Head Of Training, The Healthy Work Company

November 23, 2015

Get the SHP newsletter

Daily health and safety news, job alerts and resources

Commercial vehicle dealer to pay £212k over worker’s death

A commercial vehicle company has been ordered to pay £212,500 in fines and costs after one of its workers was killed when a lorry travelling at less than 5km/h crushed him. The company says it aims to learn lessons from what happened in an effort to ensure it is never repeated.

Warwick Crown Court heard Imperial Commercials Limited failed to provide a safe place for its staff to work, failings which led to the death of one its employees, Craig Stewart Dunn, in January 2014.

Mr Dunn, 44, a commercial vehicle technician, was hit by a heavy goods vehicle whose driver could not see what was immediately (up to six metres) in front of him, as the front grill of the HGV he was driving was raised. This was not the first time this practice had been adopted at this site. The court was told that occasionally employees of Imperial Commercials Limited would drive HGV’s around the Wellesbourne site in this unsafe manner.

The driver thought he had just hit a stationary vehicle. On reversing, he realised he had crushed Mr Dunn, who had been working outside Imperial Commercials Limited’s workshop in Loxley Road.

Imperial Commercials Limited, registered at Imperial House, High Street, High Wycombe, was fined £166,000, and ordered to pay £46,500 in costs after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to offences under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Speaking after the hearing, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Mark Austin said: “The tragic, needless loss of Mr Dunn’s life could have been prevented had Imperial Commercials Ltd properly considered the risks from the movement of heavy goods vehicles at this site, and provided effective segregation of pedestrians from moving vehicles.

“Even though the vehicle that crushed him was travelling at less than 5Km/h, the size and weight of the vehicle left him no chance of survival.

“Companies that work with vehicles of all sizes need to ensure that all pedestrians are able to circulate and work safely at their premises, at all times.”

Since the incident the company has said that, with the help of independent specialists and the HSE, they have set out to learn lessons from what happened in an effort to ensure it is never repeated. A statement from the company said:  “We have worked closely with the police and Health and Safety Executive since the incident in January 2014, in which a valued and popular employee, Craig Dunn, a commercial vehicle technician at our Wellesbourne facility, so tragically lost his life.

“We have also, as far as has been possible, worked to provide support and comfort to Craig’s family and close friends.

“The latter group includes Craig’s colleagues at our Wellesbourne operation and, specifically, the man who was driving the vehicle involved in the incident.”

The statement continued: “In an industry where people and heavy vehicles are required to be in close proximity, we had prided ourselves that Imperial Commercials Limited set standards that were amongst the highest in our sector – a stance supported by our hitherto excellent record.

“This tragedy however, of losing a colleague in these circumstances, has left all of us in the business devastated.

“We are deeply and enduringly aware of the impact Craig’s loss has had on so many people.”

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