Company fined £200k after A11 litter-pick vans crash death
Two stationary litter picking vans, operated by Serco, which had been parked partially on the road near Attleborough were struck by an 18-tonne Renault truck[1] resulting in Tony Skerratt suffering “catastrophic injuries to his chest”.
Mr Skerratt, a passenger in the Wren Kitchens truck, died following the crash which happened at about 12.45pm on February 26, 2019.
Police on the scene following a fatal crash on the A11 in 2019 (Image: Newsquest)
Serco Ltd, the company responsible for the litter picking vehicles, appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentence in relation to health and safety offences.
Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
On Friday (June 23) the company entered guilty pleas to failure as an employer to ensure the health and safety and welfare of its employees.
It also admitted another offence of failing in its undertaking to ensure people not in its employment were not exposed to risk.
The company was fined a total of £240,000 and ordered to pay £37,074.82 in costs within 28 days.
Andrew McGee KC, prosecuting, on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said supervision and monitoring was at the “heart” of the case.
He said it was “insufficient” on the day of the tragedy, particularly in regard to an “unusual work configuration” where two vehicles and three employees rather than one vehicle and two employees had been used.
Judge Antony Bate said that although safety measures had been in place they were “not adequate” and not “sufficiently adhered to or implemented”.
Richard Matthews KC, for Serco Ltd, said the operatives were “trained, experienced and competent” but insisted it was not a requirement for them to be “man marked”.
Mr Marks said it was an “unusual working practice” for two vehicles to have been sent out and “should have led to more monitoring”.
He said the company had made “significant efforts” to address risks associated with this kind of work and described it as an “isolated incident”.
Darren Marks, the driver of the Wren Kitchens truck, was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for 21 months[2] in April 2021 after admitting causing death by careless driving.
Marks, then 42, of Harlow, was also disqualified from driving for 30 months.
References
- ^ struck by an 18-tonne Renault truck (www.edp24.co.uk)
- ^ sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for 21 months (www.edp24.co.uk)