Summary
An employee fractured his leg and pelvis after falling from an unsecured potato box that was being used as a work platform on the forks of a raised forklift truck (FLT). The box toppled from the forks and landed on the employee.
Action
The company were prosecuted under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for using an unsafe system of work, despite a safety cage being available on site. The company pleaded guilty and were fined £1,500 with £2,358 towards costs.
Advice
When using FLTs or material handlers with work platforms, you must ensure that both are suitable for the task. A fully integrated control is the standard to be achieved. However, for work in exceptional circumstances the lifting equipment must have anti-tilt mechanism that is locked-off and the work platform must be securely attached to the loader forks. Operators must be suitably trained in the use of material handlers. This is particularly important when lifting people.