Businessman guilty of falsifying forklift safety document

Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court was told that Stuart Jeavons intentionally made a false entry on a Report of Thorough Examination for the truck, a statutory document required by law to show that lifting equipment is in a good state of repair.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Mr Jeavons had put the name of a genuine forklift truck supplier at the top of the report and forged a genuine examiner’s signature at the bottom.

Stuart Jeavons, 57, of Bridge Road, Broseley, was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay costs of £989 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

HSE inspector Lyn Mizen said: "Strict inspection regimes are there to ensure that lifting equipment is kept in good working order. The certification to support these examinations are key documents which a user of such equipment should be able to rely on to show the machine has been examined by a competent person and is safe to use.

"It is therefore critical that all aspects of inspection, examination and verification of the safety-critical parts of forklift trucks are carried out diligently, properly and with the highest level of integrity.

"HSE will not hesitate to hold people to account where it finds forged reports as it seriously endangers the health and safety of people at work.”

Section 33(1)(l) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It is an offence for a person to intentionally to make a false entry in any register, book, notice or other document required by or under any of the relevant statutory provisions to be kept, served or given or, with intent to deceive, to make use of any such entry which he knows to be false.”