Fatal accident costs The Pallet Network £60K
The Pallet Network was fined £50,000 with £10, 023 costs at Leicester Crown Court after pleading guilty in a fatal accident prosecution.
Kenneth Hicks, 61 died after suffering serious head injuries when a pallet loaded with boxes fell on him at the hub on November 26 2002.
He had been inspecting freight being loaded by a lorry fork-lift tuck, in line with the network’s guidelines, when it began to wobble. He tried to stead the load but was knocked onto the floor and the load fell on top of him.
The HSE said that the company did not have adequate safety measures in place despite a number of accidents involving loads.
TPN admitted failing to fulfil its safety duties and said that its safety analysis had been at fault.
· H & S has become increasingly concerned about the sector since a UK pallets employee sustained a broken leg last month after being hit by a fork-lift truck.
