Peterborough Crown Court heard how, on 27 July 2016, an employee of Camgrain Stores Ltd died after being hit by the vehicle at its Linton site.
The worker, Edward Orlopp, had left the control room to walk across the site and, on leaving the building, he walked in front of a moving lorry. The driver had checked his mirrors, but he did not see Orlopp and moved forward – fatally injuring him.
Investigation
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Camgrain had failed to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles could move safely around the site and had not provided measures to prevent employees walking into areas where large vehicles were moving.
Camgrain Stores Ltd of London Road, Balsham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £180,000 and ordered to pay costs of £20,000.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Faulkner said: “Being struck by vehicles is one of the most common causes of workplace fatal accidents. This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by failure of the host company to undertake a number of simple measures.”
Most common cause of injury
Of the vehicles involved in serious accidents in the UK, forklifts took the top spot at 1,300 incidents – 50% more than heavy goods vehicles – according to the HSE.
The past year saw a number of manufacturers – including poultry processor Moy Park and potato processor Braegate Produce – fined for accidents involving forklift trucks and telehandlers.
Meanwhile, last week, a desserts manufacturer was ordered to pay more than £36,000 for health and safety failings, after a worker sustained injuries from being struck by machinery.
