Three companies have been fined a total of £600,000 after an engineer was fatally electrocuted while repairing a food waste disposal unit in a hospital kitchen.
Craig Stocker, from Letchworth, died after coming into contact with a metal part of the machine at Bishops Wood Hospital in Northwood, Middlesex, after water entered its wiring.
He died of his injuries, at the age of 36.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation later found “serious flaws” in the machine’s design.
“The earthing wire could be connected in a way that meant it was ineffective, and the equipment was also permanently live,” said an HSE spokesperson.
“When the macerator was installed by McFarlane Telfer in 2013, they had not acted on the manufacturer’s instructions, which required that a residual current device (RCD) was fitted.”
Meanwhile Bishops Wood Hospital operator BMI Healthcare did not identify that an RCD, which would prevent fatal exposure to electrical current, had not been fitted.
Mr Stocker was electrocuted on December 13, 2017.
At Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, nearly six years on from the tragedy, three companies were fined after two were found guilty of health and safety breaches, and a third pleaded guilty.
Mr Stocker’s widow, Leah, paid tribute to him as “a family man” who was “the life and soul of any party”, saying his death has devastated his loved ones.
“Craig and I would enjoy dinners out, trips to the cinema, day trips to the seaside and we loved to go on holidays, with Tenerife being a particular favourite,” she said.
“He was a kind-hearted man who was a hardworking, caring individual. Craig had a passion for American football, WWE wrestling and listening to music from morning until night and many other hobbies. He was the life and soul of any party.
“On the day that Craig died, our lives changed in many ways, nothing can prepare you for this, nothing can prepare you for the psychological and emotional turmoil this causes to one’s mental health, Craig is missed by many people, myself and his mum Dianne in particular.
“Craig you are missed, you will always be missed but forever in our thoughts and hearts you will remain.”
BMI Healthcare - now Circle Health Group Limited - of Cannon Street, London, of breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. 1974.
It was on Tuesday fined £450,000 and ordered to pay £106,895 in costs.
McFarlane Telfer Limited, of Westacott Way, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. 1974.
It was fined £70,000 and ordered to pay £106,753 in costs.
On March 2 last year, Imperial Machine Company Limited, of Whisby Road, Lincoln, which created the food waste disposal, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 6(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was on Tuesday fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £12,945 in costs.
AFE Group Limited - the company Mr Stocker was working for - was found not guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Following the trial, HSE inspector Kevin Shorten said: “Our thoughts today are with the family of Mr Stocker. He should have returned home safely at the end of his working day but, because of the failings of these three companies, he did not.
“The fines imposed should underline to manufacturers, contractors and building owners that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to ensure electrical safety extremely seriously.
“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”
