Prosecutions

A haulage company was today fined £5,000 after one of its employees suffered brain damage when he was struck on the head by a 290 kilogram panel saw.

The employee was delivering panel saws to a Glasgow business on 16 August 2007 when one fell off the vehicle, hitting him on the head; he was left with permanent brain damage as a result of the incident.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation into the incident which found that the employers of the man did not have a reliable system of communication in place to make sure their drivers were informed about the securing and stability of loads.

The employee had not been told anything about how the panel saws were secured in the lorry. When he removed the straps securing the saws, the load became unstable, causing the incident.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court the company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Following the case, a HSE inspector said:

"This was a horrific incident and will have terrible consequences for the employee and his family for many years to come.

"Haulage companies must make sure information is properly communicated between drivers in how a load is secured and strapped. Verbal messages through a third party may not be enough.

"This is particularly important where the delivery driver did not load the vehicle - and has little information on the precise strapping method used to secure it.

"Every year around 70 people are killed and thousands more suffer major injuries in incidents involving vehicles in and around workplaces. A significant number of these occur during deliveries and collections. Suppliers, hauliers and recipients must cooperate and ensure their drivers are trained to assess delivery and collection risks and reduce them as far as possible."