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UK News - Breaking news in the field of health and safety
Untrained, unsupervised 17-year old operated forklift
The proprietor of DJP Poultry Handling Services Ltd, of Craven Arms, Shropshire, has been fined £2,000, with costs of £1,555, following the investigation of an incident in which an employee suffered fractures to his arm, wrist and hand which became trapped in a forklift truck.
The incident occurred in chicken sheds at Wetmore Farm Ltd, Onibury, Shropshire, when the teenager tried to remove a sensor which became caught in the mast of the truck he was driving, but as he reached through the mast to try to remove it, he caught one of the operating levers with his leg, lowering the mast of the truck on to his right forearm.
At Ludlow Magistrates' Court the proprietor of the company, which provides teams of poultry catchers, admitted breaching r.9 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998¹.
¹ r.9 Every employer shall ensure that all persons who use work equipment have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety, including training in the methods which may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks which such use may entail and precautions to be taken.
Comment:
"The forklift truck was being operated by an untrained, unsupervised, 17 year old driver. He had been employed by the company as a poultry handler and it was part of his job to drive forklift trucks although he had not attended any formal, approved training course. If he had, this incident could have been avoided.
Companies need to ensure that appropriate safety measures are implemented to prevent injuries and to provide a safe working environment. Those managing and working with forklift trucks need to be competent - this means having the appropriate level of training and experience - to ensure that safety measures are implemented, and once implemented, that they are maintained appropriately." - HSE investigating inspector.
19.09.06
