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To the HSE's RR1084 Forklift truck reverse sensor systems assessment

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Fedex fined £500,000 over fork lift accident

Run down

In the early hours of 2 November 2017 an employee was hit by a fork lift truck (FLT) at a Fedex depot in Cannock, Staffordshire. The man had been crossing the depot when he was run over by a reversing FLT. The worker was left trapped under the machine but was quickly rescued by colleagues who used a pallet truck to lift the weight from him. He sustained serious fractures to his arm, as well as soft tissue damage to his legs leaving him unable to work for several months.

Investigated

A subsequent investigation carried out by the HSE found that Fedex UK Ltd (F) had not put in place sufficient measures to segregate FLTs and pedestrians. The company had carried out a risk assessment but it did not identify the necessity for rigorous segregation between moving plant and pedestrians, despite this being a specific legal requirement under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 . F pleaded guilty to breaching s.2(1)Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 . The company received a fine of £533,000 with costs of £10,033.

What do you need to do?

To meet the legal requirements it’s necessary to evaluate your specific workplace and do whatever is reasonably practicable. Where possible, physical barriers should be used to create routes specifically for pedestrians.

Where there are frequent FLT movements in an area, inspectors are unlikely to accept anything less than barriers and strictly enforced rules to keep pedestrians out of the danger zone. Conversely, if you have a single FLT which is rarely moved, you can justify less segregation.

Tip 1. If barriers are not a possibility, set out pedestrian and vehicle routes with road and floor markings. However, bear in mind that you’ll need to provide more training and supervision to ensure that pedestrians are safe than if there was physical segregation.

Tip 2. A useful additional control measure is to impose a clearance rule, e.g. that drivers are not to operate a FLT within two metres of a pedestrian (and vice versa).

Tip 3. Basic control measures are required in all areas where FLTs operate, i.e. high-visibility vests, safety footwear, unobstructed walkways, speed control and good sight lines. Instruct all staff who enter the area in these requirements.

Reversing

Some features of FLTs don’t come as standard, e.g. reversing bleepers and flashing warning beacons. These are inexpensive additions and it’s strongly recommended that your FLTs are fitted with them and a working horn. If despite all your efforts you still have a risk of pedestrian collision, invest in additional visibility aids, e.g. convex mirrors, or even presence-sensing equipment which sounds a warning when an object is detected (see The next step ).

For a link to the HSE’s latest research into presence-sensing equipment for FLTs, visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download (HS 18.11.04).