Lorry driver was killed after insecure gates fell onto him while unloading trailer
Two companies have been fined a combined total of more than £360,000 after lorry driver was killed when a pack of steel gates fell onto him from a trailer.
Andrew Bayley-Machin, of Park Drive, Cheadle, suffered fatal chest injuries while unstrapping the load in June 2018. On Monday, the two firms were fined after admitting health and safety failures in a hearing at North Staffordshire Justice Centre.
The court heard how the lorry had been loaded with the gates at Joseph Ash Ltd of Stafford Park 6, Telford. From there, Mr Bayley-Machin drove the lorry to his employer, LM Bateman & Company Ltd in Cheadle Road, Cheddleton, in Staffordshire on June 20 2018.
It was there that the gates fell three metres onto the 41-year-old as he unstrapped the load.
The Health & Safety Executive said that arrangements for planning and restraining loads were inadequate to ensure goods remained stable and did not fall to the ground when being unstrapped.
LM Bateman and Company Limited of Island Works in Cheadle Road, Cheddleton, pleaded guilty to breaching two sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £16,334.
The second firm, Joseph Ash Limited of Westhaven House in Arelston Way, Shirley, also admitted two breaches of the same act. The firm - whose Telford site Mr Bayley-Machin set off from - was fined £244,500 and ordered to pay costs of £17,834. Both were also told to pay a victim surcharge of £100.
Following the hearing, HSE inspector Wendy Campbell said: “This death would have been prevented had an effective system for managing load restraint been in place at both companies.
“This is a reminder to all companies of the need to properly assess and apply effective control measures when securing loads to minimise the risks from transporting goods on road vehicles.”
