Coca-Cola Belgium has been fined €40,000 for involuntary manslaughter and bodily harm following a workplace accident in 2021 that resulted in the death of a 44-year-old employee in Ghent.
The incident occurred on 5 June 2021 during maintenance work on a beverage can production line.
A production manager and a technician became trapped between the edge of a hydraulically controlled lift table and the fixed chassis of a conveyor platform. The technician was injured, while the production manager lost his life.
The prosecution argued that Coca-Cola lacked adequate safety measures, but the company claimed the employee had chosen to crawl under the machinery to carry out repairs.
"Witnesses clearly stated that there was a plan to wait, and they were surprised he went under the machine regardless," said defence lawyer Walter Damen during the hearing. 'Being a large multinational doesn’t mean Coca-Cola should automatically be convicted."
The court determined that insufficient technical training for hydraulic-related tasks contributed to the accident.
A worker of the Coca-Cola Company plant in Chaudfontaine. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Lambert
"This failure represents negligence on the part of the accused, making them guilty of involuntary manslaughter and bodily harm," stated the court.
The investigation revealed that the victim had taken it upon himself to crawl under the lift table in an attempt to fix the issue, an action deemed well-intentioned but misguided.
The court noted that the production manager lacked the expertise required for such interventions.
"In collaboration with the Occupational Health and Safety Service, the court found the victim made a judgement error. This recklessness undeniably contributed to the workplace accident, leading to shared liability between the accused and the victim," the ruling stated.
Coca-Cola was ordered to pay €40,000 in fines, €30,000 in damages to the civil parties, and €11,000 in legal costs.
When determining the penalty, the court highlighted the importance of strict adherence to legal obligations related to workplace safety. "Every employee has the right to perform their work under safe conditions," it said.
The company’s safety record also came under scrutiny. Coca-Cola had previously been convicted of safety violations and involuntary manslaughter in 2008.
"A multinational with a vast workforce and numerous safety committees is expected to rigorously fulfil its safety obligations, particularly in an industrial setting," the court added.
An appeal against the ruling remains possible.
