You're not insured for this

[smcapstick]

True, sort of.

The range of the fine is based on turnover but where the fine falls within that range is down to the judge.

You can't insure against fines, they are designed to be painful to the company, and it's not unheard of for them to take the company down :-(

Is that a problem for you?

A business turning over enough money to invite a fine of that size has no excuse for not spending £180 on some brake shoes.

 

[gone up the hill]

Another company got fined over 200k for the death of their driver this week..

Waste company, driver was delivering a skip to site, lorry ran away and went over him, they were fined because they hadn't carried out a H+S inspection at the site where the lorry was unloading the skip!

Reason the lorry ran away??? the driver didn't apply the handbrake when he got out the lorry...

 

[digger don]

I used to bail straw up that waya few years ago and all the big farms would have agri students working there in the summer and alot of them didnt have a clue!...
We watched a lad one day driving a jd 7600 around all day with the steering wheel up against the windscreen because he didnt know it folded down. And no one showed him ether. Think i am right in thinking this farmer farms over 10,000 acers. Not your average farm by far

 

[two-cylinder]

Shiney paint doesn’t always mean well maintained but first impressions do count....... So we all know which machine the police are most likely to stop

The prettiest girls aren't always the best dancers.

 

[Fossil]

The prettiest girls aren't always the best dancers.

No, but it’s easier to overlook their failings.

 

[Davey]

Is that a problem for you?

A business turning over enough money to invite a fine of that size has no excuse for not spending £180 on some brake shoes.

Sorry that was my point, if they think you aren't taking H&S seriously however big your business is they will fine you up to the point of bancrupcy, and possibly beyond once costs get added in.

Cheaper to put the effort in up front. Write your method statements, get input from manufacturers on best practice for servicing etc. Or get a suitably qualified third party to do the work on your behalf.

 

[smcapstick]

Sorry that was my point, if they think you aren't taking H&S seriously however big your business is they will fine you up to the point of bancrupcy, and possibly beyond once costs get added in.

Cheaper to put the effort in up front. Write your method statements, get input from manufacturers on best practice for servicing etc. Or get a suitably qualified third party to do the work on your behalf.

A couple of competent fitters with their own tools could fit new brakes to four tandem axle trailers in a morning. A couple of hundred pounds in labour, £500 - £800 in parts. Good, safe brakes for at least 5 years after that.

It's a no-brainer

 

[Cowcalf]

Another company got fined over 200k for the death of their driver this week..

Waste company, driver was delivering a skip to site, lorry ran away and went over him, they were fined because they hadn't carried out a H+S inspection at the site where the lorry was unloading the skip!

Reason the lorry ran away??? the driver didn't apply the handbrake when he got out the lorry...

presume after inspection they could have told driver he would need to use the handbrake. My view if your that thick you should not be employed

 

[Henarar]

presume after inspection they could have told driver he would need to use the handbrake. My view if your that thick you should not be employed

It is quite silly if true, I spose the skip firm have to send someone out before hand FFS, drivers have to take some responsibility for what they are driving

 

[Tarw Coch]

Another company got fined over 200k for the death of their driver this week..

Waste company, driver was delivering a skip to site, lorry ran away and went over him, they were fined because they hadn't carried out a H+S inspection at the site where the lorry was unloading the skip!

Reason the lorry ran away??? the driver didn't apply the handbrake when he got out the lorry...

I heard a similar story on the radio several years ago, lorry driver ran over by his own lorry because he hadn't put the handbrake on, HSE prosecuted his employer.
As I said elsewhere on this forum quite recently, you can't afford to employ idiots.

 

[Kildare]

Having tophams farm I would be surprised if tractors or trailers were faulty. Everything we seen was very new looking.
Young lads on fast tractors can be a problem.

 

[kiwi pom]

A couple of competent fitters with their own tools could fit new brakes to four tandem axle trailers in a morning. A couple of hundred pounds in labour, £500 - £800 in parts. Good, safe brakes for at least 5 years after that.

It's a no-brainer

Agreed, you do still need to have them regularly tested/inspected and adjusted by someone who actually knows what they are doing though. I think one of the big problems in the Topham case was there was no one to do that. Trailers were serviced in the off season - to what standard I don't know- and then they relied solely on pre trip inspections as maintenance through the season.

 

[ollie989898]

No, but it’s easier to overlook their failings.

Who is worried about their dancing!?

 

[Smiffy101]

It is quite silly if true, I spose the skip firm have to send someone out before hand FFS, drivers have to take some responsibility for what they are driving

The lorry driver should have a risk assessment to fill out at every site most companys just have paperones with tick boxes
But alot now have there own app on a tablet fill in risk assessment take photos and send to office before work can start
I had to remove a fallen branch from the road the other day a minute worth of work 5 mins completing a papercopy risk assessment 5 mins filling in an app on a tablet 5 mins on prestart checks including vehicle condition equipment checks taking photos 10 mins putting out and removing sighns
Work cant start unless everyone is in corect ppe and a fire extinguisher and 1st aid kit is present
And no lone working

 

[Henarar]

The lorry driver should have a risk assessment to fill out at every site most companys just have paperones with tick boxes
But alot now have there own app on a tablet fill in risk assessment take photos and send to office before work can start
I had to remove a fallen branch from the road the other day a minute worth of work 5 mins completing a papercopy risk assessment 5 mins filling in an app on a tablet 5 mins on prestart checks including vehicle condition equipment checks taking photos 10 mins putting out and removing sighns
Work cant start unless everyone is in corect ppe and a fire extinguisher and 1st aid kit is present
And no lone working

and we wonder why nart gets done

 

[betweenthelines]

In the case of the driver who died (ironically collecting incinerator waste from a hospital) the company had been collecting waste from the site for several years on a daily basis and had never carried out a risk assessment. The company knew it was common practice to park on a slope in order to drop off and collect skips as they operated the incinerator as well.

The driver was very experienced and died while trying to stop the vehicle rolling away.

For anyone to infer that he was an "idiot" without having an understanding of the facts, shows up their own lack of intelligence.

 

[snarling bee]

Having tophams farm I would be surprised if tractors or trailers were faulty. Everything we seen was very new looking.
Young lads on fast tractors can be a problem.

3 points here
a) Both a coroner's jury and a crown court jury say the trailer was faulty.
b) Tophams replaced all their main trailers after the accident.
c) Yes they can be a problem, but in this case it was only a 40kph tractor and the driver was not at fault.

 

[snarling bee]

Is that a problem for you?

A business turning over enough money to invite a fine of that size has no excuse for not spending £180 on some brake shoes

The issue in this case was not that the brake shoes were worn (there was 18mm of lining left) it was that they were not ADJUSTED correctly. It would have taken 5 minutes to adjust them.

 

[smcapstick]

The issue in this case was not that the brake shoes were worn (there was 18mm of lining left) it was that they were not ADJUSTED correctly. It would have taken 5 minutes to adjust them.

TomAYtoes, tomAHtoes.

The point is the same - not doing, or paying for, basic maintenance.

 

[Deerefarmer]

Not that it's relevant to the topic at hand at all,I'm just curious ,what tractor was hitched to the trailer