23/07/2015
A tree specialist company based in Essex has been fined £3,000 with costs of £1,500 for failing to provide adequate training to an employee operating a dumper truck.
The 19-year-old employee, who did not hold a driver's licence, received only a few minutes training on the vehicle. Whilst driving the dumper truck, it overturned resulting in the young man breaking his back. Investigations found he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
It is not known whether he will ever walk again.
The employer was found to be in breach of Regulation 9(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulation 1998. Regulation 9(1) states:
“Every employer shall ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken.”
Avoidable Accident
The sentencing HSE inspector stated that the accident was “entirely avoidable” and made it clear that “It is not acceptable to put drivers into vehicles that they have not previously operated, or without the necessary training by a qualified and competent instructor.”
Across all industries, including construction and manufacturing, workplace transport accidents account for the second highest total of fatal and serious injuries in the workplace.
To ensure the safety of employees, it is imperative that all companies have a clear, concise and adequate training program to ensure the health and safety of all employees.
To find out more about workplace transport accidents, or if you require an emergency response team to attend an incident, please phone our London office on 0207 993 6960.
Fisher Scoggins Waters is a leading construction, engineering and manufacturing litigation firm, specialising in disputes and disasters. For further information on this article or any of our litigation services, please contact us on +44 (0) 207 993 6960.