Supermarket giant Morrisons has been prosecuted after a worker slipped on a spillage in a food preparation area of the company’s Sproughton Road store in 2012. The worker was not seriously injured.
It was heard at Ipswich Crown Court on October 7 how Morrisons provided anti-slip footware to workers in food preparation areas but had failed to provide the worker with this footwear despite her needing to enter these areas regularly for tasks such as calibrating scales.
The company was previously prosecuted in 2011 after a worker broke her elbow slipping on oil at the same store.
WM Morrison Supermarkets pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £40,000 with costs of £40,000.
In court, recorder Christopher Makey said the employee’s injuries had been “incredibly painful” for a time after the accident.
Ipswich Borough Council, which brought the case to court said: “We are pleased that Mr Recorder Makey took this offence very seriously and that is reflected in the size of the fine and costs against Morrisons.”
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