William Stobart & Son has been fined £160,000 following a tragic incident where an employee lost both legs while working at their site near Warrington, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The accident occurred on 20 June 2022, when Andrew McAuley, a 64-year-old worker from Runcorn, was picking orders at the company’s Appleton Thorn warehouse. A forklift truck (FLT) was in the process of loading pallets of slate tiles onto a truck nearby. The FLT was carrying two pallets stacked on top of each other, but the top pallet was not properly secured. As the driver turned the vehicle, both pallets fell, with the upper one striking McAuley and crushing his legs.
The severity of the injuries required the amputation of both of McAuley’s legs below the knee, leaving him dependent on a wheelchair and unable to perform daily activities like driving or climbing stairs. His home had to undergo significant adaptations to accommodate his new circumstances.
An investigation by the HSE revealed that William Stobart & Son failed to ensure that the warehouse area where the accident occurred was organized to safely segregate vehicles and pedestrians and that the loads were properly secured.
The company, based at Ashville Way Industrial Estate in Sutton Weaver, Runcorn, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to violating regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. At a hearing on 30 July 2024, Warrington Magistrates Court fined the company £160,000 and ordered them to pay £4,478 in costs.
HSE Inspector Lorna Sherlock commented on the case, stating, “Mr. McAuley has been left with devastating and life-changing injuries. The company failed to implement a safe system of work for loading and unloading activities, thereby exposing employees to significant risks. This case highlights the critical importance of segregating vehicles from pedestrians and securing loads properly. This injury could have been easily prevented.”
The prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Sam Tiger and paralegal Sarah Thomas.
