News, Manchester
HSE/Family handoutA company has been fined £220,000 after a director who stayed at work after business hours to wait for a lorry was killed as he tried to help the driver reverse into its warehouse.
Daniel Ames, who worked at the British Millerain Company Ltd textile firm, was fatally injured on 22 June 2023 at the site in Rochdale, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.
The driver had lost sight of Mr Ames as he reversed and when he got out to check, he found him trapped between the vehicle and some steel storage racks, Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard.
The company was sentenced to the fine after admitting breaching the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act.
Mr Ames died in hospital of his injuries, and an HSE investigation later identified several failings including the company having no safe system in place for reversing vehicles.
Its employees confirmed they had never received any training and this included one who said he had on occasion reversed HGVs into the warehouse with someone else acting as a look-out marshal – despite neither being trained to do so.
The investigation also found the company had no risk assessment procedure in place in relation to this scenario.
HSEMr Ames’ family said the outcome of the hearing left them with “mixed emotions”.
In a statement, they said: “Daniel went to work and never came home again and we have a massive hole in our lives that will never be filled.”
They said they were glad the company admitted responsibility and was fined but “remain devastated” at the loss of the “much-loved dad, husband, uncle, son and brother”.
They continued: “He got on well with all his colleagues at work and had a great career.
“He was a respected professional who loved his job, was well known in the industry and was excited for his future – but that was taken away from us all in an instant.”
HSE inspector Jane Carroll said: “This is a tragic case.
“Daniel was clearly popular and respected but his leadership and dedication to his colleagues was not properly protected by the defendant.
“A safe system of work was not in place.”
