This article is issued in order to highlight the dangers of not carrying out adequate risk assessments.

British Sugar has been fined £400,000 for breaching health and safety legislation, deemed by a Crown Court to have resulted from the company's failure to manage risks on its site at Bury St Edmunds.
In February 2003 an employee was struck and fatally injured on the premises by a loading vehicle at its animal feed warehouse operated by a contractor. The contractor, VM Plant Limited (now in liquidation), was fined £250,000.
The failure by the British Sugar to implement a system of health and safety management manifested itself in the uncontrolled risk to employees who could access an environment where there was inadequate separation of vehicles and persons.
British Sugar has since invested significant sums in health and safety at the site.

West Berkshire Magistrates' Court has fined retailer, Lidl GmbH, £3,185 including costs for breaching s.3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failures at its Newbury store in February 2005.
Council officials visited the store twice within one week and discovered emergency exits obstructed, a situation directly attributable to a failure to implement an adequate system of fire safety management.

"We are satisfied that the judgement is fair given the serious nature of the offence. Obstruction of emergency exits puts both staff and store customers at risk. We hope that this outcome will provide reassurance to traders who comply with the proper safety measures and send out a severe warning to those who are not." Environmental Health Manager at West Berkshire Council

Senior Labour backbenchers and former ministers are backing a private member's bill which would see company directors held to account for negligent health and safety practices that cause injuries or fatalities.

Stress, visual discomfort, as well as aches and pains in the hands, wrists, arms or shoulders are just some of the problems that can affect people who use visual display units (VDUs), the HSE warns us.

Recent research carried out by shop workers Union USDAW