Electrical contractor wins health and safety case against supermarket

An electrical contractor has won compensation after being pinned to the ground and injured by a heavy clothing unit while working on a store refit for one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains.

Andrew Marples, a married father-of-two, was working at a supermarket in the Burnley area when the incident happened.

The case has now been settled for £4,500 after the supermarket admitted liability. Law firm Irwin Mitchell, who represented Mr Marples, says the case should serve as a reminder to businesses to ensure the safety of staff in the work place.

Lisa Fairclough, a solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Andrew’s accident is a reminder to businesses to get the basics right. This would not have happened, and our client would not have been injured, had the shelving been secured as intended.

“Employers must ensure that everyone puts safety first and people are mindful of their responsibilities so that others working in their areas aren’t placed at risk of injury.”

On the afternoon of 12 March last year, 41-year-old Marples, from Dronfield, in Sheffield, was walking down one of the aisles to collect some lighting units when an 8ft metal clothing rack, which had not been properly secured, fell on him.

The weight of the unit pinned him to the ground until two workers nearby were able to come to his aid and lift it off. Marples was taken to Burnley General Hospital and sustained a strained back and a partial tear to ligaments in his back.

Marples was off work almost a fortnight and only able to undertake light tasks for a period after. He also suffered ongoing severe back and neck pain for the next 18 months, including stiffness of the neck in the mornings, lower back pain when driving long distances and shooting pains in his arm.

The pain took its toll on his day-to-day life and he was unable to play football with his son. Marples said: “Although I was frustrated sometimes with the pain I am thankful that my injuries weren’t worse. Had the racking fallen the next day the supermarket would have been open to the public and who knows what might have happened.”