Reversing forklift killed lorry driver

A delivery driver was killed when a reversing forklift trapped him against his lorry.

Adam Millichip, 27, from Tenbury Wells, was working for a Worcester-based haulage company and was delivering pallets of sheet steel to Wessex Lift Co Limited in Hampshire on 16 November 2007.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that Mr Millichip had parked the lorry at the side of the road, ready for the pallets to be offloaded by a forklift truck.

The forklift driver, employed by Wessex Lift Co Ltd, was using the forklift to manoeuvre one of the pallets, which weighed approximately one tonne, when it struck Mr Millichip across the chest and trapped him against the side of the lorry. He suffered major internal organ failure as a result of crush injuries across his chest. He died shortly afterwards.

HSE's investigation also found that inadequate controls were in place at the time of the incident to protect people from moving vehicles, and insufficient consideration had been given to the risks involved in offloading.

The court heard that HSE had previously given advice to the company about effective management of workplace transport risks.

Wessex Lift Co Limited, of Budds Lane, Romsey, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Winchester Crown Court. Today it was fined £65,000 and ordered to pay costs of £60,000.