News report | 12-12-2025 | 09:57
A company that transports people to and from ships intending to call at a Dutch port has been fined 60,000 euros for violating the Working Conditions Act. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) imposed this fine through a penal order following a fatal workplace accident on March 30, 2023. In this incident, a 40-year-old employee of the company died while transferring a passenger onto a sea vessel.
Workplace Accident
On March 30, 2023, a boat departed from IJmuiden carrying three employees and one passenger. During the transfer to the sea vessel, the 40-year-old employee became trapped between the boat and the ship. He died the same day from his injuries.
Penal Order
Investigations by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILenT), in cooperation with the police, concluded that the company violated the Working Conditions Act. The company had insufficiently identified the risks of entrapment, did not minimize these risks as much as possible, and inadequately informed employees about them. Employers are legally obliged to ensure a safe and healthy working environment. According to the OM, the company failed in this regard, justifying the imposed fine.
Adjustments and Awareness
After the accident, the company tightened its safety policy. Work instructions were adjusted, and employees received additional training on safe working practices when transferring passengers to sea vessels.
The OM considers the penal order appropriate, partly because the company has since implemented improvement measures.
