Grundfos Pumps has been fined £300,000 and £115,000 in costs after a trainee design engineer was killed at its factory in Windsor.

Jake Herring, 19, was carrying out electrical testing work at the Grundfos Pumps factory in March 2009.

He was working unsupervised while testing an electric control panel and came into contact with a live three phase electrical system.

He died from his injuries.

It was determined safety failings by the Bedford company had contributed to the teenagers death.


Grundfos had not adequately risk assessed the testing of live electrical panels to identify a safe system of work and did not provided suitable training and supervision to undertake three phase live testing.

The company pleaded guilty to beaching the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 3, (1) (a) and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 Reg 3, (1)(a), contrary to Regulation 14.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Paul Williams said: "This tragic incident could and should have been avoided. Grundfos Pumps Limited’s failure to adequately risk assess the electrical testing process led to an unsafe system work being in place. Training and supervision arrangements were clearly inadequate.

"If live electrical testing has to be undertaken, suitable precautions must be in place."

(LM)