Company prosecuted and fined £240,000 after fatal incident caused by reversing HGV

A manufacturing company has been prosecuted and fined £240,00 after an employee was killed by a reversing HGV. The company pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The employee was walking across a service road when a reversing HGV collided with them.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to deal with the movement of HGVs on site, nor did it implement safeguards to consider vehicle movement across the site.

Businesses should ensure that where there is moving traffic in the work environment, suitable measures are taken to prevent vehicle and pedestrian interaction.