Poundstretcher fined £60k for health and safety breaches

The hearing took place at Reading Magistrates Court on Monday (15).
West Berkshire Council brought the proceedings against the company for health and safety offences, following complaints which had been received by the council.
Health and safety inspectors, employed within the council’s environmental health service, visited the store on various dates between July 2011 and March 2012.
The inspections revealed numerous health and safety issues arising from severe overstocking, which resulted in the blockage and obstruction by stock of the emergency exit routes through the store and the warehouse.
The excess stock was piled high and in walkways in both the retail area and the warehouse, creating tripping hazards, manual handling risks for staff accessing the stock, and it also gave rise to the risk of injury from falling stock stored too high and in a precarious manner.
Following the investigation, Poundstretcher Ltd was charged with four offences under sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
These offences related to Poundstretcher’s failure to ensure the health and safety of its employees and its failure to ensure that people not employed by it, such as customers and members of the emergency services, were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
The company failed to heed the repeated warnings from health and safety officers from July 2011 and an improvement notice was served in September 2011.
Councillor Hilary Cole, portfolio member for Environment at West Berkshire Council said: “I am pleased with this result, which reflects the very serious nature of health and safety offences.
"This case should serve as a timely reminder to all those businesses trading in West Berkshire, that they must have proper regard to their responsibilities under health and safety legislation, both to their employees and to other individuals.”