Court Cases Highlight Need to Manage Workplace Traffic
Jan 1, 2010
Two recent court cases involving a forklift truck and a mechanical shovel loader act as a reminder of the need to manage the risks from workplace transport.
A waste and recycling company was fined £240,000 after an employee was killed at its depot in Hampshire. The site had inadequate measures for segregating the vehicle movements from pedestrians. During one of many daily reversing manoeuvres by the loading shovel, an employee was crushed under the vehicle’s wheels.
Following an incident in which a sub-contract worker was reversed over by a forklift truck on a construction site for a new shopping complex in Corby. The victim’s injuries included a broken tibia and fibia and a broken ankle. The construction company was fined £15,000 with over £13,500 costs. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector noted that this incident was very serious but preventable. Workplace transport should be planned and managed effectively.
Workplace transport is an HSE priority as it is one of the major causes of fatal accidents and major injuries. Workplace transport is not just forklift trucks and loading shovels, it could be in the form of delivery lorries or even cars in the company car park. All companies must assess the risks especially when pedestrians and vehicles work in close proximity, and take appropriate safety precautions.
