Poor loading bay safety leads to forklift fall

A Derbyshire manufacturing firm has been fined after a forklift truck driver fell from a ramp while unloading a lorry.

Andrew Baxter, 50, from Eckington was unloading a 20ft container at Vesuvius UK's Sheepbridge Works in Chesterfield on 15 February 2010.

Mr Baxter was using a forklift truck and mobile ramp when the ramp became separated from the lorry bed, dropping the truck and driver to the ground. Mr Baxter suffered a fractured back and crushed disk. He spent eight days in hospital, was off work for nine months and can still only work part time.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told Chesterfield magistrates there was no evidence of a risk assessment having been carried out for any of the loading/unloading activities taking place on site, where refractory products are made. There was knowledge amongst the forklift truck drivers that the ramp could move away from the lorry beds and they had adopted an informal system of using the forks of the truck to push it back into position.

After the hearing HSE inspector Fiona Coffey said: "Vesuvius UK failed to proactively assess the risks of loading and unloading using the mobile ramps, a failure that resulted in Mr Baxter sustaining severe injuries.

"The company had a legal duty to ensure work equipment was safe to use and that employees were instructed in safe systems of work and supervised but it had also failed to do so.”

Vesuvius UK, of 1 Midland Way, Central Park, Barlborough, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £4,815.

Last year more than 4,000 employees suffered major injuries after falling from height at work.