Ceva Logistics has been hit with a £120,000 fine after a truck driver died when he fell off a vehicle and plunged two metres onto concrete. Manchester Crown Court heard that driver Derek Howe suffered fatal injuries on 15 May 2004 at a depot in Brinell Drive, Irlam, Cheshire. He was trying to help free a worktop on the back of a truck when he fell approximately two metres onto the concrete yard.
Health & Safety Executive inspector Richard Clarke says: "Mr Howe's death could have been prevented if TNT had taken appropriate precautions in line with health and safety legislation." Clarke says the transport industry needs to crack down on this type of accident. He adds: "Every year 700 people are injured at work falling from vehicles the second highest cause of fatalities and injuries in the transport industry.
"Employers and self-employed people operating lorries need to avoid the requirement to work at height on the lorry wherever possible. Where that is not possible, they must take measures to prevent falls." The court fined Ceva, which at the time of the accident was TNT Logistics, £120,000 and ordered the firm to pay total costs of £28,184.75 after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Neil Crossthwaite, managing director at Ceva Logistics, says: "We were deeply saddened by Derek's death. We co-operated fully during the investigation, and afterwards. During the hearing the judge commented that our company was an extremely reputable and safety- conscious company.
"Prosecution counsel said that the circumstances of the prosecution related solely to the specific contract at the specific site. We are a company that treats safety as our highest priority, and we will continue to work with our sites to focus on this critical area of our business."
