A TADCASTER area company has been fined £50,000 because one of its employees suffered a broken leg on its premises.

Leeds Magistrates Court heard that Colin Smith, 62, was walking across the middle yard of Braegate Produce Ltd in Colton when he was hit by three potato boxes on a telehandler being driven by another employee.

The accident broke his leg.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the potato processing company didn’t have sufficient safety measures to protect pedestrians from vehicles on its premises.

It also found that because there was a large number of boxes in the yard, people moving on foot had to spend longer than necessary in the area used by vehicles.

Mr Smith was hit as he walked along a well-used but unprotected pedestrian route from the production sheds to the engineers and maintenance workshop area.

Braegate Produce Ltd, pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence and was fined £50,000 with £962 prosecution costs for the HSE, which brought the case.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Kate Dixon said: “Companies need to organise transport operations to reduce the risk it poses to pedestrians. This should include consideration of the site, driver and vehicles. There are some quick, easy and inexpensive steps that can be implemented.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

The investigation found that there were protected walkways on only two sides of the yard.

It also found the company had not ensured that forklift truck and telehandler operators were clear about what the site rules were regarding the use of their vehicles when moving potato boxes and that the company didn’t have an effective means of enforcing the rules.