Merley Paper Converters, which manufactures paper rolls for tills and cash machines, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after it found that the company had not effectively safeguarded staff in its warehouse.

Desanka Todorovic, 44, died in 2009 shortly after sustaining multiple injuries caused when several boxes of till rolls fell on her along with the racking on which they were stacked, as a forklift truck was being used to lift down pallets of boxes.

The HSE investigation revealed that "important locking pins" were missing from the racking when it collapsed.

The company was fined £70,000 and ordered to pay £30,974 in costs at Northampton Crown Court on 13 February after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

HSE Inspector Roger Amery said: "This has been an extremely tragic case which has had a huge impact on Mrs Todorovic's family. I felt huge sympathy for her husband who was also working in the factory and was nearby at the time.

"Had Merley Paper Converters properly erected and then properly maintained its racking, this incident would never have happened.

"Virtually all industries use racking in one form or another and I hope that this case will serve as a reminder that attention to detail is crucial when erecting, maintaining and inspecting racking to ensure its integrity."

BPIF director of membership Dale Wallis said that racking systems were often an accident waiting to happen across any industry.

"These racking systems can be very complex and when our health and safety advisors go round we pay a lot of attention to them because they can take a real hammering.

"Forklift trucks are whizzing around banging into the corners which weakens them and we’ve seen cases where nuts and bolts have been removed to replace missing bolts in other structures," he added.

Wallis said that another safety issue was that a lot of racking was free standing and could easily be unbalanced by forklift trucks that were removing or loading pallets onto them.

"If there’s one thing you do this week it should be to check your racking. You need to make sure that if it is damaged that it is fixed and even fixed to the wall, make sure there are backing plates or bars so nothing can fall off the back and if it is not already then get it on your routine inspection list."