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Company fined after worker loses leg in forklift accident

A Company has recently been fined over £130,000 plus further costs after an agency driver lost a leg following an accident at its Slough depot.

The driver was pushing a trolley carrying parcels alongside a row of vehicles.  When he reached the end of the row, a forklift truck reversed out of a shutter door, striking the driver and trapping his foot in the rear wheel.

The HSE stated that the yard was not organised correctly to allow pedestrians to safely access vehicles that were parked on either side of the site.  The operator was found to have incomplete risk assessments for the lift trucks to load and unload and no physical barriers had been put in place to segregate pedestrians from vehicles.

For the full story click on the link below

https://www.rtitb.co.uk/news/company-fined-after-worker-loses-leg-in-forklift-accident

The HSE’s approved code of Practice and Guidance provides the following advice regarding pedestrians in the workplace:

• Where possible, prohibit pedestrians from areas where lift trucks are operating and only allow access to those who operate trucks or other equipment, or supervisors.  If this is not possible, assess the risks to pedestrians and, where necessary, provide ways to adequately control the risks:
  • separate pedestrian activities from areas where lift trucks are operating, where reasonably practicable. Use a physical barrier where possible;
  • define, designate and clearly mark pedestrian routes and crossing places;
  • provide sufficient clear and unambiguous warning signs to inform people that trucks operate in the premises or area;
  • display notices instructing lift-truck operators to sound horns at appropriate locations.  All warning and safety signs should conform to the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.