Firm fined £150,000 over dock site death

BOSSES at a Durham-based firm have been ordered to pay out more than 150,000, following the death of a Doncaster man who suffered fatal injuries at work when he was run over by a loading shovel.

Energy support services firm Hargreaves (UK) Services pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Grimsby Crown Court yesterday .

The firm had been prosecuted after the death of Alan Noddle, 48, who was run over at work in Immingham on July 20 2007.

Mr Noddle, from Carcroft, worked as a maintenance fitter for Norec Ltd – a sister company of Hargreaves Services – and was working at Hargreaves’ Astra Site at Immingham docks on the day of the fatal incident.

He died when he was struck by a large loading shovel moving coal from one area of the plant to another.

The driver of the vehicle could not see Mr Noddle as he walked across the stockyard because the large bucket on the shovel blocked his view.

In court yesterday, Hargreaves Services admitted the safety breaches and was fined 120,000, plus 35,000 in costs.

After the hearing, Health and Safety Executive inspector Geoffrey Clark said: “This is a tragic case where a man died as a result of dangerous practices at the site.

“The loading shovel severely obscured the driver’s view, yet despite this it was common practice for employees to be allowed to walk in the area where these machines were being operated.”