One female food packer’s serious injury claims recently led to heavy fines for her Lincolnshire employers.
A work accident claim submitted by the Holbeach native details how a falling crate filled with potatoes led to serious personal injuries. The crate fell from a nearby forklift truck and landed on her while she was affixing labels to boxes in the yard of the QV Foods factory in Holbeach Hurn.
Following the accident claim, the forty three year old woman was rushed to hospital in order to treat her fractured knee and severe bruises to her back. While she has since returned to her position as a food packer, the woman’s injuries were initially too serious to allow her to work for several months.
The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted QV Foods Ltd for being in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act at Kings Lynn Magistrates Court. After the firm entered a plea of guilty they were given a fine of £15,000. The food packing company was ordered to pay £4,606 in costs as well.
An HSE inspector commented after the hearing by stating that the woman’s injuries could have been prevented completely if the firm had spent some time and thought into the development of a safer system for its workers.
The injured woman declined to reveal her identity to media sources in order to maintain her privacy. No further information is available regarding any legal proceedings that may have been brought by her against her employer in regards to her injuries. However many workers injured under similar conditions have gone on to secure large personal injury compensation awards from their employers.