A bakery company based on the Wirral has been hit with a hefty fine of £400,000 following a distressing incident that led to one of its employees undergoing a leg amputation.
Sharon Bramhall, aged 58, endured the traumatic experience at Baker & Baker Products in Bromborough, resulting in the amputation of her left leg below the knee. The unfortunate incident occurred on the company’s premises situated on Stadium Road.
Baker & Baker Products, known for producing a diverse range of baked goods, admitted guilt and received sentencing at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on March 25, 2024. Mrs. Bramhall, in a statement presented to the court, expressed her gratitude for surviving the incident but lamented the life-altering consequences.
“I know I could have died,” she revealed. “Sometimes I wake up and just wish I’d booked that night off work for some reason and none of this would have happened.”
The equipment crushed her left leg
The court learned that Mrs. Bramhall was overseeing four colleagues during a night shift on April 22, 2022, as they conducted high-level cleaning tasks. Acting as a ‘banksman’ for an employee manoeuvring a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), tragedy struck as the equipment turned, crushing her left leg. The entire incident was captured on CCTV footage.
Following the incident, Mrs. Bramhall underwent a series of surgeries, spending three months hospitalised and enduring nine operations, including skin grafts. She described the excruciating recovery process and the profound impact the accident has had on her and her family, leading to their relocation.
An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed a string of safety failings by Baker & Baker Products UK Limited. The company was found negligent in implementing a suitable and sufficient safe system of work for escorting MEWPs, lacking adequate information, instruction, and training for the operation and movement of such machinery.
The company pleaded guilty
Baker & Baker Products UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 33(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £400,000 and ordered to cover £7,266 in costs. The HSE prosecution was led by enforcement lawyers Karen Park and Matt Reynolds, alongside paralegal officer Louisa Shaw.
HSE inspector Ian Betley, commenting after the hearing, emphasised the severe consequences of the company’s negligence.
“Sharon Bramhall suffered terrible injuries that will affect her for the rest of her life due to the failings of her employer,” he remarked. “Vehicles continue to be a major cause of serious injuries in the workplace, and the first principle of any employer should be to keep people and vehicles apart.”
Betley further stressed the importance of implementing proper safety protocols, asserting that had these measures been in place, Mrs. Bramhall’s injuries could have been avoided.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
