Firm fined £75,000 after crush accident

A Cornish quarry company has been fined £75,000 after a worker was killed after getting caught in a machine designed to crush rocks.

Aram Resources of Penryn, pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches following the death of Robert Bickley, 42, in July 2004 at Carnsew Quarry in Mabe.

He became caught in the fixed guard of a primary crusher machine as it came into contact with the moving flywheel.

HSE inspector Simon Edwards said: “A quarry worker is more than twice as likely to be killed through an accident at work as a construction worker and 13 times as likely as someone working in the manufacturing industries.

"In this particular instance, the company lacked the competence to identify that the guards provided for the machinery did not comply with health and safety standards. The company also failed to ensure that adequate training and supervision had been provided."