Rochdale Textile Firm Fined £220,000 After Director Killed by Reversing HGV Skip to main content

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Rochdale Textile Firm Fined £220,000 After Director Killed by Reversing HGV

Rochdale, Greater Manchester – A Rochdale-based textile company has been fined £220,000 after one of its directors was tragically killed by a reversing HGV at its warehouse last year.

British Millerain Company Limited, based on Buckley Road, Rochdale, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an investigation into the death of Daniel Ames.


Mr. Ames, a director at the company, volunteered to stay behind on the evening of June 22, 2023, to wait for an HGV to return to the warehouse. He offered to act as a 'banksman', a person who guides a driver during reversing manoeuvres to ensure safety.

However, during the reversal at approximately 5:30 PM, the HGV driver lost sight of Mr. Ames. When the driver exited the cab to check, he tragically discovered Mr. Ames trapped between the heavy goods vehicle and a row of steel storage racking. Paramedics were called to the scene, but Mr. Ames was sadly pronounced dead later in hospital.

An investigation launched by the Health and Safety Executive uncovered a number of critical failings at The British Millerain Company Limited. The HSE stated there was, "no safe system in place for reversing HGVs", and that the company had failed to conduct a proper risk assessment for this type of work. An improvement notice was subsequently served to the company.

Following the fatal incident, the company has implemented a new safe system of work, which includes no longer using a banksman for HGV reversals.

Speaking after the company was fined in court, Daniel Ames' family expressed their profound grief. "The outcome has left us with mixed emotions", they said in a statement. "But we remain devastated that we no longer have Daniel in our lives. Today we have still lost a much-loved dad, husband, uncle, son and brother, and we are devastated that his life ended in this way".

The British Millerain Company Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was ordered to pay a fine of £220,000.

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