Worker crushed by falling glass

A firm has been fined £80,000 after a worker was crushed to death by falling glass in his first day on the job.

Workmates tried unsuccessfully to smash the glass – which weighed 242lb per sheet – with a hammer to free Vitalijus Orlovas at Arken POP’s site in St Neots, a court has been told.

A second worker was trapped by the hand as he tried to stop the stacked glass from tipping over.

Arken, based at Studlands Park Avenue, Newmarket, was also ordered to pay £10,000 compensation to Mr Orlovas’ family and £16,914 prosecution costs to the Health and Safety Executive.

The firm admitted failing to protect staff on August 18, 2008.

Judge Sean Enright said: "It seems to me death or injury was foreseeable."

He ordered that an account of what had happened to cause the death of Mr Orlovas, 29, be sent to his family, along with an account of the action taken.

Peterborough Crown Court heard that Arken, which makes display material, had set up the unit in Hawkesden Road after winning a contract with London Underground.

But the firm had problems with the delivery of the sheets of glass from China which could not be unloaded from the lorry by machine and were removed by hand.

Mr Orlovas was one of two Lithuanian agency workers taken on to help, along with Gambian Seedy (corr) Kinteh.

Ruth Barber, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said Mr Kinteh had heard a scream and saw the glass falling towards Mr Orlovas.

She said: "Mr Kinteh put out his hands to try to stop the glass, but it carried on falling on Mr Orlovas who was pinned across his chest between the falling glass and the remaining container opposite it.

"Mr Kinteh’s right hand was also trapped between the fallen glass on the pallet and the other side of the container."

The glass was lifted off Mr Orlovas, but he was declared dead from crush injuries at the scene.

Simon Antrobus, for the firm, said Arken had never been in trouble before and had a good safety record. The company also expressed regret for what had happened.

He said the firm had immediately returned Mr Orlovas’ body to his family and had paid for his funeral as well as making a payment of £3,000 to the family.

Mr Antrobus said workers at the St Neots site had made the "misjudgement" of deciding how to unload the glass, rather than seek advice.

David Head, HSE inspector, said after the hearing: "The tragic death of this young man should never have happened. Arken POP did not carry out their legal duty to ensure the health and safety of people that were working for them and the result was this horrific incident."