Yorkshire company fined after worker killed

Leeds-based garden shed manufacturing company, Woodlands Homecare Ltd, was today sentenced for safety breaches after a worker was killed.

Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 23 July 2012, the worker was pushing a trolley when he was struck by a side loader fork lift truck (FLT) that had been unloading a delivery wagon at the time of the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the FLT was unloading a delivery wagon at the time of the accident. As the worker passed a ventilation system cyclone the reversing FLT struck him.

Woodlands Homecare Ltd of Railway House, Calverley Lane, Rodley, Leeds pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £233,334.00 with £21,620 costs. 

After the hearing, HSE inspector Rachel Brittain commented: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to implement the findings of their own transport plan.

“Vehicles at work continue to be a major cause of fatal and major injuries. Every year there are over 5000 incidents involving transport in the workplace. About 50 of these result in people being killed.”

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^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk^[3]
4. Please see the link below to the page on HSE’s website that is the best guide to doing it the right way:www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm