GBP90000 fine for Royal Mail following employee death

A Royal Mail employee was crushed by a reversing HGV in September 2006 leading to a £90,000 fine.

The incident occurred in September 2006 when a Royal Mail HGV driver was reversing his tractor to line up with a trailer unit parked at a loading bay at Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre.

Once lined up, the driver left his cab and walked to the back of the unit to complete the manoeuvre. The driver found shunter Colin Smith, 57, had been trapped between the tractor and the trailer, where Mr Smith had been removing a lock from the trailer and suffered fatal injuries.

Royal Mail Group Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and were ordered to pay £90,000 and costs of £42,549.56.

Karl Howes, HSE Inspector, said: "This was a tragic accident which could have been easily prevented if Royal Mail had exercised proper control of vehicle activities at the Heathrow Distribution Centre. The company failed to adequately assess the risk to shunters working in the yard or to identify and rectify the unsafe system and this contributed to Mr Smith s death.

Inspector Howes concluded: "In areas where vehicles are manoeuvring, employers have a legal duty to ensure that work can be done safely. Royal Mail s guilty plea demonstrates that they acknowledge the failings and since the accident they have put measures in place to prevent a recurrence."

In 2008/09, 25 people were killed at work as a result of being hit by vehicles.


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