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Gust of wind blows worker off top of shipping container

A food manufacturing firm has been fined after a worker was blown off the top of a shipping container while moving corrugated metal sheets.

Barry Walton, 64, from Taunton, was an employee of Vion Foods UK Ltd and was working at their food processing plant in Wiveliscombe when the incident happened on 10 February 2010.

Taunton Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr Walton was standing on top of the shipping container lifting the metal sheets from a forklift onto the roof when a gust of wind knocked him off the edge. He fell more than two-and-a-half metres to the ground, breaking his ribs and damaging muscles in his leg and shoulder. He was off work for seven weeks.

Vion Foods UK Ltd, of Livingstone, Scotland, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and were fined £12,000 plus £4,400 in costs.

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