Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited has been fined after a yard operative was struck by a forklift truck at its Aberdeen Harbour premises.  The employee suffered serious and life-changing injuries at the company’s yard.

An HSE investigation found the company failed to ensure adequate separation between pedestrians and vehicles during loading and unloading operations.

The 43-year-old man was working at Streamline’s premises at Palmerston Quay, Aberdeen, when he was struck by a reversing forklift truck driven by a colleague on 26 September 2024. The worker was on foot, unclipping the curtain side of an articulated trailer, when the rear nearside wheel of the forklift made contact with his right leg, pulling him to the ground.

The worker suffered multiple fractures to his right foot and lower leg, as well as a de-gloving injury, undergoing two surgical procedures and skin grafts. He has also required counselling because of the incident and has yet to return to work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Streamline failed to ensure its workplace was organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely. While the company had a traffic management plan in place, it lacked the necessary detail to ensure that loading and unloading – which routinely took place concurrently in the same area – could be carried out safely without putting employees on foot at risk from moving vehicles.

HSE concluded it was reasonably foreseeable that an employee on foot faced a risk of being struck by a moving vehicle when both the pedestrian and driver were concentrating on their respective tasks near each other.

Following the investigation, an Improvement Notice was served on the company. In response, Streamline made a series of improvements to its traffic management arrangements to the satisfaction of HSE.

By law, employers must ensure traffic routes can be used without putting workers at risk. Guidance on managing vehicle movements in the workplace is available on the HSE website.

Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited, of Streamline Terminal, Blaikies Quay, Aberdeen, AB11 5PU, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £146,700 and ordered to pay a Victim Surcharge of £11,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 22 May 2026.

HSE Inspector Nicky Smith said:

“This was a serious and wholly avoidable incident that has had a profound and lasting impact on this worker’s life.

“Employers have a legal duty to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles can move safely within their workplaces, particularly in busy areas where loading and unloading takes place.

“Having a traffic management plan is not enough if it does not contain the detail needed to protect workers on the ground.

“We will not hesitate to hold companies to account when they fall short of their obligations.”

Are your staff adequately trained?

You may have staff who know how to operate, but have they been adequately trained?  If they’ve had no formal training before, they may not have the necessary knowledge and understanding around how to operate a truck safely around pedestrians.

Our RTITB accredited forklift training courses ensures that operators not only understand how to operate a forklift but also how to consider those around them including pedestrians and other workers.   To see our range of courses, please click here.  

Our high-quality training is the best way to ensure that your forklift operators have been told everything they need to know to keep themselves and all others on site safe.

Don’t miss out on your chance to book onto our next RTITB instructor courses at our RTITB accredited training centre in Swindon.

We’re running novice and re-qualification courses in July, and spaces are still available.

So if you’re thinking of becoming an instructor, or you need to renew your licence, we can help you.

Novice training

Are you an operator who really enjoys operating forklifts and is looking for a new challenge?  Have you ever wanted to pass on your experience to others?  Are you looking for a way to progress your career and improve your employability?

Then look no further with our initial novice course.

Suitable for anyone with 6 months of operating experience, you will learn all the skills you need to teach and test how to operate a forklift truck.

Covering essential skills such as conducting lessons, understanding the regulations and compliance, and mastering the art of assessments.

Re-qualification training

Our 5-day course is designed to ensure your training skills are kept sharp and in line with the latest techniques and legislation.  It’s a great way to get back into the classroom with other instructors and share tips, experiences, best practices and generally improve yourself as an instructor.

For further information about these courses, please click here.

 Why Choose Us for Forklift Instructor Training?

• Accredited – our courses are accredited and meet the exacting standards of RTITB, the UK’s gold standard in MHE training
• Experienced Trainers – Gain all the practical, real-world experience throughout the course from our fully qualified tutors, who will pass on their wealth of experience to you, to ensure you’re confident when training others
• Bespoke Training Centre – Train at our modern facility with everything supplied within your price, including trucks, paperwork, certificates and refreshments throughout
• Onsite training – If you have a group of operators in your business that would like to become operator instructors, then we can run this training at your site, on your trucks, saving your operators travel expenses and making their training fully relevant to your operations (subject to meeting the Facilities Criteria)

Are you ready to take your forklift experience to the next level by becoming an instructor? Join a community that is shaping safer warehousing and transport operations across the country.

How to book

Our first courses are running in July as follows:

• Novice course – Monday 6th to Friday 17th July (10 days)
• Re-ref course – Monday 13th to Friday 17th July (5 days)

Spaces are limited and in high demand, don’t delay and book your space with us today.

We are proud to announce that in partnership with Wiltshire Council, we are launching Skills Bootcamps for the Warehousing & Logistics Sector in Swindon & Wiltshire.

Swindon & Wiltshire sit at the heart of one of the UK’s most important logistics corridors. With major distribution centres, warehousing hubs, transport operators and supply chain businesses operating across the region, the demand for skilled, confident leaders has never been greater. 

To support this growing need, we are delivering Level 3 Skills Bootcamps in Leadership & Management designed specifically for the Warehousing, Transport and Logistics sector.

These certificated programmes are helping local employers strengthen their teams, develop future managers and build a more resilient workforce.

This training is part-funded by Wiltshire Council who will cover between 70-90% of the costs (business size dependent), so they have a limited space for 15 emerging leaders in September 2026.

Why Leadership Skills Matter More Than Ever in Logistics

The logistics sector is fast paced, high pressure and constantly evolving. New technologies, tighter delivery expectations, workforce shortages and rising customer demands mean that strong leadership is essential for maintaining smooth operations.

Effective leadership directly improves:

• Operational efficiency and workflow
• Staff morale, engagement and retention
• Safety and compliance standards
• Communication across shifts, sites and departments
• Problem solving during disruption or peak demand
• Customer satisfaction and service reliability

For businesses in Swindon & Wiltshire, developing these skills is not just beneficial — it’s a strategic necessity.

What the Skills Bootcamps Offer

The Level 3 Leadership & Management Skills Bootcamps are practical, hands on and built around the real challenges faced by logistics teams. They are designed to help participants step confidently into leadership roles or strengthen the skills they already have.

This programme is certificated by AIM Qualifications & Assessment Group and has been designed to develop capabilities in:

• Understanding leadership styles and building self awareness
• Managing teams in time critical, high pressure environments
• Communicating clearly across roles, shifts and locations
• Handling conflict and difficult conversations
• Delegating effectively and building trust
• Planning, decision making and problem solving
• Coaching staff and supporting progression
• Delivering a real work based problem-solving project that benefits their employer

This is training that translates directly into better performance on the warehouse floor, in the transport office or on the loading bay.

Who the Bootcamps Are For

These Skills Bootcamps are ideal for:

• New or aspiring team leaders
• Warehouse supervisors
• Transport office coordinators
• Drivers progressing into leadership roles
• Existing managers seeking to refresh or strengthen their skills

Whether someone is stepping into leadership for the first time or preparing for the next stage of their career, the certificated programme provides the confidence and capability they need to succeed with the full support of their employer.

A Partnership That Strengthens the Local Workforce

The collaboration between us and Wiltshire Council ensures that the Bootcamps are:

• Employer aligned — shaped around the needs of local logistics businesses
• Flexible — designed to fit around operational demands
• Practical — focused on real world scenarios, not abstract theory
• Supportive — delivered by trainers with deep industry experience
• Impact driven — designed to deliver measurable improvements for employers

This partnership is helping Swindon & Wiltshire build a stronger, more resilient logistics workforce -ready for the challenges ahead.

Why This Matters for Swindon & Wiltshire

By investing in leadership development, our region benefits from:

• A more skilled and confident workforce
• Stronger succession planning for local employers
• Reduced recruitment pressures and staff turnover
• Improved productivity and operational performance
• Greater economic resilience across the logistics sector

These Bootcamps are not just training programmes — they are an investment in the long term success of Swindon & Wiltshire’s economy.

The Impact: Real Skills, Real Progression, Real Results

Employers who have engaged with the programme consistently report:

• More capable and confident team leaders
• Better communication across departments
• Improved staff morale and engagement
• Reduced operational errors
• Stronger team cohesion
• A clearer pathway for internal progression

For participants, the Bootcamps open doors to new responsibilities, new opportunities and to long term career growth.

To take advantage of this fantastic programme, please click here.

We are very proud to announce that we are the winner of the prestigious Diamond Distinction Award for the best Lift Truck Training Centre in Wiltshire 2026.

This award, which we were nominated for, recognises not only the high quality of our work but also our dedication to improving workplace safety standards.

The full press briefing is available here.

We are all immensely proud of the work we do here, so we were delighted to accept the award. It’s a testament to our wonderful staff and all the hard work and diligence that they all bring to their roles every day.

Thank you to them and to Diamond Awards for the beautiful crystal award itself – it’s so sparkly and has pride of place in our display cabinet!

It was our great pleasure to welcome the Sail Academy school onto site last month for our latest Insight Day.

These fantastic events are an absolute joy to host, and we love seeing the smiles on the young people’s faces who attend.

If you’re not familiar with Insight days (and Challenge days), they are a nationwide initiative to provide work experience for students in a unique and impactful way.

Instead of hosting one student for a week, they ask businesses to welcome a group of students for a single day, offering them a glimpse into the professional world and our industry.

Sail Academy pupils were our latest visitors, and they were invited to carry out some warehouse jobs, complete some challenges and to operate our forklift truck – something that always goes down well.

The headteacher said “We really appreciate you accommodating us again — the students thoroughly enjoyed their visit, and word has definitely spread, as even more of them are now keen to come next time!”

We love hosting them and we highly recommend them to any business who wants to share the passion you have for your industry with the next generation.  It’s our responsibility to inspire the next generation of potential employees, and it’s a brilliant opportunity to have a huge amount of fun at the same time.

Here’s looking forward to the next one in a few months’ time.

For more information of how forklift operating can help people into work, please click here for information on our Pathway to Employment

We are delighted to share with you that on Thursday 12th March, we will be celebrating the 8th year anniversary of our first course.

Since our last anniversary, we have been so proud of the number of new businesses we’ve been able to help, and we’ve also been privileged enough to book courses for some of our customers for the 8th year running.

We’ve also been immensely proud to have been able to have helped a huge number of delegates with our introduction of Skills Bootcamps, and we’ve successfully continued our partnership with New College, Swindon, for a second year.

This has helped us reach even more businesses in need, and those out of work or on low incomes attain skills that make them in demand in our region.

We’re so grateful to the loyalty of our customers – we have really built a strong bond of trust over the years, and we value every single one of them. It’s been so nice to see the same faces coming to us again and again for their refresher training, and we hope to be able to serve your needs for many years to come.

If you’d like to see what some of our customers think, then please visit our website and see their thoughts. 

For the year ahead, our focus will be on maintaining the highest standards of training, so all our customers have a great experience, providing more information to our customers via our website, and looking to expand our course range to include training that you’re asking us for.  If you have any courses that you’d like us to consider, please let us know and we’ll investigate if it’s possible.

Thank you to everyone who we’ve had the absolute privilege of working with over the last eight years.

We’re really excited about the future and will continue to stay true to our mission: to understand your needs and to support you, whoever you are, and whatever you need.

The family of a much-loved man have spoken of his ‘horrific’ death at work following the prosecution of his employer.

Chris Keegan was killed on 20 November 2023 while working for Hessle Plant Ltd as a delivery driver at its main depot in Castleford, West Yorkshire. Chris’ widow Dianne said: “Chris was a wonderful, kind and generous man, who would do anything he could for anyone. He especially did anything he could for me.

“My heart is broken, and I will never get over losing my husband in such a horrific way. He never deserved to die in such tragic circumstances.”

Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr Keegan had been tasked with returning the forklift truck to a customer’s site in Sheffield following repair work to its transmission.

As he reversed the vehicle onto the trailer shortly after 6am, it fell from the side of the trailer bed. Mr Keegan was thrown from the seat and became trapped between the chassis of the forklift and a neighbouring trailer.

Mr Keegans wife and two of his stepdaughters arrived at the depot as the emergency services fought to save Chris’ life, but tragically his injuries proved fatal, and he passed away at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the forklift had not been subject to a full inspection to ensure it was safe to operate. Examination of the forklift by HSE after the accident found several other defects which should have been identified and rectified before it was operated.

The investigation found that whilst Hessle Plant Ltd would undertake a full pre-delivery inspection on forklift trucks being delivered to new customers, at the time of the accident the company did not do this for machines being returned to existing customers.

HSE also found that many of the company’s employees would rarely wear seatbelts when operating forklift trucks, and there was no system in place for monitoring and enforcing seatbelt use on site.

HSE guidance states that employers should ensure that work equipment – such as a forklift truck – has been properly maintained and inspected if necessary to ensure it remains in a safe condition to operate. HSE guidance also states that where seatbelts are fitted to a counterbalance forklift truck, they should be used.

Hessle Plant Ltd, of Carrwood Road Industrial Estate, Glasshoughton, Castleford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £433,550 and ordered to pay £8,146.80 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge as Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 26 November 2025.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector, David Beaton, said: “This was a tragic and preventable death. Mr Keegan was placed at undue risk by operating a machine with underlying maintenance defects, which he would have been unaware of when attempting to reverse the forklift in the dark onto a trailer with an exposed edge.

“Had Mr Keegan been wearing the seatbelt provided, the accident he suffered would likely not have proven fatal.

“Every year there are fatal accidents caused by machinery which has not been properly maintained or inspected, and forklift truck drivers not wearing seatbelts. This case should underline to all businesses, which hire out or operate forklift trucks, the importance of keeping machinery in efficient working order and ensuring the use of seatbelts by forklift drivers is appropriately supervised.”

To ensure everyone operating a forklift truck knows how to do so safely, ensure they receive high quality, accredited training with us today.  For a list of our forklift courses, please visit our website.

Our thoughts are with Chris’s family whilst they deal with the ongoing pain this awful incident.

As we come to the end of the year, we thought it might be nice to reflect on what an incredible year 2025 has been.

We wanted to focus this year on increasing the choice of courses available to our customers and improving our quality of delivery, and we believe that we’ve managed to achieve both of these goals.

Increased choice

This year, we have added new courses such as Personal Projective Training, Banksman training, Skills Bootcamps and Forklift Instructor training, all of which we are incredibly proud of.

These new courses enabled us to reach a wider audience, help more people in need, and to offer our customers more solutions for their business.

Focus on quality

We’ve been heavily focused on improving quality this year.

We moved premises in January, which has enabled us to improve the quality of the training areas, and the number of courses we can now run, and this has enabled us to keep the lead-times for bookings as short as possible, despite increased demand.

We had our regular quality audits throughout the year, which we passed with flying colours.  We had 3 RTITB audits this year (our annual accreditation, one for our move and one for our instructor training), and we’ve also regularly passed our AIM and Highfield quality assessments.

Additionally, we were delighted to have gained the Matrix Standard.  This incredible achievement documents how quality is embedded in everything we deliver and it enables businesses to identify training companies who take quality of delivery seriously.

Finally, we’ve become Cyber Essentials certified, to demonstrate how seriously we take protecting you and your data.

Here are some statistics from this year:

• Delegates trained – 345
• Certificates issued – 420
• Businesses worked with – 58

If you’d like to see what some of our customers think, then please visit our website and see their thoughts.

We want to thank each and every one of our delegates, customers and suppliers for making this such a wonderful year, and we look forward to working with you all in 2026.

The tree is up, with our own special tree fairy on top (our tiny forklift)! so we know we’re approaching the end of 2025.

We are open until Wednesday 24th December @ 4.30pm and will close for the holidays.  We reopen on Friday 2nd January @ 8am.

We wanted to take this chance to say Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all our customers, delegates, partners and suppliers.  2025 has been an incredible year for us, and we have been so privileged to work with such wonderful people.

Thank you all so much, and we can’t wait to start working with you all in 2026.