Fine for firms involved in driver crush death

A haulier and a housing company have been fined £323,000 after an HGV driver died when a pallet of concrete blocks toppled off a trailer and crushed him to death.

Conor Morgan had been delivering materials to a construction site owned by Avant Homes (Scotland) in High Blantyre in April 2017 when the incident occurred.

The 45-year-old Regen Waste employee was crushed when the blocks were being unloaded from a flatbed trailer using an excavator with a pallet fork attachment.

An HSE investigation found that the length of the pallet forks exceeded the width of the pallet being unloaded and so as the pallet was being lifted the forks caught a second pallet of concrete blocks causing them to fall from the edge of the trailer and onto Morgan.

The investigation found that Avant Homes (Scotland), as the principal contractor on site, should have ensured there was a safe system of work for the unloading of delivery vehicles.

It also found Regen Waste had not carried out a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk for the drivers delivering to sites not under its control.

Both companies pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety legislation and Avant homes was fined £300,000 and Regen Waste £23,000.

HSE principal inspector Graeme McMinn said: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident.”