A commercial tyre service company has been fined £600,000 after a young employee died while attempting to change a tyre by the side of a motorway in Cheshire.
Niall Fawcett, 21, from North Staffordshire, was carrying out a roadside repair following a tyre blow-out on the M56 in August 2024 when the jack slipped and the truck struck him, causing fatal head injuries. He had been employed by Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited, formerly known as Lodge Tyre Company Limited, which failed to provide him with adequate training.
Fatal Incident on the M56
Warrington Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Fawcett was called out to replace a blown-out tyre on a low-profile truck on the slip road at junction seven of the M56. While he was positioned beneath the truck, it slipped from the bottle jack being used to raise the vehicle and landed on him.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had not properly assessed the risks associated with replacing a blown-out tyre on a low-profile vehicle. It had also failed to give employees suitable work instructions, including information on when a truck should be recovered rather than repaired at the roadside.
Lack of Supervision
The investigation also found that Mr Fawcett had only obtained his licence to work on commercial tyres at the roadside when he joined the company less than four months before his death. Despite this, he had not been subject to any monitoring or supervision to ensure that he was working safely.
Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited pleaded guilty to a health and safety breach. It has been fined £600,000 and ordered to pay £24,203 in costs.
Family's Grief
Mr Fawcett's mother, Sharon, said: "Niall was only 21 years old when he died. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was planning to marry the following year and he and Megan were saving for a deposit on their first home together and talking about starting a family."
She added: "Niall was building for a life he was excited for and this was taken from him in an instant. Niall went to work that day and should have been safe, supported, and protected. Instead, my son never came home."
HSE principal inspector Laura Royales said: "This case should serve to highlight to employers the importance of properly assessing the risks to which their workers are exposed and providing the right information and instructions, supplemented by adequate monitoring and supervision arrangements, to ensure that they can and do work safely."
She added: "Our thoughts remain with Niall's family as they continue to come to terms with their tragic loss."
