HSE warns against horseplay
on fork lift trucks
 The
HSE has warned that it will take action against workers whose
'horseplay' leads to an accident. The comment comes after
an employee's act of stupidity left two teenage brothers with
serious injuries.
Prosecuting, James Ageros told Croydon Crown Court that the
incident happened at Premier Storage's warehouse in Southwark,
south London, in February 2003.
The court heard that two employees of a neighbouring firm
- a 19 year old and his 18-year-old brother - were inspecting
a fork-lift truck with a man-riding cage that was parked
on the forecourt of the premises. The pair climbed into the
cage to have a closer look at it, and the warehouse manager
raised them up until they were 20 feet above the ground. At
this point, a worker from a nearby company climbed into the
lift truck, reversed it down the sloping forecourt and made
a sharp turn. Unbalanced, the vehicle rolled over, bringing
the cage and its occupants crashing down.
One brother suffered a broken back, a broken right femur and
dislocations to several of his toes - three of which later
had to be amputated. The other brother
meanwhile, suffered a broken neck and smashed vertebrae. Despite
making a good recovery, the brothers continue to suffer from
their injuries. The HSE said that when Smith was asked what
had happened, he admitted: "It was all my fault , I was
mucking around."
The worker who was driving the
truck, who pleaded guilty, also acknowledged in court that
he had acted very stupidly and said that he deeply regretted
the incident. He added that he did not have the means to pay
a large fine. He was fined £1,000 under Section 7(a)
of the HSWA for failing to take reasonable care of himself
and others. No costs were awarded. "This case is a stark
reminder to all that fork-lift trucks are not toys to be played
with," investigating HSE inspector Emma Stiles said after
the case. "We will take action against employees who
decide to undertake such an act of horseplay."
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