A man suffered life-changing injuries, including an amputation, after being crushed beneath a one-tonne concrete block.
The man had been inside an HGV box trailer as it was being loaded with blocks.
During loading, a forklift ‘nudged’ a stack of blocks inside the trailer, causing them to topple onto the man’s legs and leaving him with devastating injuries.
The leg injuries were so severe his left foot and lower leg subsequently had to be amputated, while he also sustained injuries to his right leg. Furthermore, the man was dismissed from his job after the incident.
A subsequent HSE investigation found that the company had failed to take appropriate precautions to segregate workers from moving vehicles on site. The forklift driver had also not been provided training or authorisation to operate such vehicles.
The company in question pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act. They have now been fined £30,000 and have been ordered to pay £4,325 in costs.
Best practice for reducing risk
In the UK, forklift operator training is essential for safe and compliant operations. Anyone using this equipment must receive training to ensure they can operate it safely and apply best practice consistently.
Mentor deliver courses that are accredited and registered with a member of the Accrediting Bodies Association for Workplace Transport (ABA) for assurances that all necessary standards will be met.
From complete beginners to the most experienced operators, accrediting bodies for workplace transport training outline what is required in each scenario to ensure everyone’s suitably covered. Providers delivering accredited training therefore offer assurance that training will be aligned to all relevant regulations and Approved Code of Practice L117, for compliance.
There are three essential elements of forklift training which UK operators must complete, so once basic training has been done, employers should also ensure that specific job training and familiarisation training are carried out, to ensure that the operator is comfortable using their truck in their normal operating environment. An authorisation to operate is then issued for the operator, to confirm that they can start using MHE on site.
You can read the full HSE article here, and view their comprehensive guidance on workplace transport, here.