Bestway Northern Limited has been fined £1m after a worker was killed by a reversing HGV during a delivery, with the wholesaler having ‘failed to implement a safe system of work for its delivery activities”.
According to regulator The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the incident where Lee Warburton lost his life occurred on 19 February, 2019. The 53-year-old father-of-three and a colleague were making a delivery to a store in central Manchester.
As he was guiding the colleague to reverse the HGV into the unloading area, Warburton became trapped between the vehicle and wall, sustaining fatal injuries.
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Following an investigation, HSE found Bestway Northern had failed to implement the proper safety procedures for vehicle movements. The wholesaler was also alleged to have inadequately assessed the risks involved for the procedure, or failed to provide Warburton with sufficient training.
Bestway Northern pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £1m and ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £11,950.07 during a hearing at Manchester Magistrates Court on 18 July, 2025.
HSE inspector Jane Carroll said: “The company had failed to implement a safe system of work for its delivery and unloading activities, thereby exposing employees and others to the risk of being struck or caught by workplace vehicles.
“Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport occur during reversing, most of which can be avoided by taking simple precautions. All work settings involving vehicles need to consider the risks arising from their use and implement adequate measures to ensure the safety of those involved in these activities.”
