The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding companies in Cumbria of the danger of failing to carry out risk assessments after a machine toppled over and crushed an employee to death.

The warning comes after George Robertson Graham, the senior partner at Auto Recoveries of Millrace Road, Willowholme Industrial estate, Carlisle pleaded guilty at Carlisle Crown Court on Monday 27 April to a charge under health and safety legislation. He was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs.

George Robertson Graham was charged under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to carry out an adequate risk assessment or having a safe system of work in place.

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The court heard that he was charged following an incident on 23 May 2006 when two employees were moving a five tonne press brake - a heavy machine used to bend metal. While the machine was being moved, it toppled over and crushed one of the employees.

The machine was being moved using a jack and rollers. As the machine was jacked up and the rollers were being removed, it rocked and tipped over, trapping the employee underneath. Colleagues rushed to his assistance and used a 'Manitou' reach truck to lift the machine up. Paramedics were called but the employee had died by the time they got there.

A specialist mechanical engineer inspected the press, the jack and the rollers and concluded that the press was significantly 'top heavy' and there was always going to be a strong possibility of instability when it was raised. The conclusion was that the system of work for moving the press was not safe.

(JM/BMcc)