Driver disobeyed loading instructions
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Bury St Edmunds magistrates who hoard that a driver had disobeyed instructions and had failed to secure his load, gave McNicholas Communications an absolute discharge for using a vehicle with an insecure load.
The company had a contract laying cables on the A143 last August. The driver had taken a load of pipes about 50 yards when a gust of wind blew one of the pipes into the air and down on a stationary car.
Defending, Andrew Wootfall said the driver had loaded the pipes right up against the headboard contrary to Instructions. The driver had acted stupidly and had not bothered to secure the pipes properly, he said. When interviewed, the driver
admitted he had been lazy as he was only travelling 50 yards.
All the company's drivers were issued with written instructions which outlined their responsibilities, said Woodall. There was also loading training for the drivers. The company had done everything that could be expected to meet its high duty of care, and there was little more that it could have done.