Forklift accident ends in workers death

A man crushed to death under a container in an accident at work leads to his employers being prosecuted - 22nd January 2009

 

A company has been fined following a workplace accident in which an employee was killed after being crushed by a container of dye.

The accident at work resulting in this unnecessary fatality happened on 24th August 2005, when three containers of dye were being unloaded by forklift.

Two of the containers had already been unloaded when the third slipped from the front forks of a forklift truck. The worker was crushed under the 1.1 tonne container and died from his workplace injuries.

Townley Dyestuffs Ltd of Tarporley, Cheshire pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 which states: It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees, they were fined £10,000 with further costs of £6,963.

Tragically this accident in the workplace could have been avoided had proper health and safety systems been in place, and used which made use of a specialist mechanism for emptying the containers which was available but not used.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have urged employers not to ignore the dangers involved with the use of forklift trucks.