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Workplace transport dangers highlighted - 08-08-2007 | The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning firms of the importance of ensuring safe systems are in place to control workplace transport. The warning follows HSE's prosecution of two companies after an employee of one suffered serious head injuries after being struck by a car.
Rigid Containers Ltd, of Stoke Albany Road Desborough, were today fined £65,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) and Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Surrey based, G4S Security Services (UK) Ltd were fined £50,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the HSW Act. Costs of £10,650 and £7,900 respectively were awarded to HSE.
David Welsh, Northamptonshire HSE Inspector said:
"This incident showed all the classic signs of a workplace transport collision between a vehicle and pedestrian. There was no separation of vehicles and pedestrians at Rigid's main entrance, the area where the accident occurred was poorly lit and road signs and markings to direct traffic were insufficient. Rigid had not thought about the effect of making changes to the routing of vehicles and Rigid and G4S had not communicated effectively with each other to decide issues of worker training, and the use of a safe system of work around workplace transport."
"HSE has published guidance covering all these issues for more than ten years and takes workplace transport accidents very seriously as they are the second highest cause of deaths at work in the UK. I hope other businesses can learn something from the accident that occurred at Rigid Containers by appreciating the high risks that affect workplace transport activities and do more to control those risks."
Mr Robert Campbell, a 56 year old security officer from Raunds, employed by G4S Security Services (UK) Ltd, suffered serious head injuries after being struck by a car leaving the premises of packaging company Rigid Containers Ltd on Stoke Albany Road at Desborough on 17 February 2006. The security officer was checking an HGV leaving the site when he was hit by an employee's car that was also exiting the site through a different security barrier.
Rigid Containers and G4S, of Sutton in Surrey, had jointly agreed the system of work used by the security officers. The plan did not make proper arrangements for controlling the operation of the vehicle barriers and the sequencing of traffic on to and off site. The problems were made worse as a result of Rigid Containers redesigning the main entrance to its factory in the summer of 2005 to change the way in which HGVs entered and exited the site. This was done without the company making a proper risk assessment of what the effect of these changes would be, particularly on the security officers who were required to work at the main entrance.
The changes to the main entrance created an unmarked traffic junction in the open paved area and left security officers to decide traffic priorities and the sequencing of barrier opening and closing with inadequate instructions. In addition the security officer who had the accident was inadequately trained and poorly equipped to do the job, as he had not been issued with a high-visibility vest and torch.
| Workplace Transport Safety
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