

A fairground company has been ordered to pay over £130,000 in fines and costs after an employee was run over and killed as a truck attempted to manoeuvre a ride into position.
Northampton Crown Court was told that Michael O’Brien died after suffering severe crush injuries to the head and upper body while Stevens Amusements was setting up a fair in Wellingborough in April 2011.
Although there was a banksman guiding the HGV from the passenger’s side, O’Brien was on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
The truck was being driven by company director John Guest.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that inadequate arrangements to segregate pedestrians from moving vehicles were in place at the site.
Stevens Amusements, which is based in Station Road, Finchley, London, was fined £47,475 with costs of £82,946.11 at Northampton Crown Court on 5 December. It was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
HSE inspector Sally Harris said: “This incident was entirely avoidable. Manoeuvring large vehicles in a public place is very dangerous. If proper precautions had been taken to control access to the area where the ride was being moved then Mr O’Brien would not have lost his life.”