Two forklift truck prosecutions in same Birmingham street
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies to ensure that adequate precautions are being taken to prevent injuries from workplace transport- related accidents at work.
The warning comes after two Tyseley companies, both based in Amington Road, Birmingham were recently prosecuted by HSE for forklift truck (FLT) related incidents.
In June this year, Beaver 84 Limited was fined a total of £7,000 after Ben Huckaby suffered a broken foot after he was run over by a FLT. The company failed to ensure that the goods yard at their Amington Road site was organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles could circulate in a safe manner. The company also failed to ensure that employees who operated FLTs at the site had received adequate safety training.
On Monday 8 August, Mereway Ltd was fined a total of £4,000 after David Smith suffered an injured ankle after he was struck by a reversing fork lift truck whilst he was unloading pallets from his lorry. The firm failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees whilst they are at work in relation to vehicle and pedestrian movements within their yard. The company also failed to adequately segregate pedestrians from areas where vehicles were in operation.
Prosecuting HSE Inspector, Jenny Skeldon said: "Companies need to ensure that appropriate safety measures are implemented to prevent injuries such as these and to provide a safe working environment. Those managing and working with fork lift trucks need to competent - this means having the appropriate level of training and experience - to ensure that safety measures are implemented, and once implemented, that they are maintained appropriately.
"HSE's current programme of Revitalising Health and Safety has highlighted transport as the second biggest cause of work-related deaths after falls from height. Every year, around 70 people are killed in transport-related accidents in the workplace, and eight of which involved FLTs. This is an area, which must be controlled. There were 2,249 reported accidents last year involving FLTs of which 626 caused major injuries, including amputations and broken bones."
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