In court

Forklift safety failing: Worker suffered multiple breaks in his leg

Alison Fava

A worker was injured by steel falling on him from a forklift truck after company failed to control ‘well-recognised’ risk.

The HSE’s investigation into the incident, which happened in December 2016, found the company did not have a safe system of work in place to avoid this kind of incident. In particular:

• Workstations were not separated from vehicle’s routes;
• Lifting accessories were not provided to reduce the risk of the rebar slipping from the forks;
• Forklift truck drivers were not provided with site-specific and load-specific training.

Lemon Groundwork Solutions Limited of Russell Gardens, Wickford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £100,000 with costs of £6,253.14.

After the hearing HSE Inspector Nikki Hughes said: “This incident could easily have been avoided by the implementation of affordable control measures, such as a lifting accessory being used on the forklift truck. Handling and moving rebar is a well-recognised industry risk, which the company failed to identify and manage, despite the activity occurring frequently during a working day.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

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