‘Homemade’ forklift extension causes injury
May 1st 2011 A metal engineering company based in Chard Junction, Metaltech Precision, has been fined after one of its workers suffered serious injuries when a forklift truck tipped over trapping his leg under the load.
Yeovil Magistrates Court heard how, on 28 July 2009, Mark Connett, 36, from Crewkerne, was guiding a load of angle irons being moved with a forklift when the incident occurred at his employer's premises at Yonder Hill works. The forklift tipped and the load landed on Mr Connett, fracturing the knee and ankle on his left leg. The breaks were so bad his knee had to be pinned and he suffers from ongoing pain.
An HSE investigation found that the load was being moved using an extension attached to the forklift which had been made in-house. The extension had not been tested to ascertain what maximum weights could be positioned along the extension arm without risk of the fork lift tipping. Also, there had been no training for the operators and supervisors on lifting loads of angle irons, nor had the supervisor undertaken training for his supervisory role.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector, Kate Leftly, said: “The load Mr Connett and his colleagues were working with was large and heavy, but despite this, the lifting operation was not properly controlled and there was no planned safe system of work.
“Incidents involving forklifts are all too common, and often could have been avoided altogether had the operators and supervisors been properly trained.”
Metaltech Precision pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £4,940 in costs. More articles from Handling & Storage Solutions: | 
