Forklift strikes worker resulting in amputated limb
An administrative worker needed her leg amputating after a forklift truck reversed into her - 23rd September 2008
A woman required the
bottom of her leg amputating after a forklift truck
reversed into her in an
accident at work.
The 32 year old administrative worker was crossing a
warehouse carrying some paperwork on 24th March
2006, when a forklift truck reversing out of a
loading bay was in collision with her. This
workplace accident caused the woman to sustain such
severe injuries that her left leg needed to be
amputated below the knee.
NYK Logistics (UK) Ltd. the Northampton based
distributors pleaded guilty to breaching regulation
4(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1992 which states: "Every employer shall
ensure that every workplace, modification, extension
or conversion which is under his control and where
any of his employees works complies with any
requirement of these Regulations", and Regulation
17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1992 which states: "Every workplace
shall be organised in such a way that pedestrians
and vehicles can circulate in a safe manner".
They were fined £20,000 at Derby Crown Court and
ordered to pay £5,941 in costs.
Andrew Turner of the
HSE said:
"Although the company had identified that
pedestrians were at risk from moving vehicles, and
taken some steps to try to minimise this risk, it
had become commonplace for pedestrians to walk
through areas where forklift trucks manoeuvred and
reversed."
Adding: "Workplace transport is one of the biggest
causes of fatal and major
injuries at work.
Employers must ensure that workplaces are organised
so pedestrians and vehicles can
move around the
workplace safely. When employers have arrangements
in place to ensure that vehicles and pedestrians can
circulate safely, these arrangements must be
monitored to make sure that they are effective."
