Worker sustains multiple injuries in fall from truck

An accident at Tamworth, Staffordshire occurred on 30th September 1999 when an employee fell from an access platform that was being carried on the forks of a lift truck.

The injured man was standing on the access platform attempting to reach some racking but as it was being lowered by the lift truck driver it struck a pallet on the racking which caused it to become dislodged. The platform fell off the forks and threw the worker onto the floor.

He suffered multiple injuries and was lucky not to have been killed according to Chris Green who was prosecuting on behalf of Tamworth Borough Council. The court heard that the accident happened because an appropriate measure to secure the platform to the truck had not been used.

Two companies were prosecuted and in mitigation said that since the incident they had taken steps to prevent a similar accident happening again. They did however plead guilty to various breaches of sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and were jointly fined a total of £44,500 in fines and costs