Company fined £1million after delivery driver killed

A plastic product manufacturer has been fined £1million after a delivery driver was fatally injured.

Cambridge Crown Court heard how Gareth Wilson, a delivery driver for Mark Doel Transport Ltd, was fatally injured when he was struck by a fork lift truck which had large coils suspended from the forks.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Glynwed Pipe Systems Ltd failed to properly manage workplace transport in the yard area where employees and members of the public were exposed to the risk of being hit.  The investigation also found that the systems of work in place were not, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe.

Glynwed Pipe Systems Ltd of St Peter’s Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and have been fined £1million and ordered to pay costs of £27,942.57

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Roxanne Barker said:  “There are more than 5,000 accidents involving transport in the workplace every year, and, like in this case, sadly some of which are fatal.

“The HSE investigation found the yard was not organised to allow safe circulation of people and traffic as appropriate routes were not identified and therefore insufficient in number. A properly implemented Traffic Management Plan should have identified sufficient measures for the separation of vehicles and people including protected walkways, clear signage and barriers.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We  prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ and www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg136.htm
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk