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Recycling firm fined after man killed by shovel loader
A recycling company in Wales has been fined £300,000 after a man was killed by a shovel loader. The deceased lost his life when he was run over from behind by a wheeled loading shovel. They had been on their way to undertake routine maintenance tasks when the incident happened, while walking across the wood processing yard.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector said the company failed to ensure pedestrians and vehicles were separated at its site. The HSE also found that although a risk assessment had been produced prior to the work commencing, it was not suitable nor sufficient and did not include work taking place in the wood yard. Additionally, the risk assessment should have identified there was a risk to pedestrians where there were moving vehicles.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £29,917.47 in costs at Court. The HSE inspector said: This tragic incident led to the death of a father of two and could have been prevented. The company should have identified, and controlled the risks involved with using large plant and vehicles in line with HSE guidance. A safe system of work should have been in place, ensuring that pedestrians and vehicles were segregated. This is sadly a common cause of fatal incidents in this sector. The most effective way of protecting pedestrians in any workplace is to make transport routes entirely separate.
Company fined after delivery driver suffers brain injury
A company has been fined £380,000 after a delivery driver fell and suffered a traumatic brain injury while working at its site. The Injured Party (IP) was delivering fuel for a temporary diesel generator a timber processing site when they fell from a trailer.
The IP had been stowing equipment in a trailer attached to his truck when the vehicle was struck by a forklift truck reversing out of a nearby mill. This led to the trailer shunting into the IP who then fell over and hit their head onto the hard floor below.They spent five weeks in hospital after sustaining a traumatic brain injury before spending 13 weeks in a care facility. They still suffer from memory loss and dizziness as a result of the injury.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
investigation found the company failed to identify safe systems of work for the delivery of fuel to the temporary generators at its site. There was inadequate segregation of vehicles and pedestrians in the yard. There were no measures in place to prevent forklift trucks from entering the areas in which delivery drivers were working whilst refuelling generators.
The company understood the risks associated with workplace transport, as control measures had been identified for separating pedestrians and vehicles, but these had not been implemented. Site rules had been identified but were not routinely implemented or monitored by the company.
Every workplace must be safe for the people and vehicles using it and traffic routes must be suitable for the people and vehicles using them. HSE has guidance on workplace transport with advice on keeping traffic routes safe and separating people from vehicles.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £380,000 and ordered to pay £5,934.50 in costs at Court.
The HSE inspector said: “This case highlights the dangers arising from inadequate management of workplace transport. It also highlights the requirements to ensure the safety of non-employees including contractors at employer’s sites.”