A bakery has been prosecuted after a self-employed electrical contractor fell to his death from a stepladder.

Greencore Grocery Ltd of Apex Park, Amsterdam Road, Sutton Fields Industrial Estate Hull, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It has been fined £1 million with £30,000 in costs.

Hull Crown Court heard how the contractor was tasked to complete electrical work at the Hull-based bakery in October 2013.

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Whilst standing on a stepladder to wire a motor situated above a machine, the employee fell and suffered fatal injuries.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Greencore had failed to properly plan this workplace activity from the beginning, including access arrangements to be made for installation of motors to use to carry out this work activity. The company had agreed the work activity could be completed using a stepladder which it had provided.

HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham said: "Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work related fatalities in Great Britain, the risks associated with working at height are well known.

"Work at height regulations require that all work at height is properly planned and appropriate access is provided. If Greencore had carried this out this death could have been prevented."

(LM)