At a recent Magistrate’s court hearing, the owner of the bakery was fined £1.28 million after an employee was killed by a lorry that was delivering supplies to the bakery where it makes its pasties.
The 40-year-old employee was fatally crushed after being hit by the lorry as it reversed into a loading bay at the bakery. At the time of the accident the employee had been moving strip curtains in the loading bay before being hit by the lorry. The strip curtains had been installed in place of a faulty roller door.
On investigation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the bakery had failed to assess the risks associated with the temporarily installed strip curtains and that there was no safe system of work to move them out of the way when the lorries reversed into the loading bay.
The staff on site had not been provided with training or instructions on how to move the curtains and this meant that they had devised their own unsafe methods, which included standing in the yard behind reversing vehicles. Further risk factors were that the employee was new to the role and was working his first lone shift. Management failings had not identified the additional risks associated with this task.
The bakery pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £1.28 million and ordered to pay £24,106 in costs at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court in November 2024.
The HSE inspector commented that, “Workplace transport incidents involving pedestrians are a major cause of fatal injuries in the workplace with 25 such recorded fatalities in 2023/24. Employers should plan their workplace to reduce contact between pedestrians and vehicles.
“Their risk assessment should consider workplace transport activities, including loading and unloading, and ensure that pedestrians are safe from the risks associated with vehicle movements where they interact. The management arrangements further require employers to monitor and review their measures as appropriate for the risks.”
Workplace guidance on transport safety can be found on the HSE website. FSB members also have access to health and safety guidance and template documents, including a template risk assessment on the FSB Legal and Business Hub.