Unqualified forklift truck driver breaks supervisors leg

Posted on February 20^th 2009

A grass marking manufacturer has been prosecuted and fined £6,665 in fines and £2,052.82 after they allowed an untrained employee to drive a forklift truck which reversed hitting a supervisor and breaking their leg.

The company, who admitted the offence, were charged under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act for allowing an employee to drive the material without the adequate training and qualifications.

An inspector for the Health and Safety Executive commented that "the prosecution should serve as a warning".

On average forklift trucks are involved in 24 of workplace accidents, and in this incident, although the accident was serious, it could have been worse.

An approved code of practise and guidance has been published by The Health and Safety Executive, named Rider operated Trucks: Operator Safety, providing advice for employers to give their workers the appropriate training.

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