A workplace transport case has highlighted the importance of providing pedestrian routes on construction sites, so that all pedestrians are kept safe from all forms of vehicle.
A Yorkshire metals recycling company has been fined £1.2m after a worker was injured after being struck by a wagon at a processing site.
On 10 August 2020 an employee of CF Booth Limited was walking across the site yard in Rotherham when he was struck by a moving 32-tonne skip wagon. The man was not wearing his hi-vis jacket and did not see the wagon approaching.
Causing the man sustained a fractured skull and collar bone in two places, but has since made a full recovery.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that at the time of the incident the site was not organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles could circulate in a safe manner.
A suitable and sufficient workplace transport risk assessment was not in place for the segregation of vehicles and pedestrians. The company had failed to take steps to properly assess the risks posed by the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The incident could have been prevented by adequately assessing the risks and implementing appropriate control measures such as physical barriers and crossing points.
At Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on 25 April, CF Booth Limited pleaded guilty of breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £1.2million and ordered to pay costs of £5,694.85.
