£46,000 fine for haulage company after worker crushed

A company specialising in freight transport has been fined over £40,000 after a worker was crushed in a roadside accident.

Bryan Alexander Ltd has been fined £46,667 and ordered to pay costs of £6,228.04 after one of its worker was crushed by a hydraulic extension.

This case highlights that duty holders have the responsibility to implement safe systems of work to avoid serious incidents like this.

Bryan Alexander Ltd, of Village Farm Industrial Estate, Pyle, Bridgend pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Life Changing injuries

Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard how on 7 January the worker suffered life changing internal injuries on the roadside in Plymouth.

According to court minutes, the man was unloading a trailer, stepping out of the way of an incoming vehicle, when he came into the path of a hydraulic extension he did not know was moving.

Failure to implement a safe system

An investigation conducted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to implement a safe system of work for this work activity.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Melissa Lai-Hung was quoted as saying: “This case highlights that duty holders have the responsibility to implement safe systems of work to avoid serious incidents like this.”

SHP reached out to Bryan Alexander Ltd for a comment on the case, but had not been given one at the time of publishing.

Driving for Better Safety - Free eBook download

This eBook will guide you through some of the key understandings you need to be able to manage driver safety effectively and, at the end, provide a series of free resources you can access to help you ensure your own driver safety management system is robust, legally compliant and in line with industry-accepted good practice.

Download this eBook from Driving for Better Business and SHP to cover:

• Why do we need to manage driver safety?
• Duty of care – a shared responsibility;
• Setting the rules with a driving for work policy;
• Managing driver safety;
• Ensuring safe vehicles;
• Safe journeys and fitness to drive;
• Record keeping;
• Reporting;
• The business benefits of good practice;
• Additional resources

Download Now