Suffolk Firm Fined After Worker Incident with Forklift Truck

Following a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation, Qube Containers Limited has received a £30,000 fine after a serious workplace injury occurred at Ipswich Docks.

On December 11th 2023, Harvey Addison, aged 21, was involved in a workplace accident which resulted in a serious injury. The incident occurred at Qube Containers Ipswich facility. Mr Addison was helping to unload cars from shipping containers, as part of the job, himself and a forklift driver were emptying out two small bins which contained waste packaging, ratchet straps and chocks, into a larger commercial bin. The two bins were placed on a pallet, which was being carried on the forks of a forklift truck itself. Mr Addison was standing on the pallet when the truck moved. While the forklift moved, some straps from the bin fell and trailed on the floor, which ended up getting caught in the wheels. One strap caught Mr Addison’s foot, which pulled him down to the ground. The forklift then drove over his foot.

As a result of this injury, Mr Addison was hospitalised for nine days and required skin grafts on the outside of his left calf, and behind his left thigh just above the knee. On top of this, he also suffered from a broken ankle, which left Harvey Addison unable to work.

The review from the Health and Safety Executive found multiple failings from Qube Containers. This included unsuitable equipment, along with an unsafe system of work. The way the bins and waste disposal were handled was found to be unsafe, having insufficient risk assessments in place. Another issue that was found was an unsafe layout/ traffic route. The paths used by the vehicles and pedestrians were not well segregated or organised, which led to close proximity of forklift trucks and people.

Qube Containers LTD pled guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1973 which led to a fine imposed by the Norwich Magistrates court of £30,000. In addition to this fine, Qube had been ordered to pay £3,752 in costs.

HSE Inspector Adepeju Sogadgi stated: “This injury could easily have been prevented. Employers introducing new processes should make sure they assess the work activity sufficiently and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk. There should be systems in place to ensure safety and the risk should have been considered and documented.”

A very important lesson from this is the importance of risk assessment before any new or modified work processes, more specifically, where there is interaction between people and vehicles. It is also so vital to ensure equipment is appropriate for the task at hand, and taking any unsafe shortcuts (just like standing on a pallet being carried by a forklift) is avoided. Finally, keeping proper separation of vehicle and pedestrian access is crucial.

Protect Your Team and Business With Professional Training

Incidents like this highlight the dangers of poor practices and the life-changing injuries that they can cause. The best way you can protect yourself, your staff, and your business, is by ensuring everyone who operates or works around forklifts is properly trained.

At Acclaim Handling, we provide accredited Forklift Operator Training and Instructor Training courses which are designed to reduce risks, improve safety culture, and keep workplaces compliant with HSE standards.

Get in touch with our amazing team at Acclaim Handling today to book in training and lower the risk of accidents like this happening with your business.