Workers Leg Amputated

A cargo company based in Cardiff has been fined after a lorry driver had part of his leg amputated after being struck by a reversing forklift truck. As his lorry was being loaded with 18m steel beams the forklift reversed, running over his right leg which later had to be amputated below the knee. He also suffered a fractured wrist in the incident and has been unable to return to work since.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the 18 June 2010 incident found insufficient segregation procedures to keep visiting drivers away from operating forklift trucks. It also found that the forklift truck had a defective reversing alarm and horn and maintenance records showed the horn defect had been a recurring fault over four years.

The company was today found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 and was fined £110,000 and ordered to pay costs of £60,246.18.

“This incident highlights the importance of keeping people away from operated forklift trucks. Unfortunately workplace transport incidents are all too common and here you had a forklift truck moving only a short distance at slow speed but still causing a very serious injury” said HSE Inspector, Hugh Emment. “Employers should ensure that they have a robust safe system of work to ensure pedestrians, including visiting drivers, are kept at a safe distance from forklift trucks that are being operated.”

Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 states that it shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.

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