Two companies have been fined this month, following serious breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations SI 1992/3004, with regard to injuries resulting from workplace transport.
Centura Foods Ltd in Manchester, who are part of the RHM Group, were fined a total of £65,724 after an employee was hit by a reversing forklift truck in a warehouse and suffered severe injuries to her left leg and ankle, on 3 May 2005. It was discovered that the company had failed to take effective action despite several warnings from employees about the risks to pedestrians in the warehouse from forklift trucks.
Also, Saint Gobain Pipelines Plc in Ilkeston, were fined a total of £150,000 after a worker was struck by a four tonne rail mounted vehicle, while they were maintaining a conveyor belt, on 13 December 2004. The company admitted that no adequate systems were in place at the time of the accident to segregate pedestrians and rail mounted vehicles. The employee received serious leg and pelvic injuries.
There is currently a lack of knowledge or action surrounding the risks posed by workplace transport, which claims 66 lives a year, with over 6,300 injuries. According to 2004/05 figures, these incidents cost industry well over £200 million a year. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working on highlighting these dangers and are devising a route map guidance tool, to help manage the risks involved. It is vitally important that transport movements at workplaces are planned and organised, contact between vehicles and pedestrians is eliminated or reduced, vehicles are fitted with good visibility aids and all employees are instructed and informed of site rules.
A consultation on the route map ended in September 2006, and the finalised version is expected from the HSE soon.
