Firm slammed over safety lapses before manager's death

Roadways Container Logistics Ltd was also ordered to pay 100,000 costs at Leeds Crown Court after admitting failing to ensure the health and safety of employees at its depot in Valley Farm Way. Stourton, between January 1 and April 7, 2006.

Ordering the fine and costs be paid within six months Judge James Goss QC said he was satisfied the company's failings were "manifold and serious" and were a significant cause of the death of Alan Fletcher on April 6 that year.

"The fine is not and cannot be any reflection of the life of Mr Fletcher who so needlessly lost his life as a result of significant shortcomings"; nor, he said, would it reflect the injuries to a colleague, Peter Bedford, who was permanently disabled in the same incident.

Andrew Stubbs QC prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive said Mr Fletcher, 59, an administration manager was watching workmates unload a container of glass ordered by another company from Dubai intended for the Bridgwater Place development on Water Lane, Leeds.

The last crate began to topple and Mr Fletcher "instinctively" ran towards it putting his arms up to stop it falling unaware it contained glass weighing 1.8 tons.

The crate continued to fall injuring Mr Bedford and trapping Mr Fletcher, of Orion Gardens, Leeds causing him multiple injuries from which he died.

Mr Stubbs said the company was involved in the transportation and storage of goods for import and export and at the time had seven sites throughout the country employing 649 people of which 129 were based at Stourton – operating an inland clearance depot either storing or unloading and sorting before onward shipment.

Containers were delivered from various ports in the UK with RCL occupying D shed at the depot, the vast majority held cardboard boxes of clothing with a maximum weight of 25 kg. They had no experience of handling and unloading glass.

Mr Stubbs said there were issues at the depot over who was responsible for health and safety. It was not considered a priority and bad practices had developed. When concerns were raised by staff they were often brushed aside.

"The lack of management meant that when the load of glass was delivered for unloading there was no one with responsibility or the expertise to carry out a risk assessment or prepare a method statement to ensure that the load was unloaded safely."

Shed supervisor Mr Bedford was in charge of the unloading operation but he and the others involved had not been given any training about how to tackle such a load. Mr Stubbs said as a result a dangerous and unsafe method was employed.

Andrew Menary QC for the company said safety was taken seriously but it was accepted there had been failings at a local level at that time which had since been rectified. The firm is now under different ownership.

After the case Mr Fletcher's widow Jackie said she hoped lessons would be learned so no one had to endure the heartache of losing a loved one.