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Self-employed haulage contractor killed by reversing lorry

A Swinton transport company and a director were in court today following the death of an HGV company owner at their Sandywood Industrial Estate.

Daniel Adams, 63, of Farnworth, rented a unit on the industrial estate owned by Alec Sharples Farm Supplies and Transport Limited where the fatal incident occurred on the 7 May 2014.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Mr Adams had been working on one of his own lorries when an HGV owned by Alec Sharples reversed into Mr Adam’s section of the yard.

The HGV driver spoke with Mr Adams. However, when the conversation was over the HGV driver reversed his truck, inadvertently crushing Mr Adam’s between the two vehicles. Daniel Adams was taken to Salford Royal Hospital where he died of internal injuries two days later.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which prosecuted Alec Sharples Farm Supplies and Transport Limited for serious safety failings in the organisation and operation of the site.

The HSE investigation found the firm had failed to implement a safe system of work for reversing HGV’s and training drivers. There was no segregation of pedestrians and HGV’s or any banksmen provided.

Alec Sharples Farm Supplies and Transport Ltd of Roscow Road, Kearsley, Bolton pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,000.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Ian Betley said: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the host company to implement safe systems of work, and failure to ensure that health and safety documentation was communicated and followed.

“This risk was further amplified by the company’s failure to undertake a number of simple safety measures including segregating vehicles and pedestrians, ensuring that vehicles were fitted with reversing ‘bleepers’, and ensuring that reversing manoeuvres were supervised, in accordance with their site rules.

Information on workplace transport is available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg138.pdf

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement hse.gov.uk
  2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
  3. Further HSE news releases are available at press.hse.gov.uk

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.

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HSE • •

The reality is that the crippling cuts have demoralised and damaged the capacity of child protection services to protect vulnerable children – Abbott

Diane Abbott, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on the Government’s announcement of measures to protect children and young people from sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking, said

“This Government’s hypocrisy is startling.  Councils will face a £1.9 billion funding gap in children’s services by 2020 and whilst this £40 million injection is welcome, it barely scratches the surface.

“The reality is that the crippling cuts have demoralised and damaged the capacity of child protection services to protect vulnerable children.

“Coupled with the shambolic handling of the Inquiry into Historic Child Sex Abuse, the treatment of the victims of child sex abuse and vulnerable children is inadequate and irresponsible.

“We must ensure children are safe and it is unclear how the Government can prove they take this task seriously with their planned £1.9 billion funding gap.”

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Labour • • •

Labour will deliver a real living wage so that every worker earns enough to really live – Long-Bailey

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, commenting on the release of the list of employers who have failed to pay the national minimum and living wage, said:  

“It is frankly disgraceful that a record number of employers have failed to pay their workers the basic minimum wage and hopefully the repercussions of being publicly named and shamed will act as a deterrent for other unscrupulous employers.

“However, the fact remains that the current so-called National Living Wage is that in name only. The Chancellor even announced a cut in the rate at the Autumn Statement last year, leaving 2.7 million people over £1,300 worse off by 2020.

“Labour will deliver a real living wage so that every worker earns enough to really live.”

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Labour • • •

Children deserve more from this Tory Government – Rayner

Angela Rayner, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on the letter from Core Cities UK to the Education Secretary, said:

“Schools are facing unprecedented cuts to their budgets and all the Tories have to offer are warms words about how they will help them make the savings.

“When headteachers are faced with the choice of keeping the lights on or letting go of teachers, this is galling to say the very least.

“Children deserve more from this Tory government who have created a school funding crisis, chronic teacher shortages and super-sized classes.”

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Labour • • •