Worker’s legs crushed and then amputated after warehouse forklift accident
An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, has determined that William Stobart & Son Limited could have prevented a worker from losing both legs in a workplace accident. Andrew McAuley, a 64-year-old employee, was picking orders at the company’s warehouse when the incident occurred. A nearby forklift truck was carrying two stacked pallets of slate tiles that were not secured to one another. When the forklift driver turned the vehicle, the pallets detached, striking Mr. McAuley and crushing his legs. The worker’s legs had to be amputated below the knee.
During its investigation, the HSE found that the facility was not designed to separate vehicles and pedestrians. William Stobart & Son Limited eventually pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. For these violations, the company was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay £4,478 costs.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, HSE Inspector Lorna Sherlock said, “The company failed to implement a safe system of work for loading and unloading activities, thereby exposing employees, and others, to the risk of being struck by loads or workplace vehicles. This case illustrates the consequences of failing to segregate vehicles and pedestrians, and to properly secure loads.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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