Royal Mail fined over employee death

Date:

10 March 2010

Release No:

COISE/0303

The Royal Mail have been fined £90,000 after admitting to health and safety breaches following the death of an employee who was crushed by a reversing HGV.

The prosecution follows the death of 57-year-old yard shunter Colin Smith who was fatally injured in September 2006 at Royal Mail's Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre (HWDC).

Royal Mail Group Ltd, based at 148 Old Street, London, were ordered to pay £90,000 and costs of £42,549.56 for breaching section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Reading Crown Court.

The incident happened when a Royal Mail HGV driver was reversing his tractor to line up with a trailer unit parked at a loading bay at HWDC.

After lining up his vehicle, the driver left his cab and walked to the back of the unit to complete the manoeuvre but found Mr Smith had been trapped between the tractor and the trailer. Mr Smith had been removing a lock from the trailer at the time and suffered fatal injuries.

Karl Howes, HSE Inspector, said:

"This was a tragic accident which could have been easily prevented if Royal Mail had exercised proper control of vehicle activities at the Heathrow Distribution Centre.

"The company failed to adequately assess the risk to shunters working in the yard or to identify and rectify the unsafe system and this contributed to Mr Smith's death.

"In areas where vehicles are manoeuvring, employers have a legal duty to ensure that work can be done safely. Royal Mail's guilty plea demonstrates that they acknowledge the failings and since the accident they have put measures in place to prevent a recurrence."

In 2008/09, 25 people were killed at work as a result of being hit by vehicles.

Notes to editors

1. On 1 March 2010, Ian Wheeler was found not guilty of breaching section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. His trial began on 22 February 2010.
2. Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
3. HSE information and news releases are available at www.hse.gov.uk.

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR South East