Yusen Logistics fined £11,000 after agency worker's fall

Yusen Logistics (UK) has been fined £11,000 after an agency worker fell from a loading ramp at the firm’s site on the Isle of Grain in Kent.

In a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution, Medway Magistrates Court was told that that the warehouse operative, 49, from Sittingbourne, suffered a broken thigh bone in the 1.5m fall as he was unloading fridges from a trailer-mounted shipping container in November 2013.

He was unable to return to work for three months.

The court was told the containers had to be unloaded while mounted on a trailer if they arrived at the Thamesport site by road, while sea-arriving containers were unloaded at ground level.

HSE found the workers were using a new unloading ramp, but discovered it had not had the additional edge protection guarding fitted that the company’s other two ramps had in place.

As a result, the injured man had limited protection from the fall when he unbalanced at the top of the ramp while helping to unload the fridges.

Yusen was also ordered to pay £1,067 in costs after admitting a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Rob Hassell said: “This incident and the worker’s subsequent painful injury were entirely preventable. Yusen Logistics failed to make sure the new ramp was fitted with additional edge protection, despite the fact it had two ramps with this type of essential guarding installed.

“Employers should identify where additional edge protection should be provided to safeguard their employees and other workers and then take the necessary action.”

A spokeswoman for Yusen Logistics (UK) said: “Yusen Logistics treats Health and Safety very seriously and has taken on board the comments from the HSE.

“The injured party has thankfully substantially recovered and has returned to work at the company.”