioning unit on a plant platform above a suspended ceiling in the store’s warehouse.

He fell almost three metres from the platform and through the suspended ceiling, sustaining fatal injuries.

An investigation by Rotherham Council found no barriers in place to prevent falls from the platform, restricted space on the platform near the ladder and several tripping hazards, it said.

Iceland Foods Limited had not carried out a risk assessment over access to the platform, said the council.

In court Iceland contended that they were entitled to rely on the specialist contractors who carried out work on the plant platform to identify the missing handrail. These claims were rejected by the prosecution and the court.

Iceland was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act after a trial at Sheffield Crown Court in July.

Iceland said Mr Hopkin’s death in 2013 was “a terrible tragedy for which we can only express the utmost regret.”

An Iceland spokesman said: “Mr Hopkins lost his life due to the the absence of a safety handrail around the platform on which the air conditioning equipment was located.

“This handrail had been specified in our design of the store, and our contractors had certified to us that it was in place. We naturally regret our reliance on these assurances, which proved to be completely untrue.”

During sentencing at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday, the company was fined £1.25m for each of two offences and ordered to pay costs of £65,000 to Rotherham Council.

Cllr Emma Hoddinott of Rotherham Council, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Hopkins family; everyone should expect their loved one to return from work safely.
“I would like to thank the council staff for bringing this case to court and getting the answers needed in these tragic circumstances.”

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