Industry news
£120,000 fine over forklift death
Posted Wed, 28 Mar 2012
A £120,000 fine has been dealt to the employer of a man who died after becoming trapped while driving a forklift truck.
Robert Dunroe, 62, was transporting heavy welding equipment at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead when he was crushed between the truck and a lifting beam used on a crane at the Campeltown Road plant. Another employee raced over to the vehicle and released it, but Mr Dunroe died in hospital from his injuries four days later.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that he had been allowed to drive the forklift despite not having any training. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), prosecuting, said no procedures were in place to inform employees who was and who was not authorised to drive the trucks.
His employer, Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders Ltd, admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of its employees. The company, which employs around 500 people, was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £12,294 in prosecution costs, over the 18 August 2010 incident.
Copyright Press Association 2012