Cheshire Man Injured in Fall from Forklift

Forklifts are one of the most dangerous pieces of machinery present in many working environments, with even the most careful and skilled of operators risking life and limb if they misjudge a corner or forget to tighten the restraints on a load.

So it’s a surprise that many employers fail to notice when something as dangerous as a forklift begins to be regularly used in a highly illegal and potentially life-threatening way. But this is exactly what happened when a cheese firm in Cheshire allowed lifting workers on the prongs of a forklift to become a common and accepted practice.

Joseph Heler Ltd was prosecuted on the 23^rd January 2014 for an accident that occurred on July 2012, and found to have breached the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974.

The incident in question involved a 53 year old man, who had been lifted on the prongs of a forklift to the back of a wagon, to load a delivery of cheese. This was not only common practice, but it was actually the only way to carry out the job, as there was no means of access to the back of the wagon.

On the day of the accident, the man had been lifted about a meter into the air with a foot on each prong, when the forks connected with the back of the wagon causing a jolt that knocked the worker off balance and he fell to the floor. This resulted in a range of injuries including cuts to his leg and multiple fractures to his ankle.

During the HSE investigation it became clear that the company had failed to carry out a risk assessment for this aspect of the job, and as such had not provided any other method for the workers to access the back of the wagons. They had also failed to give them any guidance as to the best way to load deliveries in this situation and, despite knowing that lifting people on the prongs of a forklift was an illegal manoeuvre, they failed to identify it as a risk, letting it become common practice.

Since the accident, the company has reviewed its working practices and has provided steps that allow them to access the back of wagons safely. In fact, they have totally changed the way they prepare deliveries to limit the health and safety risk to workers.

Joseph Heler Ltd pleaded guilty to the breach and were fined £8,000, as well as being ordered to pay £709.15 in prosecution costs. The HSE inspector who brought the case, Jane Carroll, stated that the accident could have been much worse. Had he landed on his head, the fall could have proved to be fatal and all because his employer had failed to address an obvious and illegal risk to health and safety.

The changes made since the accident could have been easily implemented a long time before and, as such, could have saved the injury from ever occurring.

This case highlights the consequences of not carrying out regular and adequate risk assessments, especially when working with potentially dangerous machinery. With proper forklift training of the staff and health and safety training for the management team, accidents like this could be completely avoided.

The team at Health and Safety Training Ltd specialise in ensuring your staff have all the information and practice they need to carry out their job properly. We’ll also help to encourage a culture of safety at your workplace that ensures health and safety policies are strictly followed and  understood by every member of your team.