Ward Bros (Malton) Limited

Private and voluntary organisations · Private limited company

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First report 12 Feb 2025•Latest report 12 Feb 2025

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Reports: 1
Published responses: 100%
Concerns addressed: 7
Stated actions: 4

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from Ward Bros (Malton) Limited linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

12 Feb2025
Teesside and Hartlepool
Concerns raised11
1. Lack of suitable personal protective equipment for employees
2. Trial-and-error working practices exposing employees to hazards
3. Inadequate and inappropriate employee training
1. Unavailability of trained first aider assistance before emergency services arrive
2. Inappropriate working conditions in and around containers, forklift trucks and trailers
3. Lack of risk assessment for new work
4. Failure to acknowledge or act upon employee health and safety concerns
5. Lack of safer working practice documentation for new work
6. Pressure to continue tasks despite health and safety concerns and dangers
7. Use of unsafe and unsuitable equipment for new work
8. Failure to adequately supervise employees
Actions described in response 3
1. Action
  Reviewed health and safety procedures and implemented improved risk assessments and safe systems of work across all activities.
2. Action
  Established a training programme providing regular safe-working training, toolbox-talk updates and safety notices to employees.
3. Action
  Ceased the devanning operation and stopped undertaking further devanning work.
Respondent positions 2
1. Position
  Ceasing devanning means there is no ongoing risk of deaths from employees or others undertaking that process.
  Existing arrangements considered sufficient
1. Position
  Existing and improved risk assessments, safe systems of work, training and expert support address safety concerns for other activities.
  Existing arrangements considered sufficient
AI-generated summary

Gary Lee JAMES · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Gary Lee James died at James Cook University Hospital on 11 January 2019 from injuries sustained when metal frames fell on him while he was trying to move them at Ward Bros. The report identified concerns including inadequate risk assessment, training, equipment, supervision and first-aid provision, as well as failures to address employees’ safety concerns and unsafe working conditions.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of suitable personal protective equipment for employees
Wider context from the report
“5. Lack of suitable PPE worn by employees i.e. hard hats. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Trial-and-error working practices exposing employees to hazards
Wider context from the report
“2. Workers undertaken on a trial-and-error basis, exposing employees to hazards. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Inadequate and inappropriate employee training
Wider context from the report
“3. There was inadequate and inappropriate training for employees. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Unavailability of trained first aider assistance before emergency services arrive
Wider context from the report
“9. No first aid assistance was provided by a trained first aider before the arrival of the emergency services. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Inappropriate working conditions in and around containers, forklift trucks and trailers
Wider context from the report
“6. Employees working in inappropriate conditions (in the dark inside containers/alongsife Forklift Trucks and trailers) ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of risk assessment for new work
Wider context from the report
“1. No risk assessment and subsequent safer working practice document in respect of new work undertaken. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to acknowledge or act upon employee health and safety concerns
Wider context from the report
“7. There was a failure to acknowledge or act upon employee’s health & safety concerns. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of safer working practice documentation for new work
Wider context from the report
“1. No risk assessment and subsequent safer working practice document in respect of new work undertaken. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Pressure to continue tasks despite health and safety concerns and dangers
Wider context from the report
“8. A general approach of having to “get on with a task” in spite of health and safety concerns and dangers to employees. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Use of unsafe and unsuitable equipment for new work
Wider context from the report
“4. The use of unsafe and unsuitable equipment in new work undertaken. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Ward Bros (Malton) Limited; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to adequately supervise employees
Wider context from the report
“10. Failure to adequately supervise employees. ”
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Reviewed health and safety procedures and implemented improved risk assessments and safe systems of work across all activities.

Verbatim wording from the response
“On the wider subject of Ward Bros general health and safety procedures, risk assessments and safe systems of work were in place for all other activities. These had been drafted with the assistance of third parties with the appropriate expertise. Following the accident involving Mr James, Ward Bros conducted a full review of the existing health and safety procedures, in conjunction with third party experts. This resulted in improved risk assessments and systems of work which are reviewed on an annual basis. A training programme is in place which ensures employees receive regular training on the safe systems of work and updates are provided by way of toolbox talks and safety notices.”

Source location
Response from Ward Bros (Malton) Ltd
Page 1 · response
Published 14 February 2025
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Established a training programme providing regular safe-working training, toolbox-talk updates and safety notices to employees.

Verbatim wording from the response
“On the wider subject of Ward Bros general health and safety procedures, risk assessments and safe systems of work were in place for all other activities. These had been drafted with the assistance of third parties with the appropriate expertise. Following the accident involving Mr James, Ward Bros conducted a full review of the existing health and safety procedures, in conjunction with third party experts. This resulted in improved risk assessments and systems of work which are reviewed on an annual basis. A training programme is in place which ensures employees receive regular training on the safe systems of work and updates are provided by way of toolbox talks and safety notices.”

Source location
Response from Ward Bros (Malton) Ltd
Page 1 · response
Published 14 February 2025
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Ceased the devanning operation and stopped undertaking further devanning work.

Verbatim wording from the response
“No further devanning has been undertaken by Ward Bros since the accident involving Gary James and we have no plans to become engaged in the process again in the future. For this reason, there is no risk of future deaths occurring at Ward Bros as a result of employees, or anyone else, devanning shipping containers.”

Source location
Response from Ward Bros (Malton) Ltd
Page 1 · response
Published 14 February 2025
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Ceasing devanning means there is no ongoing risk of deaths from employees or others undertaking that process.

Verbatim wording from the response
“No further devanning has been undertaken by Ward Bros since the accident involving Gary James and we have no plans to become engaged in the process again in the future. For this reason, there is no risk of future deaths occurring at Ward Bros as a result of employees, or anyone else, devanning shipping containers.”

Source location
Response from Ward Bros (Malton) Ltd
Page 1 · response
Published 14 February 2025
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Existing and improved risk assessments, safe systems of work, training and expert support address safety concerns for other activities.

Verbatim wording from the response
“On the wider subject of Ward Bros general health and safety procedures, risk assessments and safe systems of work were in place for all other activities. These had been drafted with the assistance of third parties with the appropriate expertise. Following the accident involving Mr James, Ward Bros conducted a full review of the existing health and safety procedures, in conjunction with third party experts. This resulted in improved risk assessments and systems of work which are reviewed on an annual basis. A training programme is in place which ensures employees receive regular training on the safe systems of work and updates are provided by way of toolbox talks and safety notices.”

Source location
Response from Ward Bros (Malton) Ltd
Page 1 · response
Published 14 February 2025
Open published response

Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Concerns raised11

Lack of suitable personal protective equipment for employees

Trial-and-error working practices exposing employees to hazards

Inadequate and inappropriate employee training

Unavailability of trained first aider assistance before emergency services arrive

Inappropriate working conditions in and around containers, forklift trucks and trailers

Lack of risk assessment for new work

Failure to acknowledge or act upon employee health and safety concerns

Lack of safer working practice documentation for new work

Pressure to continue tasks despite health and safety concerns and dangers

Use of unsafe and unsuitable equipment for new work

Failure to adequately supervise employees

Actions described in response An action is something this recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3

Respondent positions A position is what this recipient says about the concern when it does not describe a specific action.2

Actions described in response 3

Respondent positions 2