Double-Glazing Crush Death Deals Director A Jail Term

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The director of a Croydon-based double-glazing company has received a prison sentence following the crush death of a man who took three days to die from his injuries.

However, Ayman Noor, the director of My Best Group Limited, has walked free as the sentence has been suspended. He and his company have only been fined, following the death of 40-year-old Kashif Rehman on 12 November 2021.

Mr Rehman, described as ‘an anchor’ by his devastated wife, suffered a cardiac arrest when a number of toughened glass panels fell on him as he was trying to retrieve one from a stack leaning against a wall. The incident happened at the firm’s premises on Bensham Grove in Thornton Heath. He died three days later in hospital.

His wife Naila said her husband was ‘humble, kind and caring’ as she spoke about the impact of his death on their young family. “I didn’t just lose my husband, I lost my anchor, my friend and my biggest support and motivator,” she said. “Kashif was God fearing and an amazing role model to three young sons. We once had a beautiful family of five, happy and content with sounds of laughter and positive moments. Now our home is filled with sadness, hollowness, emptiness and silence.”

The case

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Mr Rehman’s death could have been prevented had the glass panes, weighing up to 10kg each, been restrained or stored in a suitable racking system to hold them in place.

The investigation also found My Best Group Limited, had failed to assess the risks associated with storing and handling the panes of glass, implement a safe system of work and provide adequate training and supervision. Its director, Ayman Noor, was aware of the failings but failed to implement the measures required to ensure the safety of his employees and members of the public that had access to the glass storage shed.

At Southwark Crown Court on 8 May 2024, My Best Group Limited, which is now in liquidation, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company would have been fined £120,000 but due to its liquidation status this was reduced to a nominal fine of £2,200. Noor was given 20 weeks and 14 weeks custodial sentences that will run concurrently. They were suspended for 12 months. He will also pay costs of £9,294 for breaching section 37 of the same Act.

Switching off life support

“Before switching off the life support machine,” said Naila, I had to give the news to my two, four and six-year-old sons that their daddy can’t come home. Those painful cries still ring in my ears and I have flashbacks to their painful tears. I always see my boys suffering even in the happiest celebrations, I see the sadness in their eyes and longingness for their dad.

“I still have sleepless nights due to the anxiety and flashbacks from the day it happened, the drive to the hospital and the funeral. I also feel uneasy on Fridays as this is when the incident happened, where I just relive the trauma.”

Message to the glass industry

HSE inspector Marcus Pope said: “This is yet another tragic and avoidable workplace incident that should never have happened.

“Had My Best Group Limited implemented a suitable safe system of work for storing and handling glass Mr Rehman would still be here today. These tragic circumstances should demonstrate to the glass industry the importance of safe storage and handling of glass.”

Picture: My Best Group is now in liquidation; meanwhile, its director has a suspended jail sentence and also has to live with the knowledge his actions or lack of them, killed a family man and robbed a wife of a husband and three children of a father.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer
06th June 2024

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