Two companies fined following fork-lift worker's death

Two companies have been fined a total of £67,500 after a worker was crushed by a forklift truck.

34-year-old Shane Neal was killed whilst carrying out work on the Building Research Establishment (BRE) site in May 2003. The accident occurred in a hanger at a former RAF base in Cardington, Bedfordshire.

Luton Crown Court heard how Mr Neal was manouvering the truck in order to dismantle a fire test rig, when the vehicle overturned. A HSE investigation into the accident found that Mr Neal was not adequately trained to drive the vehicle.

Mr Neal’s employer was Welwood Roofing Services Ltd of Corby. The company, which is now in administration, was charged with a breach of section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and was fined £50,000 with costs of £25,000 after pleading guilty to this charge.

A second company, BRE in Watford, was fined £17,500 with £12,000 costs after pleading guilty to a breach of Regulation 9(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

In light of the incident, the HSE has warned employers to ensure that their employees are properly trained in using workplace equipment, with HSE Inspector Alison Ashworth saying:

"I hope this tragic accident makes it clear to employers that they need to take positive action to manage risks, particularly where the work involves using forklift trucks. Mr Neal's death could have been avoided had the companies involved carried out checks to confirm whether or not he knew of the dangers of forklift trucks and how to drive them safely.

"HSE will not hesitate to take action against those who fall short of the law in such a way."