Company fined £16k after Lower Stondon man died following fall at Cardington Hanger Studios

A company has been fined £16,000 after a worker died following a fall at Cardington sheds.

Russell Bowry, a self-employed rigger, was working at ELP Broadcast and Events Ltd’s Cardington Hangar Studios on March 13, 2018 when he fell 10 metres (33ft). He died from his injuries three days later.

The 52-year-old, from Lower Stondon, was part of an assembly team for a project that required the building of a temporary rehearsal stage for a musical that was due to be performed at the studios. He was working on the roof of the water and wind proof cube when he fell through the structure.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that ELP Broadcast & Events Ltd had failed to plan and implement a safe system of work, and failed to implement its own health and safety policy or ensure there was adequate supervision.

The company, of Bedford Technology Park, Thurleigh, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974,was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £2,968.70 in costs at Luton Magistrates’ Court on November 22.

HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Wells said: “This tragic incident should not have happened. It is vital the entertainment sector has safe systems of work so when it puts on a good show, the workers behind the scenes are protected at all times."

Ronan Willson, managing director at ELP Broadcast & Events Ltd, said the company “remains deeply sorry for the part it played in the tragic death of Russell Bowry. The company is grateful to the district judge for her findings that, despite falling short of the standards required, ELP had taken its health and safety commitments seriously, and we hope that following the Inquest and now the conclusion of the prosecution that Russell’s family will finally have some closure.”