Derby Crown Court heard how, on 24 January 2017, a forklift truck had been driven into the yard at Airfield Industrial Estate to drop off some pallets, when the driver reversed around a trailer. The driver did not see the yardman who was standing behind the trailer and the yardman wasn’t aware that the forklift truck was reversing in the area.
During the manoeuvre, the forklift hit the yardman and caused leg injuries, which resulted in his left leg being amputated above the knee.
No safe system of work
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no safe system of work in the yard to separate people and vehicles to prevent this type of incident occurring. Moy Park has since put in measures so that the yardman is segregated from forklift trucks when they are operating in the yard.
A spokesman for Moy Park told Food Manufacture: “The health and safety of our team members is of the upmost importance and we sincerely regret that one our employees sustained an injury in the workplace.
“We have fully investigated this incident and have in place procedures and practices to uphold the high safety standards we are committed to delivering.”
Moy Park of The Food Park, 39 Seagoe Industrial Estate, Craigavon pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 17 of the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The producer was fined £866,650 and ordered to pay costs of £11,651.61
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Lindsay Bentley said: “The employee’s injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed. This serious incident with devastating injuries could have been avoided if basic precautions had been put in place.”
