BAE fined over worker's death in Chorley blast
After employee Linda Wylkins was killed in 2005 while working alone with a set of sensitive chemicals, the British Health and Safety Executive brought a suit against Land Systems defense company BAE Systems. Although the exact cause of the blast remains unknown, investigators determined that BAE had flouted safety protocols by allowing Mrs. Wylkins to work alone while handling dangerous chemicals. BAE has plead guilty to the charges, admitting that monitoring and supervision were too lax, and that bad practices had been allowed to slip under the radar and become norms. The company was ordered today to pay 118,000 euro towards the cost of the prosecution, and an 80,000 euro fine to the Health and Safety Executive. The case is being touted as a reminder to similar companies to maintain rigid safety procedures even when accidents are rare.
See "BAE fined over worker's death in Chorley blast", BBC News Online, January 13, 2010