Indesit has been fined £39,500, including costs, by Northampton Magistrates for not protecting the health and safety of its employees after a worker suffered the injuries when a number of cookers fell on him while he was working at the company’s depot in Raunds.
East Northamptonshire Council carried out the prosecution against the firm on health and safety grounds.
Speaking after the prosecution, a spokesman for the council said: “The case was complex and took about a year to get in front of the courts.
“Indesit eventually pleaded guilty to offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1998.
“The company had been made aware of the dangers involving the stacking of appliances in this way by employees and East Northamptonshire Council officers, yet it had failed to put effective control measures in place to prevent such an incident occurring.
“No risk assessment had been completed for the activities involving the stacking of appliances in this way.”
The accident took place on December 18, 2006. and the case went to court last month.
East Northamptonshire Council is now working with the industry to develop some national guidance on how such appliances should be stacked to prevent re-occurrences throughout the UK.
The council’s head of environmental services Mike Deacon said: “We are pleased with the outcome of this case and hope that this results in improved health and safety at Indesit.
“It also proves the importance of having robust health and safety systems in place to prevent accidents occurring to employees in all industries.”