South Yorkshire haulage firm has been fined £20,000 for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act

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Date: January 2007

A South Yorkshire haulage firm has been fined £20,000 after safety breaches led to the death of a security guard on its premises more than two years ago.

Insurers for E Pawson and Son Ltd are also expected to make a substantial compensation payout to the widow of nightwatchman John Cavill, aged 54, of Maltby, who was crushed to death when a heavy metal gate at the company's staff car park fell off its runners. The family-owned company, said to be making a loss of £686,000 this year because of a downturn and loss of haulage contracts, was also ordered to pay £5,717 costs by the judge at Doncaster Crown Court.

Mr Cavill's body was only discovered by workers the next morning. The gate was normally operated automatically but the electrics had been affected by the weather and the guard decided to pull it shut. But there was no metal stop pin to prevent it coming off the rails, said Chris Smith, prosecuting for Doncaster Council. The firm pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by failing to ensure the safety of employees.

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