A FOUNDRY company is to stand trial next year charged with breaching health and safety regulations following a serious on-site accident involving a worker.

Bonds Foundry has denied a charge brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) arising from the incident at its North Road works, in Tow Law, County Durham, on November 27, 2014.

It is understood that while working on shaft bracket castings for a maritime order at the foundry, a welder was involved in an accident which led to him losing a leg.

Following an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the injury being sustained, the company was charged with failing to discharge a duty imposed on it by the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1994.

It was said to have failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees, including the injured man, while working upon the shaft bracket castings.

Bonds is accused of failing to provide suitable and sufficient risk assessment for such work, failing to provide a safe system of work, failing to provide adequate training and instruction for that job and failing to provide adequate supervision for its employees while doing the work.

Although a director of Bonds was said to be present at Durham Crown Court for today’s (Mon, Oct 24) plea and trial preparation hearing, Recorder Eric Elliott said he has happy for defence counsel, Dominic Kay, to submit a not guilty plea, on behalf of the company.

Mr Kay argued that a second charge now brought by the HSE, under the Health and Safety at Work Regulations of 1999, relating to a failure to provide suitable and sufficient risk assessment, was “superfluous” to any alleged breach covered by the original count.

James Puzey, for the HSE, said he was happy to proceed at the moment on the original charge, with consideration to be given as to the need for the second count by the prosecution.

Recorder Elliott set a timetable for stages in evidence submission, including a defence expert’s report to counter the findings of prosecution specialist inspector, Peter Dodd.

Both parties agreed it would be a case lasting potentially up to four days, and a date was set for a trial, to start at the court on Monday June 26, next year.

A pre-trial hearing date may be fixed nearer the time to iron out any lingering issues between prosecution and defence before the start of the trial.