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Industrialsafetytalk: Health and Safety Legislation
News Release from: HSE Health and Safety Executive
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 09 July 2004
Maintenance firm fined for Rotherham
derailment
At a hearing on 5 July 2004 before Judge Moore in Sheffield Crown Court, Jarvis Facilities Ltd (Jarvis) was fined GBP400,000 for breaching health and safety law.
At a hearing on 5 July 2004 before Judge Moore in Sheffield Crown Court, Jarvis Facilities Ltd (Jarvis) was fined GBP400,000 for breaching health and safety law The prosecution follows an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into a train derailment at Aldwarke Junction, near Rotherham, on 10 November 2002
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 1 Jul 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Jarvis pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in that on 10 November 2002 it did not conduct its undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that persons not in its employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
The locomotive and two leading wagons of a goods train derailed over a set of points at Aldwarke Junction; there were no injuries.
HSE inspector Stephen Bates, who investigated the derailment, said: "This train derailed because after urgent repair work a section of track had been returned for the passage of trains in an unsafe condition.
"While we were pleased that no injuries resulted from this incident the circumstances were such that people - whether at work or travelling as passengers - could have been hurt as a result.
"Our investigation revealed deficiencies with the way work was planned and carried out, failure to select staff to carry out the work who had the necessary competencies, and deficiencies in the communication of vital information to all staff involved, including those in the signal box.
"It was an incident that could have been prevented by simply following the railway's own rules".
Jarvis Facilities Ltd, of Frogmore Park, Watton at Stone, Hertford was fined GBP400,000 and ordered to pay costs of GBP28,061 to the HSE.
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