Industry news
No risk assessment cost firm dearly
Posted Tue, 10 Jan
A Derbyshire firm has been fined £24,000 after a forklift truck driver suffered serious back injuries following a fall from a lorry ramp.
Chesterfield Magistrates' Court heard how Andrew Baxter, 50, from Eckington was unloading a 20ft container at Vesuvius UK's Sheepbridge Works in Chesterfield when the mobile ramp gave way. Mr Baxter's forklift truck then dropped to the floor leaving him seriously injured. The incident, which occurred on 15 February 2010, left Mr Baxter with a fractured back and a crushed disk.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation found that no risk assessment of the unloading practice had taken place and Vesuvius UK employees had taken it upon themselves to develop a way of pushing the ramp back into place when it came loose.
Vesuvius UK, a Barlborough-based company, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
As well as having to pay fines of £24,000, Vesuvius UK was also ordered by Chesterfield magistrates to pay full costs of £4,815.
Copyright Press Association 2012