Mr Trotter was working with other Thompsons employees when the incident occurred on the truck bodies manufacturer’s site in New Addingham on 5 January 2012.
He had delivered the packs of sheet metal in his flatbed lorry and Thompson workers were unloading them using a tandem lift using two counter-balance forklift trucks. The packs were then re-loaded onto another lorry before they were taken to the firm’s factory.
The re-loading was unbalanced and when the second pack was placed onto the first a wooden baton had become loose and dislodged and the pack began to slide. Mr Trotter was at this point picking up straps between the two lorries he was then struck by the corner of the pack before it hit the concrete floor.
He suffered damage to his muscle fractured his leg and now suffers with limited knee and ankle movement. He had to make a repeat visit to the hospital after his leg became infected and the skin began to split.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Thompsons (UK) Ltd at Westminster Magistrates’ Court (16 Oct) after an investigation found that they had breached the health and safety legislation twice.
The court heard that HSE found that a lack of planning meant that Mr Trotter was working in close proximity to the chassis lorry during the hazardous re-loading. The tandem lift was a complicated procedure that hadn’t been properly planned or supervised. If it was competently directed and controlled the accident risk would have been significantly reduced.
Thompsons (UK) Ltd of Vulcan Way New Addington Croydon received a fine of £14000 and were ordered to pay costs of £11284 after admitting to a breach of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations and a separate breach of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations.
