Norfolk food wholesaler fined after worker loses leg in fall
Osprey Foods was fined after its broken traffic light system allowed a lorry to move while a worker was still inside, causing injuries that led to amputation
Last updated 4th Jul 2025
Osprey Foods Limited, a food wholesaler based in Holt, Norfolk, has been fined £66,000 after an employee’s leg was amputated following a fall from a lorry.
The incident took place on 5 July 2023 when the worker was inside the trailer of an HGV using a pallet truck. The lorry moved while he was still inside, causing him to fall between the loading dock and the vehicle. His injuries were severe and led to the loss of his leg.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the company’s traffic light system, designed to control when lorries could move, had been broken for several weeks and was not repaired. The light stayed green during loading, leading the driver to move the vehicle unaware the worker was still inside.
Osprey Foods pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2 (1) and 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Alongside the £66,000 fine, the company was ordered to pay £5,850 in costs at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 20 June 2025.
HSE inspector Natalie Prince said, “A simple repair to a traffic light system has resulted in a worker suffering life-changing injuries.”