February 1, 2018

Get the SHP newsletter

Daily health and safety news, job alerts and resources

In court

£60k fine after ‘failure to ensure basic controls’ led to driver’s death

A skip hire company has been fined after a lorry driver was fatally crushed between two vehicles.

Leicester Magistrates’ Court (pictured) was told how on 4 November 2015 an employee of MAC Skip Hire Limited was crushed between her lorry and the bucket of a shovel loader while it was being loaded. They had been trying to remove some overhanging waste when the incident happened.

The Health and Safety Executive’s investigation found the company had failed to implement and follow systems and site rules for loading operations, at their Leicester Road, Hinckley site, which resulted in a failure to suitably segregate pedestrians and vehicles.

Wholly avoidable

MAC Skip Hire Limited of Ventura House, Tamworth pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and have been fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,500.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Mark Austin said: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure to ensure that basic site controls and rules were being managed and enforced, such that pedestrians were not at risk from these large vehicles working in the area.”

The Safety Conversation Podcast: Listen now!

The Safety Conversation with SHP (previously the Safety and Health Podcast) aims to bring you the latest news, insights and legislation updates in the form of interviews, discussions and panel debates from leading figures within the profession.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, subscribe and join the conversation today!

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments