Forklift accident

Posted: Tuesday 20th, January 2015

Ebbw Vale packaging firm in court over worker’s injuries

Date: 19 December 2014

An Ebbw Vale packaging company has been has been fined for safety failings
after a delivery driver was hit by a forklift truck at its premises.

Newport Magistrates’ Court heard today (19 December) that Graham Williams (61)
visited Platt Packaging Ltd at Rassau Industrial Estate on 7 October 2013 to
collect palleted products for distribution.

While his lorry was being loaded, Mr Williams was on a telephone call with his
employer, a freight company, and was standing nearby with his back to the
vehicle. Suddenly he was struck by the reversing forklift truck and knocked to the
ground.

He suffered a double fracture to his left ankle, damage to his leg and spent over a
month in Neville Hall hospital, Abergavenny. He has been unable to return to work.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Platt Packaging had
no formal safe system of work in place for delivery operations at the site. The
company also failed to provide instructions for delivery drivers to be in a place of
safety while the forklift truck was being used.

Platt Packaging Limited, of Rassau Industrial Estate, Rassau, Ebbw Vale, Gwent,
was fined a total of £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,663 in costs after pleading
guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Lee Schilling said:

“The dangers associated with workplace transport are well-documented in the
industry. Incidents involving moving vehicles and pedestrians on the same site
have resulted in major injuries, and even fatalities in the workplace.

“Platt Packaging should have provided a clearly marked, designated safe zone for
delivery drivers and implemented a safe system of work that incorporated the need
for communication between the delivery driver and the forklift operator.

“Had these basic safety requirements been fulfilled, the incident would not have
happened and Mr Williams would not have been injured.”