Company prosecuted for serious injury to employee

At Downpatrick Crown Court today, Walter Watson Limited was fined £17,500 plus costs of over £7,200 after pleading guilty to a charge brought against the company by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI).

The case relates to an incident at the company’s premises in Castlewellan in which Mr Jonathan McKee, a lorry driver with the company, was seriously injured. 

On 28 January 2012, Mr McKee was moving a large cylindrical pipe with a forklift truck.  After dismounting the truck to check the area where the pipe was to be placed, Mr McKee was returning to the forklift truck when the large cylindrical pipe rolled off the forks and caught his right leg.  As a result of the incident Mr McKee’s right leg was amputated just below the knee. 

The investigation carried out by HSENI revealed that Mr McKee was not a forklift truck operator and as such had not received any training or instruction in the operation of the forklift truck.

After the hearing Denise Donaghy an inspector within HSENI’s Major Investigation Team said:  “The risks associated with forklift trucks and the lifting of large objects like this pipe have been well known about and well documented for many years.  No-one should be allowed to operate a forklift truck unless they have received the appropriate training and instruction. 

“This incident resulted in life-changing injuries to this young man which he will have to live with for the rest of his life. It is important that employers do not allow employees to operate plant and equipment that they have not received the appropriate training and instruction to operate, even on an occasional basis or for a ‘one off’ job.  Failure to take appropriate measures and to adhere to the law can result in workers being seriously injured or killed.”

For more information on workplace transport and forklift trucks visit: http://www.hseni.gov.uk/workplace-transport.htm

HSENI press release