Failure to have liability insurance has seen a furniture retailer hit with a bill for more than £7,000 and a prosecution for its director.
Bedford retailer Exclusive Oriental Classics and its director Kian Hoo Tay appeared at Luton Magistrates Court on 10 October for failing to have Employers’ Liability (Compulsory) Insurance.
The court heard an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered the failure when one of the company’s employees was injured at work on 1 March 2022.
The company and Hoo Tay had failed to renew the insurance policy that expired on 13 May 2021.
Both the company and Hoo Tay pleaded guilty to breaching Section 1(1) of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory) Insurance Act 1969, fined £1,650, a victim surcharge of £165 and ordered to pay costs of £1,750, a total bill of £7,130.
‘Every employer needs to ensure that they have Employers’ Liability (Compulsory) Insurance in place to ensure against liability for injury or disease to their employees arising out of their employment. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards,’ says Emma Page, HSE inspector.
Image: Luton Magistrates Court: Google.
