Hazardous waste treatment company Lanstar Ltd., was fined £143,664 (inc.costs) after an employee died when a forklift truck he was driving overturned and crushed him.
The circumstances were:
- Lanstar failed to ensure its forklift trucks were being operated safely.
- They had not adequately considered the risks of forklift trucks overturning
- They did not ensure that seatbelts were being worn by drivers as necessary – despite it being company policy to do so.
- A forklift truck overturned, killing the driver.
The potential for forklift trucks to overturn is well known within industry, as is the use of seatbelts to reduce the chance of injury in the event of an overturn.
The HSE inspector said:
“This incident could so easily have been avoided if the driver had been wearing a seat belt as per company policy. However, because the company did not fully appreciate the risk of an overturn, management failed to instruct and supervise their drivers properly. This resulted in seatbelts not routinely being worn by forklift truck drivers on site. HSE hope that this case helps to communicate important messages for employers to properly assess risks and put in place appropriate controls.”
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