Derbyshire Company Fined for Forklift Incident
Andrew Baxter, a forklift driver for a Derbyshire company, was injured when he fell from a ramp during the unloading of a lorry. He was unloading a 20-foot container at Vesuvious UK Limited’s Sheepbridge Works. The incident happened in February of 2010, but the results of the case have only recently come out and the fine to be set for the company.
Baxter was using the forklift on a mobile ramp. This ramp then fell from the truck, dropping the driver and forklift to the ground. Baxter suffered a crushed disk and fractured back. He had to stay in the hospital for eight days and then was out of work for nine months. He is still only able to work part time due to the injury.
The HSE completed a workstation risk assessment to determine if practises were unsafe due to the worker or the conditions at the location. It was determined that the drivers were aware the ramp could move, but they had an informal system to ensure the ramp would be put back on the truck involving the forklift.
It was found that the company failed to proactively assess this risk and to stop the mobile ramp from moving and causing injuries, thus they were fined. Health and safety at work is a serious issue, and since the system was indeed faulty, the fines are intended to force the company to be put into action and fix the issue.
