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Logistics company Exel Europe Ltd and Imperial Tobacco Ltd have been prosecuted after a fatal accident exposed failings in their provisions for health and safety.
On 7 September 2007, a 42 year old heavy goods driver with Exel was collecting a loaded trailer from Imperial Tobacco's Lenton Industrial Estate premises in Nottingham.
His intention was to attach the trailer to his cab, but as he was doing this the lorry gradually rolled forward, trapping him between the front of the vehicle and a building, inflicting fatal injuries.
Investigation revealed that drivers working for both Exel and Imperial did not routinely apply the trailer brakes to make sure the vehicles were safely parked, and that some drivers had not been properly trained or assessed. Additionally, no checks had been carried out to monitor the use of trailer brakes in the yard.
Both companies had idenitifed the risk to workers but had failed to implement control measures, placing drivers, other employees, visitors and third party contractors at risk.
Exel Europe Ltd of Milton Keynes admitted breaching s.2 (1) and s. 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £80,000 with costs of £31,000.
Imperial Tobacco Ltd of Bristol also pleaded guilty to breaching s.2 (1) and s.3 (1) of the 1974 Act for which it was fined £80,000 plus £35,800.
His intention was to attach the trailer to his cab, but as he was doing this the lorry gradually rolled forward, trapping him between the front of the vehicle and a building, inflicting fatal injuries.
Investigation revealed that drivers working for both Exel and Imperial did not routinely apply the trailer brakes to make sure the vehicles were safely parked, and that some drivers had not been properly trained or assessed. Additionally, no checks had been carried out to monitor the use of trailer brakes in the yard.
Both companies had idenitifed the risk to workers but had failed to implement control measures, placing drivers, other employees, visitors and third party contractors at risk.
Exel Europe Ltd of Milton Keynes admitted breaching s.2 (1) and s. 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £80,000 with costs of £31,000.
Imperial Tobacco Ltd of Bristol also pleaded guilty to breaching s.2 (1) and s.3 (1) of the 1974 Act for which it was fined £80,000 plus £35,800.
