Salford drinks firm fined £800k after HGV driver death at depot

A drinks supplier has been fined £800,000 for health and safety breaches after the death of an HGV driver who was picking up a delivery at its depot.

John Fitzpatrick, 59, was struck by a forklift truck while waiting for his trailer to be loaded at Kingsland Drinks Ltd in Irlam, Salford, in 2020.

The 59-year-old, of Oldham, suffered serious head injuries and later died.

The firm pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates' Court to two breaches.

Mr Fitzpatrick never regained consciousness after he was hit by the forklift truck on 19 August 2020.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the firm's risk assessment was out of date and not fit for purpose.

Inspectors said there was no pedestrian and vehicle segregation in place in the loading area and visiting drivers were not given clear information about site safety.

As well as being fined £800,000 for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, Kingsland Drinks Ltd was also ordered to pay costs of £5,600.

Mr Fitzpatrick's wife Paula said in a victim impact statement read in court: "John was a joyful character, full of life, and often described as the life and soul of the party.

"He would talk to anyone and I would often lose him for a couple of hours when he went to the local shop as he would be talking to all the neighbours on the way."

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Sharon Butler said: "This death would have been prevented if clear controls had been in place for visiting drivers.

"Companies who have loading areas need to provide information and instructions to visiting drivers and have clear segregation in place to ensure the site is safe for all who use it.

"Easy steps can be taken to reduce the risk of visiting drivers becoming injured on site."

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