First corporate manslaughter charges to be brought
After a Junior Geologist was killed in a trench corporate manslaughter charges will be brought against his company - 24th April 2009
A tragic
workplace accident in which a 27 year old man
lost his life will see the first case brought
against a company under the new corporate
manslaughter law.
The
accident at work which cost the junior geologist
his life happened as he was taking soil samples from
a deep trench at a development near Stroud on the
5th September 2008, when tons of rain soaked earth
slid into the trench giving the junior geologist no
chance of escape.
The man's company, Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings is
accused of gross negligence, with a director of the
firm also being charged with gross negligence
manslaughter and both the director and company
facing health and safety charges.
The director could face imprisonment, and the
company an unlimited fine.
The case will appear at Stroud Magistrates Court on
Wednesday 17th June.
The Corporate Manslaughter Act was introduced to
make it easier to prosecute firms who could be at
fault for employee deaths in
workplace accidents.
