Company fined after employee suffers serious injury in forklift collision
A warehouse and storage company has suffered a hefty fine after an employee sustained serious injuries following a collision with a forklift truck.
The Magistrates’ Court in Southampton saw the case which covered a delivery driver who was operating in the Driver’s Wharf in Southampton when he was hit by a forklift truck. The driver was knocked to the ground and sustained serious crushing injuries to his legs.
Driver suffers serious leg injuries
Investigations by the HSE Executive found that there were not adequate control measures in place to prevent the incident. One of the main issues was the lack of segregation between pedestrians and vehicles at the delivery yard.
Control measures and segregated operating zones are essential when it comes to keeping workers safe. If they are not followed it can lead to incidents. Making sure walkways and areas where vehicles are in operation are properly marked will help to safeguard your employees and protect you from a legal perspective.
According to the HSE inspector who spoke at the hearing the “injuries sustained in the incident were life-changing and could have been fatal.”
“This incident could have been avoided if basic vehicle and pedestrian segregation and control measures such as barriers, marked walkways and safe working practices had been in place.”
The case is an example of why staying up to date with the latest rules and regulations in health and safety is vital. You also need to make sure you have the correct behavioural safety measures in place to ensure workers are following them.
