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Airbus fined £200,000 for death of worker Donald Williams Donald Williams's widow criticises £200,000 Airbus fine over death
(about 1 hour later)
Airbus has been fined £200,000 for failing to ensure the health and safety of an employee who was crushed to death at its Flintshire factory. The widow of an Airbus employee who died in an accident at work has criticised the £200,000 fine.
Mechanic Donald Williams, 62, from Buckley, died after fracturing his skull at the manufacturer's Broughton factory in Flintshire in November 2011. Donald Williams, 62, from Buckley, was crushed while attaching a fertiliser spreader to a tractor at the Broughton plant in Flintshire in November 2011.
Mr Williams was crushed while attaching a fertiliser spreader to a tractor. Mold Crown Court was told Airbus must also pay £58,891 in costs after admitting a health and safety breach.
Mold Crown Court was told Airbus must also pay £58,891 in costs after pleading guilty to the charge. Afterwards, Sheila Williams said the fine and bad publicity did not "amount to much in exchange for a man's life."
The inquest into Mr Williams's death, held in Ruthin in November 2013, heard he was working in the garage when he was fatally injured. Mr Williams's inquest, which returned a misadventure verdict in 2013, heard colleague Stephen Shone entered the tractor cab and switched on the engine while Mr Williams stood behind the rear nearside wheel.
Colleague Stephen Shone entered the tractor cab and switched on the engine while Mr Williams stood behind the rear nearside wheel.
'Entirely avoidable'
He pulled the lever to activate the system and raise the hopper then heard Mr Williams shout so pushed the lever back and saw his colleague trapped.He pulled the lever to activate the system and raise the hopper then heard Mr Williams shout so pushed the lever back and saw his colleague trapped.
Other colleagues rushed to help, and Mr Williams was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital where he died. 'Entirely avoidable'
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said an investigation found that fitters in Mr Williams's department had received no training for driving, maintaining or attaching equipment to tractors and lacked understanding of tractor controls. Mr Williams suffered a fractured skull and was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital where he died.
HSE inspector Barbara Francis said: "Mr Williams's tragic death was entirely avoidable if Airbus had taken simple precautions to ensure the safety of its workers. The court heard that Mr Williams and other colleagues did not normally operate the vehicles but had been asked to do so when the accident happened.
"He had been allowed to position himself in a dangerous area between the tractor and the spreader carrying out a job that had not been planned properly in advance. Prosecutor Simon Parrington told the court that accident was "entirely avoidable".
"Mr Williams and his colleagues had not been trained for the task, and the tractor's operating manual was not made available to them." There had been no training given to Mr Williams and other maintenance workers, there was no manual available for the tractor and the task of fitting implements to tractors had not been subject to a risk assessment.
After the case, Mr Williams's widow, Sheila, said: "My husband was a very special man - not just to me but to many people. The accident, which took his life and has changed mine beyond all recognition, should not have happened. Airbus pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of an employee.
"I can only hope that Airbus has learned from this and that they and all other companies in the country will take great care of the lives of their workers." Health and Safety Executive inspector Barbara Francis said: "He had been allowed to position himself in a dangerous area between the tractor and the spreader carrying out a job that had not been planned properly in advance."
Defending barrister Richard Matthews QC said Airbus was a world leader in health and safety but tragically the work of maintaining non-aircraft building items had at that time been outside the main works operation.
The head of the Broughton plant, Paul McKinlay, said Mr Williams was a dedicated, well-liked and highly respected member of the Airbus team and he wished to extend "heartfelt condolences" to the family.
Mrs Williams added: "Losing Donny has created a cavernous hole in my life which is just impossible to fill. No-one expects to go to work and not return home again and this should never happen.
"I am un-convinced that the current punishment is a sufficient deterrent for companies."