Company fined £450,000 after worker's death in Longworth near Abingdon
Cotswold Rainwater Services Limited pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter
A company has been sentenced in connection with the death of a worker in Longworth, near Abingdon, following a joint investigation by Thames Valley Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Cotswold Rainwater Services Limited was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on 9th October to a £450,000 fine, and ordered to pay £15,735 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
The company, of Northfield Farm Lane, Witney, had pleaded guilty to one count of corporate manslaughter at the same court on 10th September.
The conviction relates to the death of 34-year-old Andrew Claridge, who suffered a fatal electrocution while carrying out work in Longworth on 14th November 2024.
Investigators found that another employee from the same company had been electrocuted by overhead power lines at the same location in 2020, suffering minor injuries.
Despite this, the company failed to carry out a risk assessment before sending employees to the site in 2024, and did not identify the risks posed by the overhead lines, police said.
Detective Sergeant Nathan Adby, of Abingdon CID, said: "Andrew's death was entirely preventable and it is hoped that the outcome of this case will help serve as a stark reminder and reinforce learning across the industry that health and safety compliance is not optional, but a mandatory requirement for all employers.
"While no court outcome can undo the devastating loss suffered by Andrew's family, I hope this conclusion provides them with some measure of closure and allows them to begin rebuilding their lives."
HSE Inspector Simran Sapal said: "Had suitable pre-work planning, site assessment and risk control measures been undertaken, the hazard presented by the overhead line could have been identified and the work planned and executed in a manner that prevented employees from approaching dangerous live conductors."
Eran Cutliffe, Senior Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service's Special Crime Division, said: "Andrew Claridge went to work that day rightly expecting that his employer had taken proper steps to keep him safe. Cotswold Rainwater Services Limited failed in that fundamental responsibility, with devastating consequences.
"By pleading guilty to corporate manslaughter, the company has accepted criminal responsibility for the failings that led to Andrew's death."