Worker fell 20ft from moving forklift
Jun 27, 2011
A trainee electrician was seriously injured after falling from the raised forks of a forklift when the vehicle overturned.
An electrical contractor had been engaged to change a number of light bulbs on the ceiling of a warehouse in Devon. The facility owner had agreed to provide the contractor with a forklift truck and a driver to do the job.
The trainee electrician, accompanying a colleague, arrived at the site to carry out the work. When they arrived they were told by the owner that no forklift truck driver was available but they were given permission to drive the vehicle themselves, despite neither of them being qualified. They were also provided with a metal cage to attach to the truck so it could be used as a platform.
Having attached the cage to the vehicle’s forks with lorry strops, the trainee stepped inside the cage and was raised up to the lights. His colleague then drove him across the warehouse while the forks were fully extended so he could access each light but as the vehicle was being manoeuvred it became unbalanced and overturned. The trainee fell 20 feet to the ground while trapped inside the cage. He injured his pelvis in two places and sustained facial injuries. He was unable to return to work for six months.
Both companies had failed to indentify that the method of work was unsuitable. The cage had not been regularly inspected and was unfit for use as it had rust and the door would not close. The men also failed to use a proprietary locking system to attach the cage to the vehicle which would have safely secured it in place. The men should have been provided with either a cherrypicker or an MEWP to do the work, and they should not have been allowed to drive a forklift without proper training. Changing light bulbs is such a common job the safety implications can be overlooked but in high roofed workplaces falls from height are a very real and serious risk. This job was not properly risk-assessed and, as a result, both companies chose the wrong equipment for the job and came up with a loose system of work. The two young trainees, inexperienced in work at height and not trained to use a forklift, were then left to get on with it. Any work at height needs to be properly planned, the right equipment chosen and workers given sufficient training to do the job correctly and properly supervised.
Both companies appeared in court where the electrical contractor pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974. He was fined £7000 and ordered to pay £5000 towards costs. The facility owner pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the same Act and was fined £20,000, plus £11,300 in costs.
Wilby Risk Management can assist with risk assessments and provide advice on guarding and training requirements. Contact us now for more information on how we can help you. Alternatively, you can ring us on 01422 358525.
CCTV footage of the incident can be viewed at the link below.
