Severfield Ltd Pays A Heavy Fine


04/29/2016

A forklift truck operator’s death pleaded Severfield guilty of breaching HSE’s regulations.


Dailycsr.com – 29 April 2016 – A North Yorkshire based company which into steel manufacturing has been subject to a fine as one of its forklift truck’s operator died when the vehicle overturned while he was inside it. Nevertheless, the offence based on which the company was pleaded guilty is not the main cause of the “fatal accident”.
 
The victim, who died inside the fork lift truck while operating it, was twenty seven years old McGibbon. The court of Teesside Crown was informed that the truck struck into some steps while McGibbon was reversing the vehicle which caused the truck to turn over. The operator was without seatbelt; therefore he died in “crush injuries”.
 
The said incident took place on the 13th of March 2013, whereby showing that “Severfield (UK) Ltd” was incapable of handling the driving operations of forklift truck. The case of investigated by the “Health and Safety Executive”, which found out that the company did not “enforce” the requirement of seat belts and the control over speed while the “some forklift truck operators drove their trucks”.
 
The “Severfield (UK) Ltd, of Severs House, Dalton Airfield Industrial Estate, Dalton, Thirsk,” was accused and pleaded guilty of “non-causative breach of Regulation 5(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999”. As per the sentencing of the court the company has to pay a sum of “£135,000” as fine in addition to the costs of “£46,020”.
 
In the words of the HSE’s Inspector, David Welsh:
"A company has a legal duty for the health and safety of people working on its site, whether they are employees or not.
 
"They are required to assess risks, eliminate them where possible and enforce proper control measures, such as seat belt wear, by checking that safe driving practices are being followed to deal with the risks that remain.
"Sadly, in this case, the prosecution shows that the company’s management of FLT driving operations and risk control measures failed with tragic consequences for Mr McGibbon and his family."
 
 
 
References:
www.insidermedia.com