A company has been hit with an £80,000 fine after a visiting HGV driver sustained life-changing injuries when he fell from his trailer during loading operations.
The Dobbs Logistics driver was delivering and collecting goods for manufacturing firm Penn Elcom at its County Durham premises in November 2024 when the incident occurred.
He was manually moving cages to and from a cage carrier when one wheel of a cage became stuck, causing it to fall.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, the driver stepped backwards and fell from the trailer. He suffered a brain injury and multiple fractures and has been unable to work since the incident.
A subsequent HSE investigation found that Penn Elcom failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees and visiting workers by not having suitable and sufficient measures in place to prevent falls from height during loading and unloading operations.
Penn Elcom pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £4537.32 in costs at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Beth Chapman said: “Falls from vehicles account for around a third of all workplace transport injuries, many occurring during loading and unloading operations.
“This was a wholly avoidable incident caused by the company’s failure to identify the risks of working at height and implement suitable control measures.
“Had Penn Elcom properly assessed the risks and taken action to prevent falls from height, the driver would not have suffered these life-changing injuries.
“Employers must take effective measures to prevent falls during loading and unloading, either by avoiding work at height altogether or by using appropriate equipment and safe systems of work,” she added.
