Risk, Health and Safety Information

Packaging company fined after worker hit by lorry

The Corrugated Case Company Ltd has been fined after an employee was seriously injured by a heavy goods vehicle at its site on Pilsley Road in Danesmoor, Chesterfield.

Pete Newsum, 55, of Chesterfield was returning to site from neighbouring premises after his lunch break on 14 December 2010 when the incident happened. The site was particularly congested with vehicles due to recent bad weather, which had prevented deliveries and collections in the days prior to the incident.

As he approached the company's yard on foot, a heavy goods vehicle was manoeuvring to allow another vehicle to move. The man followed the kerb into the company site and waited for the HGV to reverse past him, down the yard. When the vehicle passed him, Mr Newsum stepped off the kerb and out in front of the vehicle, assuming it would continue going backwards. At the same time, the HGV stopped reversing and moved forwards, knocking the man to the ground and dragging him underneath the vehicle.

A member of the public passing on the main road noticed the high visibility jacket worn by the man beneath the lorry and alerted the lorry driver, who immediately stopped the vehicle.

Mr Newsum suffered damage to his lower spine, fractures to his pelvis, ribs and leg, a damaged shoulder and cuts to the head. He was resuscitated twice in hospital and currently suffers from post-traumatic epilepsy, breathing difficulties, and mobility difficulties. He is still unable to work and it is not yet known whether he will be able to return to his job as a fork lift truck driver.

Today, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told North East Derbyshire magistrates that the company had failed to proactively risk assess and implement control measures for their workplace transport.

After the hearing HSE inspector Fiona Coffey said:

"On the day of the incident, the site was congested with unusually high levels of traffic yet there were no pedestrian crossing points, speed restrictions, mirrors or signage, or any other means of segregating pedestrians and vehicles.

"The company had been visited by HSE six months prior to the incident and had been given verbal instruction on how to better control workplace transport, which a Director and the Health and Safety Manager had agreed to. As a result of the company's failure to implement this guidance, their employee suffered painful and life-changing injuries.

"Vehicles at work continue to be a major cause of fatal and major injuries. Last year 27 workers were killed after being hit by a moving vehicle and more than 1,800 were seriously injured."

The Corrugated Case Company, of Pilsley Road, Danesmoor, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Today magistrates fined the company £8,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £7,435.