Employers Asked to Create Safe Driving Zones
A man was injured when his ride-on pallet truck collided with a fork lift truck on the Dairy Farmers of Britain Ltd. work site in the June of 2008. The man, one John Reader, was taken to the
Further investigations revealed that the traffic routes were not made in such a way to allow for safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians. There were no arrangements for the vehicles to circulate effectively and the driving surfaces were not kept up to the mark.
It was also added that the floor was not correctly maintained and it was unbefitting to smooth flow of traffic. The ground was damaged in some places and the fact that it was wet and slippery made it even dangerous.
Dairy Farmers of Britain Ltd. was held liable and fined £10,000 by the Lincoln Magistrate’s Court and ordered to pay £2,916 as the cost of damage for violating Regulation 12(1) and Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
Inspector Scott Wynne for the Health and Safety Executive warned employers to ensure that they assess health and safety risks and provide their employees a non hazardous driving zone by adhering to the guidelines set by the HSE. He also said that the reported incident could have been avoided had there been an area where vehicles could run safely. The workplaces must evaluate worst case scenarios when heavy duty vehicles operate in the same place as on-foot travellers. Workplace Law Group specialises in employment law, health and safety and premises management. - click on NEBOSH Certificate training to ensure your organisation meets its basic commitments to providing a safe work environment for your staff.
