Fine for firm after death of driver, 51

A Shropshire haulage firm has been fined £250,000 after admitting breaching health and safety rules following the death of one of its drivers.

Pentons Haulage and Cold Storage of Maesbury Road Industrial Estate, Os- westry, was sentenced today at Stafford Crown Court.

It admitted breaching its general duty of care by failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees.

It also admitted failing to use proper planning, organisation and control during operations. Pentons was fined £225,000 for the first offence, £25,000 for the second and must also pay £20,000 legal costs.

Barry Berlin, prosecuting told Mrs Justice Rafferty the charges were brought after driver Jonathan Tiernan was crushed between two lorries in October 2005.

Mr Tiernan, 51, of Havelock Road, Belle Vue, Shrew- sbury, was carrying out an operation to move a load of dairy goods from one lorry to another at a truck stop near Wolverhampton. He suffered serious injuries and died seven months later.

The court heard Mr Tiernan was planning to use a palette to make a makeshift bridge to move the goods.

Mr Berlin said: "The company required its drivers to carry out this utterly dangerous activity on the gro- unds of convenience, expediency and cost-saving".

Mark Laprell, defending, said this was not a general representation of the firm's attitude to health and safety.