Some motor trade insurance news. At Preston Crown Court today a vehicle salvage and parts firm, Douglas Valley Breakers, was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £25,000 costs after an incident back in 2010 when an employee, Lee Roberts, was badly burned after fuel he was draining from a vehicle ignited.
The company, based in Chorley, Lancashire was prosecuted after a Health and Safety Executive investigation which concluded that there were various unsafe practices at the firm.
The court was told that all the fluids including fuel from vehicles were regularly drained before they were scrapped and an electric drill was used to puncture the fuel tank. It was a spark from either this or an extension lead which caused the fuel to ignite.
The court found that the company should have ensured that there were no sources of ignition anywhere near the fuel and the fuel should have been drained directly into a sealed container.
Mr. Roberts suffered severe burns to his hands, legs and face during the incident and has not been able to return to work since. He still has flashbacks of the fire three years down the line.
I should imagine there will be a rather large employer’s liability claim going in for this one. Bearing in mind that employer’s liability insurance is a legal prerequisite for any business, you must ensure you’re fully covered so compare quotes for motor trade insurance here at CompareCrazy.com. The business insurance comparison site!
