Agency worker seriously injured in forklift accident

The employee of agency Extreme Handling was working at GMA’s Felixstowe site and was assisting a fork lift truck operator to move a one tonne sheet of marble from a container when it fell on him. He sustained serious and extensive crush injuries to his legs as well as a fractured sternum and severe lacerations to the back of his head.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the incident which occurred on 15 August 2014 found that there was an unsafe system of work being used to move the load.

GMA Warehousing and Transport, of Central Avenue, Ransomes Europark, Ipswich, Suffolk, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9938.38.

HSE inspector Jessica Churchyard said after the hearing: “Employers have an absolute duty to ensure that they do everything reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of their employees.”

For further information on safety with Fork lift trucks visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/lift-trucks