Prosecution After Man Endangered His Own Safety

A man was prosecuted by Environmental Health Officers in Coventry following an incident with a fork-lift truck where he endangered his own and other peoples' safety.

Mr Carl Turbitt of Schneider Electrics Ltd, based in Coventry, was working alone one Saturday in September of last year. Even though he had been forbidden by the company and did not hold a licence, he drove the fork-lift truck around the car park. Two of his children, aged 8 and 11, tried to climb onto the truck whilst it was in motion. The vehicle overturned and trapped Mr Turbitt's left arm and leg.

He was prosecuted under Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and fined £500 plus costs of £953. The magistrates informed him he was lucky to be alive and he should think about the seriousness of his actions. Every week, twenty people are seriously injured and one person dies as a result of workplace transport-related accidents.
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