Water company fined £1.6m for health and safety offences

May 16, 2017

David Travers QC represented South West Water which has been fined £1.6m for health and safety offences relating to the death of an employee who drowned at work.

Robert Geach, 54, fell into a filtration tank at the Falmouth Water Treatment Works in December 2013.

Truro Crown Court heard that Mr Geach, a catchment operator, was working alone on the sand filtration unit at the Falmouth Waste Water Treatment Works on 30 December 2013 when the alarm was raised. He was found inside the filtration tank having drowned.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to identify and address the risks associated with the maintenance activity on the filtration tank.

Please see the links below for news coverage of the case:

ITV News

HSE Press Release

BBC News