HSE warning on site transport following double fatality

15 September, 2008

THE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned operators about the dangers of poorly managed transport in the workplace after Scottish Coal Company Ltd (SCCL) were fined a total of £400,000 following the death of two men who were crushed by a dumptruck.

Colin Fergusson and Brian French were killed at SCCL’s Pennyvennie site, in Dalmellington, East Ayrshire, on 26 February 2007 when their Land Rover was crushed by a 100-tonne capacity dumptruck. The dumptruck driver could not see their vehicle because it was in a blind spot.

Scottish Coal Company Ltd were fined a total of £400,000 at Ayr Sheriff Court on 26 August 2008, after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Norrie Buchanan said: ‘These two deaths were entirely preventable and arose from the clear failure of Scottish Coal to provide suitable means of communication between different vehicles on site in order to reduce the risk of collisions, as well as a failure to manage vehicles on their site.

‘Earthmoving vehicles, such as dumptrucks or bulldozers, have poor visual fields due to their large size. It is crucial that additional steps are taken to ensure that the drivers of these dumptrucks are aware of other smaller vehicles around them.

‘Control measures to reduce the risk are easily available at a minimal cost. Installing an additional camera on the side of the dumptruck, fitting a raised roof beacon, or some other means of improving visibility on the Land Rover could prevent similar incidents in the future.’

Since the launch of the quarrying industry’s Hard Target Initiative in 2000, there has been a 55% reduction in accidents up to the year 2006/07. Nevertheless, quarrying remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in. Since 2000 more than 2,700 quarry workers across the UK have been injured, with 21 fatalities.

HSE guidance on safety in quarries can be found by clicking on the web link www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/index.htm.