Firm fined for woman’s death had no safety rules and expected staff to ‘get on with it’

QA Fish Ltd had no risk assessment in place for pedestrians using area where heavy machinery was operating, officials say

Karen Allen, 61, was run over by a reversing forklift truck at QA Fish Ltd, in the Shetland Isles (Google Street View )

A firm has been fined £80,000 after a woman was killed by a reversing forklift truck.

Karen Allen, 61, was run over by the vehicle after disposing of a bag of rubbish at QA Fish Ltd, a fish processing company based at Blackness Pier, Scalloway, Shetland, on 31 January 2018.

She died weeks later, on 22 February. The incident forced the company to introduce health and safety protocols, but it was too late.

Ms Allen, a housekeeper, had heard the reversing alarm and shouted but was unable to get out of the path of the forklift, which struck her leg and dragged her under.

A joint investigation by Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive found the firm had failed to implement a health and safety management system. Bosses were criticised for a lack of corporate responsibility and putting staff at unacceptable risk.

Systems and methods of work were established informally by individual employees without formal direction from the senior management, and employees were instead left to “get on with it” and expected to use common sense.

There was no risk assessment in place for pedestrians using the same area where the forklift was operating. Visible barriers to separate these areas did not exist, and there was no requirement for employees to wear high visibility clothing when working outside.

Formal, documented systems of work for pedestrian and forklift truck operations did not exist.

QA Fish Ltd admitted to health and safety breaches committed between 6 January 2014 and 31 January 2018, at a Lerwick Sheriff Court hearing on 25 May.

Alistair Duncan, head of the health and safety investigation unit of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “The tragic death of Karen Allan could have been avoided had QA Fish Ltd put in place a health and safety management system.

“There was no corporate responsibility for health and safety and a failure to consider over a reasonable period which put their employees at unacceptable risk.

“This prosecution should remind other employers that failing to keep their employees safe can have fatal consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure.

“Our thoughts are with Mrs Allan’s family who must live with the consequences of the failings of QA Fish Ltd.”

SWNS