A logistics firm has been fined £30,000 after a member of staff was run over by a forklift truck while replacing a lightbulb in an HGV.
According to Buckinghamshire Council, the employee for PDX Logistics – which has since changed its name to Mobile People Powered Logistics (South) – was in the loading yard and had exited the lorry cab to check which light had blown, when another employee reversing a forklift struck him, causing him to fall and trapping him underneath the vehicle.
He sustained serious leg injuries and required several weeks of treatment in hospital following the incident in June 2022.
An investigation by the council’s environmental health officers found health and safety concerns, including blocked fire escape routes, unsecured gas cylinders and unsafe mobile steps. Lorries were also being loaded unsafely beside a roadway.
In addition, officers found that there were no safe systems of work to separate pedestrians from vehicles throughout the site.
As well as the fine, the company was ordered to pay costs of £7,297 plus a £2,000 surcharge.
District Judge Rana said she was concerned that significant health and safety failures had existed for a prolonged period, but she accepted that the company had co-operated fully with the investigation and had put in place additional health and safety measures following the accident.
Mark Winn, Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for regulatory services, said:
“This case highlights the critical importance of maintaining rigorous health and safety standards in the workplace.
“Employers have a duty to protect their employees.”
