Risk news

Health and safety protects people in the vicinity, not just those directly associated with a project, as a recent case exemplifies.

The prosecution of two construction companies has been completed after a pedestrian was killed by a steel beam as it was unloaded from a van.

Several beams, each weighing more than a tonne, were being unloaded from the vehicle which was parked next to a pedestrian walkway with the use of a forklift truck.

Lisa Chappell, an inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said: "Appropriate measures to control these hazards should have been in place, including ensuring there is effective communication between the duty holders responsible for planning and managing deliveries, inspecting deliveries upon arrival and providing a clearly defined exclusion zone where unloading can be carried out safely."

There were a number of important health and safety breaches which led to the accident occurring, including the position of the van, which was not in a designated unloading area.

Further to this, the steel beams were not properly anchored to the forklift truck for transportation nor were measures put in place to stop them from falling from the vehicle.

There was nothing put in place to prevent pedestrians from walking along the pavement and warning signs were not in position.

The pedestrian was killed instantly when one of the steel beams fell from the truck and landed on him as he walked across the pavement below.

Ms Chappell said: "This tragic incident was easily preventable. The risks involved in the handling and delivery of steel stock are well known to those in the industry."

As there were two companies involved with the manufacture, delivery and installation of the beams, they were fined a total of £65,000 for breaches of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 over the June 2008 incident.