Calsonic Kansei fined £400,000 over forklift death

A car components factory has been fined £400,000 after the death of a worker who was struck by a forklift truck.

Darren Small died in hospital three days after the truck at Calsonic Kansei in Llanelli reversed into him, said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Mr Small, 35, of Loughor, near Swansea, died on the day he was to take voluntary redundancy.

Calsonic Kansei, which admitted health and safety charges, was ordered to pay £45,000 costs at Swansea Crown Court.

Mr Small's family said he was a "fabulous" person whose children were "still finding it extremely hard to cope with losing their loving father".

The HSE said that on 17 March, 2008, Mr Small had gone onto the factory floor to "issue instruction" to a forklift truck operator.

As Mr Small finished speaking, the forklift truck reversed into him, knocking him to the ground. He sustained fatal head injuries.

Darren was such a fabulous, lovely and kind-hearted person and a really devoted father”

HSE inspector Stephen Jones said: "It's fairly routine for forklift trucks to operate within the same area as pedestrians in this industry.

"However, working procedures and systems need to be in place to prevent vehicles colliding with people.

"This tragic incident could have been avoided had all contractors and employees been aware of the risks, and had the safety procedures been taken to avoid such risks."

In a statement, Mr Small's family said no other family should go through what they had had to endure.

"Darren was such a fabulous, lovely and kind-hearted person and a really devoted father," they said.

"To die on the day he was due to have taken voluntary redundancy is even more tragic.

"Time does not heal. We all miss him so very much and his children are still finding it extremely hard to cope with losing their loving father.

"We hope employers hearing this case will have more regard for health and safety in future as no other family should go through what we have had to endure - losing such a wonderful person from our lives."