Telecoms giant fined £300,000 over ladder fall
Telecoms giant BT was fined £300,000 yesterday after a judge said a "significant failing" by the company contributed to the death of one its engineers.
David Askew, 52, died after falling from a stepladder while working at the Canonbury Telephone Exchange, north London, in October 2006.
The experienced engineer was standing on the top rung of the seven-foot ladder and working alone at the time of his death, Southwark Crown Court, central London, heard.
The accident resulted in BT being convicted of failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees at a trial in October this year.