Firm prosecuted after driver suffers head injury in fall
Personal Injury 30 Sep 2011
A manufacturer has been fined following an accident in which an delivery driver suffered severe head injuries.
Kent-based W.E. Roberts (Corrugated) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 following the incident and was fined £20,000 plus £12,190 in costs.
The driver was delivering flat-packed cardboard boxes when a pallet snapped and he fell three metres backwards and 1.5 metres onto the pavement.
He sustained head injuries that have had life-changing effects and has been unable to make a return to work.
Michelle Taylor, inspector at the Health and Safety Executive, highlighted the fact that employers owe all of their workers a duty of care, even when they are off-site.
She said: "This led to this severe and entirely preventable incident which has had such a long-lasting and devastating effect on this worker."
Earlier this month, a girl received £750 in compensation from a fairground attendant at a carnival in York following a fall.
Published by Phil Hammond
