On 6 October 2014, a 39-year-old employee of Rudolph and Hellmann Automotive, which was contracted to manage materials movement on the production lines, had his left foot crushed when he was run over by forklift truck.
The next day, a 55-year-old operations manager was seriously injured by a falling metal box as he walked along a marked pedestrian footpath. The box fell off a forklift and pinned him to the ground. He sustained punctured lungs, internal bleeding and a fractured pelvis.
Investigating, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to properly train its forklift operators and their supervisors. The risk assessments were insufficient, and pedestrians and vehicles were not safely segregated on site.
Rudolph and Hellmann Automotive, based in Staffordshire, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to breaching s 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was fined £265,000 and ordered to pay costs of nearly £15,000 at Oxford Crown Court.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Kelly Nichols said: "It is really disappointing to find Rudolph and Hellman Automotive failing to manage and control the risks associated with the lifting and movement of vehicles and goods in a busy workplace."