Waste company fined over fork-lift truck accident
September 28, 2007
A waste company in Milton Keynes has been fined over £7500 for serious health and safety offences, following an incident involving a forklift truck which left a worker seriously injured.
The prosecution was brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an investigation into the incident on 16 October 2006 in which Mr Andri Halonka was severely injured when the fork-lift truck he was driving overturned.
As Mr Halonka was loading and unloading a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) at the waste recycling plant, the HGV moved with the truck forks still lodged inside the trailer.
As a result, the fork-lift truck overturned onto its side and Mr Halonka suffered a compound fracture of his left arm from the accident.
He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time and although a risk assessment had been carried out, the company failed to identify the significant factors that led to the accident in the assessment.
Community Waste Ltd pleaded guilty to charges under s.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974, which relates to the duty of the employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all the employees.
The company was fined £6000 for the breach of s.2(1) and ordered to pay costs of £1600 on 21 September 2007 at Milton Keynes Magistrates Court.
Speaking after the hearing, Karl Howes, HSE's Prosecuting Inspector said, "This painful accident could have been avoided if the company had put the right measures in place to stop the fork-lift truck overturning. Company Waste Ltd should have made sure the HGV didn't move in the process of loading and unloading, and Mr Halonka should have been wearing his seatbelt to minimise personal injury."
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