A Leicestershire-based company called Greenfeeds Ltd has been fined $2.4 million along with jail to its co-owners after two employees drowned in a tanker full of semi-liquid pig feed.
35-year-old Gavin Rawson died when he was trying to save 19-year-old Nathan Walker from falling into a tanker while cleaning it.
Rawson’s family said they were “rightly proud of how brave he was that day, dying while trying to rescue his work colleague”.
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A British court has found the managing director, Ian Leivers guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act while his wife Gillian Leivers, the accounts manager has been found guilty of two counts of gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence.
There was a “dangerous culture” onsite, according to Judge Peter Fraser said the company “had absolutely no regard for the safety of its employees.”
Addressing Gillian he said, “Your blatant disregard for the very high risk of death was of an extreme nature.”
“I am also of the view that your behaviour was motivated by avoiding the cost of implementing proper safety measures,” he added during the verdict.
Both husband and wife have been sentenced to 20 months and 13 years in prison and their company has been liquidated.
(With inputs from agencies)
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