Case study: Larkins Logistics & Bison Manufacturing (2013)
What happened
In October 2010 Gary Walters, a heavy goods vehicle driver employed by Gloucester-based contract haulier Larkins Logistics Ltd, was collecting a trailer loaded with structural concrete products from Bison Manufacturing Ltd’s factory in Derbyshire.
Gary had coupled Bison’s trailer to his lorry but hadn’t applied the parking brake on the lorry cab. He possibly assumed that Bison’s shunter drivers would have braked the trailer when they left it in position for collection. They hadn’t.
Once connected, the assembled vehicle began to roll forward. Gary went around to the front, possibly in an attempt to get into the cab and apply the brakes. However, he was struck by the lorry cab and run over, suffering fatal injuries. The vehicle stopped only when it hit the building.
Background
A police vehicle examiner examined ten other trailers at the site and discovered none had the brakes applied, and no other manual system of restraint – such as chocks or hooks – was in place. The HSE investigation found that Bison’s drivers routinely didn’t apply the trailer parking brakes.
There had been a previous incident in 2009 when an unbraked Larkin lorry ran away and caused damage to Bison property. Despite this, Bison didn’t carry out any random checks to ensure their drivers applied the trailer brakes, or that Larkin’s drivers were applying the lorry brakes.
HSE inspector Judith McNulty-Green said:
Failing to apply trailer and tractor brakes during trailer coupling and uncoupling operations is a known problem in the transport industry and drivers need regular training and monitoring to ensure it is happening.
Significance
It seems likely that somewhere there was a risk assessment (or other document) that recorded the need to apply brakes on the trailers and the lorries, as the court was told that both Bison Manufacturing and Larkins Logistics were aware of the problem. However, this control was not applied consistently, suggesting a lack of communication of the importance of the control, and a failure to monitor whether the control was in place.
Outcome
Larkins Logistics Ltd was already in liquidation, so a not guilty plea was entered on its behalf. However it was fined £350,000 for HSWA 2(1) and £100,000 under HSWA 3(1) with £23,317 costs.
Bison Manufacturing pleaded guilty and was fined £233,000 for HSWA 2(1) and £67,000 for HSWA 3(1) with £21,341 costs.
More information
More case studies are listed in Appendix 1 by theme or Appendix 1 by date.
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