Firm must pay up after worker crushed by forklift
A manufacturing firm in Northampton has been ordered to pay out almost £15,000 after a warehouse worker was crushed to death by a forklift truck.
Trackline International Ltd, which makes crawler undercarriage systems and is based in Spencer Parade, Northampton, admitted failing to provide a safe system of work at Lincoln Crown Court after company employee Shaun Porter was crushed by a forklift truck at its site in Bourne, Lincolnshire in August 2007.
Mr Porter, aged 31, was moving a large steel assembly from one end of the factory to the other.
A large vehicle frame was protruding into the unmarked gangway and he decided to raise the forks over the obstruction to make room for his vehicle to proceed.
On realising that he would hit the frame, colleagues shouted for him to stop and Mr Porter braked, but his load struck the frame, causing the truck to spin and overturn.
He tried to jump out of the truck by it caught him as he fell and landed on top of him, killing him instantly.
A post mortem concluded that Mr Porter died when his internal organs were crushed.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there to be a lack of marked access ways and gangways and no way of assessing size or weight of loads.
Trackling was fined 7,500 and ordered to pay 6,690 costs.
HSE inspector Jo Anderson said: "Today we have heard how a death could have been avoided. Companies must understand the importance of managing transport in the workplace in order to prevent a tragedy like this happening again in the future."
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Vow to crack down on anti-social behaviour across Northampton’s eastern district
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
