A WARRINGTON plant-hire company was fined £200,000 after an employee fell 5m to his death.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive showed the company failed to follow its own health and safety guidelines for work at height.
Ashtead Plant Hire Co Ltd, trading as APlant, admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The firm, based at Dalton Avenue, Birchwood Park, Warrington, was also ordered to pay £15,698 towards the cost of the prosecution at Maidstone Crown Court.
Phillip Pearce, 55 from Medway, Kent, had worked as a fitter at the company’s depot in Maidstone for less than three months when he died in August, 2006.
HSE Inspector John Underwood said: “This was a wholly avoidable incident which led to a tragic and totally unnecessary loss of life.”
