£9,000 fine on death of worker

A woman has been fined £9,000 following the death of a lorry driver in Market Drayton.

Carole Ann Hible, trading as removal company Specialised Movers, was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive following the death of Stephen Michael Warner in April 2004 on a site in Maer Lane.

Hible admitted two breaches of health and safety regulations when she appeared at Market Drayton Magistrates Court on Monday.

Magistrates imposed fines totalling £9,000 with £4,335 costs.

Mr Warner, an employee of Sheffield-based Specialised Movers, was crushed by a CNC grinding machine being unloaded by a forklift truck owned by the company slipped and fell partially on to the ground, trapping him underneath.

Colleagues lifted the machine with the forklift truck, allowing Mr Warner to be pulled clear. He was taken to hospital by air ambulance but later died from severe crush injuries.

Carole Ann Hible as the sole trader of Specialised Movers was fined £4,000 for failing to ensure that the truck was maintained.

She was fined the maximum £5,000 for failing to ensure the lifting operation was planned properly by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.

Inspector Grayam Barnes said: "Companies need to ensure that appropriate safety measures are implemented."