Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited based in Aberdeen was fined £146,700 with addition £11,000 for victim surcharge after an employee suffered serious and life-changing injuries when he was struck by a forklift truck at the company’s yard.
A 43-year-old man was working on foot, unclipping the curtain side of an articulated trailer when the rear nearside wheel of the reversing forklift truck driven by a colleague made contact with his right leg, pulling him to the ground. He suffered multiple fractures to his right foot and lower leg, as well as a de-gloving injury, undergoing two surgical procedures and skin grafts. He also required counselling because of the incident and has yet to return to work.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited failed to ensure its workplace was organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely. Loading and unloading often took place concurrently, putting employee on foot at risk. Although the company had a traffic management plan in place, it lacked the necessary detail to ensure employee safety.
HSE concluded it was reasonably foreseeable that an employee on foot faced a risk of being struck by a moving vehicle when both the pedestrian and driver were concentrating on their respective tasks near each other. An Improvement Notice was served on the company and Streamline made a series of improvements to its traffic management arrangements to the satisfaction of HSE.
Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
By law, employers must ensure traffic routes can be used without putting workers at risk. Guidance on managing vehicle movements in the workplace is available on the HSE website.
In another accident, an experienced machine tool fitter working for Winbro Group Technologies Ltd in Shepshed suffered serious injuries when an unintended action caused a forklift truck’s forks to drop to the floor. His right hand became trapped beneath the foot of the three-tonne forklift truck resulting in two of his damaged fingers being amputated in hospital.
HSE investigation found that Winbro Group Technologies Ltd had failed to ensure the lifting operation involving the forklift truck was properly planned and carried out in a safe manner.
Guidance on planning and organising lifting operations makes it clear that, where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid people working beneath suspended loads, employers should establish safe systems of work to minimise the risk.
Winbro Group pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998 at Leicester Magistrates’ Court and were fined £170,000 and ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £7999, as well as a victim surcharge of £2000.
Ruth Wallace of Wallace Forklift Training London says “ forklift truck is a large heavy piece of vehicle and can cause serious injuries and even fatalities. Ensure all adequate processes and risk management are in place for each operation or task”. Ensure forklift operators are appropriately trained”.
Wallace School of Transport including Forklift Training in London is a fully accredited RTITB company with over 60 years’ experience. You can be trained either at your own work site or at Wallace Centre in Park Royal. If you have any questions, call Wallace Forklift Training on 020 8453 3440, choose option 3 or click here to email us.