Textile company fined after director killed by reversing HGV

Daniel Ames was a director of the British Millerain Company Limited, a company founded in 1880 to produce textiles for outdoor use.

At Manchester Magistrates Court it was heard how, on 22 June 2023, Mr Ames had offered to stay behind at the company warehouse to wait for a truck to be returned.

It arrived at around 5.30pm. Mr Ames spoke to the driver and confirmed he would act as banksman to help the vehicle reverse into the warehouse.

During the manoeuvre, the driver lost sight of Mr Ames. When he got out to check, he found him trapped between the vehicle and some steel storage racks in the warehouse. The driver called paramedics, but Mr Ames died in hospital from his injuries.

Daniel Ames was a director of the British Millerain Company Limited. Photograph: HSE

Speaking after the company was fined, Mr Ames’ family said the outcome left them with ‘mixed emotions’.

“Daniel went to work and never came home again and we have a massive hole in our lives that will never be filled,” they said in a statement.

They praised their “much-loved dad, husband, uncle, son and brother” and said he had had a great career. “He was a respected professional who loved his job and was well known in the industry and was excited for his future. But that was taken away from us all in an instant.”

HSE’s investigation identified several failings, including a lack of a safe system in place for reversing HGVs. Employees confirmed they had been doing the task for several years but had never received any training. This included one employee who said he had on occasion reversed HGVs into the warehouse with someone else acting as banksman – despite neither being trained to do so.

The HGV was being reversed into the warehouse. Photograph: HSE

Following the incident the company carried out a risk assessment that resulted in a safe system of work being implemented, which meant vehicles were no longer reversed using a banksman.

The British Millerain Company Limited, of Unit 1 Park Mill, Buckley Road, Rochdale, was fined £220,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,634 for breaching section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company at on 10 July 2025.

Investigating HSE inspector Jane Carroll said: “This is a tragic case. “Daniel was clearly popular and respected, but his leadership and dedication to his colleagues was not properly protected by the defendant.

“A safe system of work was not in place. We will always take action against those who fail to protect people in work.”