Swedish ferry operator Stena Line pleaded guilty to breaching Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) for failing to adequately assess risks in connection to a serious employee injury at the company’s port terminal in Birkenhead, Wirral, UK, in September 2017.
On 17 September 2017, George Ball, a pontoon traffic marshall working for Stena Line Limited, was struck by a 3.5 tonne delivery van at the company’s port terminal in Birkenhead.
The van was being reversed off the Ro-Ro vessel ‘Stena Lagan’ onto the pontoon area by a port service operative.
The vehicle reversed over Mr Ball’s head and body after the initial collision had knocked him down.
He suffered multiple injuries as a result that included numerous fractures to his skull, ribs and other bones, loss of sight in one eye.
He has been left with double vision in the other eye and ongoing mental health problems, according to data provided by UK safety regulator Health and Safety Executive.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no consideration of physical segregation of pedestrian operatives from moving vehicles when vessels were being unloaded. Stena Line Limited had failed to adequately assess the risks to pedestrians from moving vehicles and consequently put in place effective control measures leading to a safe system of work.
As such, Stena Line Limited pleaded guilty at the Liverpool Magistrates’ Court to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The company was fined £400,000 (=EUR 464,000) and ordered to pay costs of £6576.15.
The injuries sustained by Mr Ball, which affect him to this day, were easily preventable. The risks to pedestrians from moving vehicles is an obvious one which should have been identified and controlled,
…HSE inspector Rohan Lye said after the hearing.
See also:
