Lack of traffic control leaves worker injured

Published HSE, June 2010

A vehicle hire company, from Hampshire has been fined £5,000 after a worker was hit by a moving vehicle in West London.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that on 29 January 2008, a mechanic working for the hire company was asked to repair a vehicle at the site in Southall. In order to get the vehicle from the yard he needed to move another parked vehicle, so he reversed a Ford Transit 350 tipper.

At the time a 35 year old employee was cleaning a different vehicle when he saw the reversing tipper coming towards him. He tried to get out of the way, by jumping on the bonnet of vehicle he was cleaning but his legs were hit by the tipper. He suffered bruising and swelling to both his lower legs.

After the incident, an Improvement Notice was served by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ordering the hire company to segregate pedestrians and organise the yard area. The notice was complied with and action has been taken to separate the valeting area and a neighbouring school's car park.

The hire company pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,815.

Following the hearing, HSE Inspector, Jack Wilby said:

"The hire company failed to properly manage the risks and control the movement of its vehicles at its Southall site - ultimately leading to a worker becoming injured.

"While the injuries in this case were minor, the poor conditions of the yard and the failure to adequately manage the risks could have easily resulted in a more serious injury.

"Companies must ensure they take these risks seriously as every year around 50 people are killed in accidents involving workplace transport and there are over 1,900 major injuries."

Notes to editors

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
• Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
• Further information on safe workplace transport can be found on our website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm

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