Ginsters fined £1.28m after worker's death

PAUL WAS CRUSHED TO DEATH BY LORRY AT PASTY FACTORY

-  TOBY CODD

THE owner of Ginsters has been fined £1.28m over health and safety breaches which resulted in a worker being crushed to death by a lorry at a factory in Callington.

Paul Clarke, 40, was killed as the lorry delivering supplies reversed into a loading bay at The Cornwall Bakery, operated by Samworth Brothers, on Thursday, December 2, 2021. He was new to the role and was working his first lone shift at the time.

Mr Clarke was airlifted to Derriford Hospital where he died. He had recently joined as an intake operator.

He had been moving strip curtains in the loading bay before being struck by the lorry.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the company had not assessed the risks associated with the temporarily installed strip curtains.

There was no safe system of work to move them out of the way when the lorries reversed into the loading bay. The strip curtains had been installed in place of a faulty roller door.

The report also found site staff had not been provided with training or instructions to move the curtains and had devised their own methods. This included standing in the yard behind reversing vehicles.