Police were called to the centre at 8.45pm on September 29 after a worker – Christopher Rogers, aged 30 – was involved in an incident with a forklift truck.
On arrival officers found paramedics treating Rogers for serious head injuries. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
A Sainsbury’s spokesman said, “We can confirm that a Sainsbury’s colleague was fatally injured at the end of last month.
‘Urgent investigation’
“We are working closely with the authorities to complete an urgent investigation into the cause of the accident.”
An investigation into the circumstances of his death has been launched by St Helens Council Environmental Protection.
A colleague told the Liverpool Echo: “He was working in the yard outside on the forklift truck, he turned a corner and the truck tipped over.”
Forklift truck accidents result in about 1,000 serious injuries each year – almost a quarter of all workplace accidents – according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Costly damage
Even when an incident does not cause injury, it can still mean costly damage to lift trucks, buildings, fittings and goods, said the HSE.
Md of training provider Mentor Training Stuart Taylor said: “Almost 60% of those injured by forklift trucks were ‘on foot’ at the time of impact.
“Unlike operators, many working alongside forklifts are unaware of the risks they pose and, more importantly, how to reduce them.”
Meanwhile, an engineering company that manufacturers industrial ovens was ordered to pay more than £30,000 last month, for safety failings involving a forklift truck.