West Midlands haulage firm prosecuted after worker killed

A Worcestershire-based haulage firm has been sentenced following a fatal incident in which a driver was crushed by a reversing vehicle.

Worcester Crown Court heard how, on 11 December 2013, a Tooles Transport Limited employee, 60-year-old Kevin Scott, was assisting a colleague to reverse a vehicle when he became trapped between the reversing vehicle and his own causing fatal injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found drivers were routinely labelling up their loads in the yard whilst other lorries were returning to the yard and reversing in close proximity. The investigation found there was no segregation of vehicles and pedestrians, lighting was inadequate and there was deep shadow between parked lorries.

Tooles Transport Limited of Rushock Trading Estate, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 and have been fined £150,000 and ordered to pay costs of £253,728.07.

 Speaking after the case, HSE principal inspector Elizabeth Hornsby said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working.

“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, this tragic loss of life could have been prevented.”

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. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ 
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk