Chris Keegan died when a forklift he was operating fell from a trailer bedA West Yorkshire company has been fined GBP433,550 (USD577,652) after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act following the death of a forklift operator.
Hessle Plant Ltd, of Carrwood Road Industrial Estate, Glasshoughton, Castleford, was also ordered to pay GBP8,146.80 (USD10,855) in costs and a GBP2,000 (USD2,665) victim surcharge by Leeds Magistrates’ Court for the death of Chris Keegan.
Keegan was killed on November 20, 2023 when he was working as a delivery driver for the plant.
Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard he had been tasked with returning the forklift to a customer’s site in Sheffield following repair work to its transmission.
As he reversed the vehicle onto the trailer shortly after 6am, it fell from the side of the trailer bed. Keegan was thrown from the seat and became trapped between the chassis of the forklift and a neighbouring trailer.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the forklift had not been subject to a full inspection to ensure it was safe to operate.
An examination of the forklift by HSE after the accident found several other defects which it says should have been identified and rectified before it was operated.
“The investigation found that whilst Hessle Plant Ltd would undertake a full pre-delivery inspection on forklift trucks being delivered to new customers, at the time of the accident the company did not do this for machines being returned to existing customers,” HSE explains.
HSE also found many of the company’s employees would rarely wear seatbelts when operating forklifts and there was no system in place for monitoring and enforcing seatbelt use on site.
“Had Mr Keegan been wearing the seatbelt provided, the accident he suffered would likely not have proven fatal,” says HSE inspector David Beaton.
“Every year there are fatal accidents caused by machinery which has not been properly maintained or inspected, and forklift truck drivers not wearing seatbelts. This case should underline to all businesses, which hire out or operate forklift trucks, the importance of keeping machinery in efficient working order and ensuring the use of seatbelts by forklift drivers is appropriately supervised.”