An Aberdeen firm has been fined for safety failings after a worker was injured when a forklift truck ran over his leg and foot.
Derek Bonnar was working for Scotoil Services Ltd at its premises in Miller Street when the incident occurred on August 17, 2012.
Yesterday, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Mr Bonnar was working in a restricted zone on site to pressure-wash naturally-occurring radioactive material from components in two large wash bays.
Fiscal Depute Geoff Moir said at one stage Mr Bonnar was working alone cleaning down one of the bays when a colleague returned driving a forklift truck.
While the driver reversed the forklift and then moved forward to load components, Mr Bonnar was walking backwards while hosing down the next bay, the court heard.
As a result the truck collided with Mr Bonnar, driving over his left leg and right foot.
Mr Bonnar suffered a broken leg and fractures to his foot which needed to have a metal pin inserted. He spent a week in hospital and a further seven weeks in a wheelchair. He has since returned to work.
Yesterday, the company pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to provide sufficient segregation between pedestrians and vehicles in the restricted zone after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.
They were fined £5,000.
Following the case, HSE Inspector Sarah Forbes, said: “Scotoil Services Ltd was aware of the need for vehicles to be working in this area at the same time as workers, but despite this it failed to put measures, such as walkways or marked transport routes, in place to prevent the risk of vehicles colliding with pedestrians.
“This incident was entirely avoidable. Instead Mr Bonnar was left with a painful injury, and needed several months to recover.”
A spokeswoman for Scotoil Services last night said: “We regret what happened to Mr Bonnar and accept responsibility for it which is why we have plead guilty at court today.
“We accept that despite Health and Safety Procedures already in place at our premises at the time, we did not take sufficient measures to ensure pedestrians and forklifts were sufficiently segregated.
“Since the incident we have spend a considerable amount of money ensuring full segregation now takes place between pedestrian and workplace transportation. Furthermore, we have implemented new Health and Safety procedures and spent about £30,000 implementing new training for staff.”