Health & Safety Update (February 2010)
Company Fined £4,500 After Telehandler Overturns Injuring
Worker
A construction company based in Gateshead has been ordered to
pay £4,500 after one of its workers was seriously injured when the
forklift truck telehandler he was operating overturned.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Tynedale Magistrates'
Court in Hexham. It was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay costs of
£2,342.20.
The court heard that the employee was lifting roof trusses onto
the roof of the development when the forklift truck telehandler
that he was operating overturned. The machine fell onto its side
throwing him against the machine's window and controls.
The employee was not trained to use the machine and was not
wearing a seat belt when the incident happened. He suffered
multiple fractures to his right arm, leaving him with limited
mobility in his shoulder. He still requires medical treatment and
is unable to return to his job.
The company had produced a risk assessment and a system of work
for lifting the roof trusses but neither were sufficient, and had
failed to identify the dangers that workers would face. Many other
items of heavy work equipment were left with the keys inside and
untrained operators using them.
Following the incident, the company changed its working
procedures to make sure that only trained staff were able to access
and operate site machinery.
Call our Advice Service or your dedicated Consultant for
information on control of workplace equipment.