Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
MEMBER PREDICTIONS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
November/December issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Management
  • Human factors
  • Safe systems of work
Transport and logistics
News

‘Serious corporate failure’ lands DHL with £2.6m fine

Open-access content Tuesday 22nd October 2019

Robert Baynham was crushed when a stack of tyre stillages toppled and fell through an internal office roof where he and three colleagues were working.

An investigation by Coventry City Council found that the tyre warehouse was principally used for the bulk storage and distribution of Bridgestone tyres, however it also handled 'cross-stocked' tyres, which were stored temporarily and ranged in size from small car tyres, right up to extra-large agricultural tyres.

Warwick Crown Court was told that in the early hours of 2 February 2016, a tall stack of eight cross-stocked stillages had been placed next to an office in which Baynham, John Knight, Bernard Halpin and Jason Gordon were working.

The stack toppled, possibly after being knocked as a second stack was being put next to it, and the top two stillages, each weighing 578 kilos, fell through the office roof.

According to the Coventry Observer, prosecutors said there was no guidance that different stillages should not be mixed -- but Bridgestone had indicated for its tyres that if they were, the heaviest should be at the bottom.

Investigators found DHL had failed to complete a comprehensive health and safety audit after taking over the site from another company in September 2015. They told the court tyres were stacked too high and too close to the internal office -- an inherently dangerous practice which had become a common occurrence and was not a practice that staff had ever been told not to do.

The court heard similar incidents had happened previously, so DHL was well aware of the risk.

The company -- which has a turnover of £1.4bn -- was fined £2.6 million for what Mr Justice Jeremy Baker described as its "serious corporate failure".

"Although there may have been an individualised failure to make a proper risk assessment, there was a corporate failure to do so," he said.

"The cause and effect of those failures is that a stack containing an excessive number of stillages had been placed in an area where people were working.

"When the driver was in the process of making a new stack, contact with the first stack caused it to topple over and fall onto those working in the office. There is no question that these failures have led to a human tragedy."

Commenting after sentencing, Cllr Abdul Khan, cabinet member for policing and equalities, said: "DHL has received a significant fine and probably the largest following a health and safety prosecution by the council. Most importantly lessons have been learned by DHL and safety management at the warehouse has improved."

Last year DHL was fined £2m after Krzysztof Sontowski suffered fatal injuries when he was crushed between a large goods lorry and the wall of a loading bay.

And in 2017 the logistics firm was ordered to pay £266,000 after Michael Addison was crushed when a 770kg unstable load fell on top of him.

Topics
Safe systems of work
Transport and logistics
News

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health Safety & Assurance Advisor

Birmingham
£38000 - £42000 per annum
Reference
5452761

Health and Safety Manager

Belfast
Up to £55000 per annum + Car & Excellent Benefits
Reference
5452758

Health and Safety Advisor

City of Westminster
Up to £55000 per annum + Car & Travel
Reference
5452757
See all jobs »

Today's top reads

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ