Man Killed In Work Accident

The UK's largest port operator, Associated British Ports, (ABP) has been fined £266,000 after admitting health and safety breaches when a worker was killed at a Suffolk port.

Brian Vince died after he was hit by a reversing vehicle while servicing a roll-on roll-off ferry in Ipswich.

The 60-year-old cargo handler had been standing on a bridge, co-ordinating vehicles on and off the ferry, when the incident occurred on March 30.

ABP was also ordered to pay costs of just under £75,000 at Ipswich Magistrates' Court.

The company was prosecuted for failing to ensure workers were not exposed to risk, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

HSE inspector Kaitav Patel explained that ABP had identified the risk posed to Mr Vince on the ramp, but failed to prevent him from being in a position of danger.

He warned: "Employers in all industries must ensure that the interaction between moving vehicles and pedestrians in the workplace is managed properly."

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David Urpeth, an expert in work accidents from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “I welcome the fine imposed following this terrible fatal accident at work.

“Employers need to assess risks faced by employees and then take steps to reduce those risks so as to avoid injury or death following a work accident."