Delivery firm Hermes have been fined £850,000 for breaching health and safety laws after an worker was crushed to death at a parcel sorting centre.
David Kennedy was working at the firm's depot at Eurocentral, near Motherwell, when the incident took place. He was being trained by a colleague on how to operate a trailer mover.
But the 43-year-old who worked for the firm for 20 years, was pinned against a stationary HGV after one trailer slipped off the machine.
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An 'anti-track' device failed to work which would have stopped the trailer unit immediately.
Emergency services raced to the scene in March 2019 and he was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow where he later died from his injuries.
An investigation led to criminal proceedings being brought against the firm after it emerged safety procedures had not been followed.
Other workers at the depot told investigators they did not feel 'comfortable' using the trailer mover.
A court was told the company had carried out a 'root and branch' review of safety procedures following the fatal accident and had stopped using trailer movers.
Bosses also implemented weekly inspections of their depots rather than once every four months and employed more health and safety staff.
First offenders Hermes Parcelnet Ltd appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted breaching health and safety laws at the depot between August 2018 and March 2019.
They pled guilty to failing to ensure the safety of employees and failing to provide a system of work which was 'reasonably' practical, safe and without risks.
The firm also accepted failure to ensure that those training other employees to use the trailer mover gave 'adequate' information, instruction and supervision as well as not ensuring pedestrians and vehicles could move in a safe manner.
They were fined by Sheriff Colin Dunipace and ordered to pay the money within 28 days.
Depute fiscal Imran Bashir had earlier told the court: "The trailer arm struck the deceased on the chest and pinned him against the stationary trailer behind him.
"The company trainer and a colleague moved the trailer arm from against his chest while Mr Kennedy was heard to complain about severe pain."
The firm's lawyer said: "It is a matter of deepest concern and regret that Mr Kennedy lost his life in the course of his employment as a result, in part, of failings for which the accused organisation is responsible.
"I'm instructed to offer deepest sympathies to the family of Mr Kennedy for their tragic loss."
Sheriff Dunipace said: "There were a number of significant failings on behalf of the company and, if addressed, the tragic consequences of this case may have been avoided.
"I have concluded that this was a serious breach of statutory duty.
"The company did have appropriate working systems in place but they were not sufficiently adhered to or implemented.
"It is patent that the company failed to protect their employees from the risk created."
The sheriff reduced the fine from £1.2m because of the firm's guilty plea.
A spokeswoman for Evri, which was rebranded from Hermes last year, earlier said: "We take our responsibilities in relation to the health, safety and welfare of our employees extremely seriously.
"These charges relate to a specific incident at a single site and we have taken the necessary measures to ensure that this cannot happen again.
"We are both regretful and saddened by this incident and offer our deepest sympathies to the family for their tragic loss."
