Falling bale fractured worker's spine
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PRESTON PLASTICS has been fined £10,000 after a 400kg bale toppled from a forklift truck and struck a worker.
In a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Preston Magistrates' Court was told that a 1m-high cube of recycled plastic was being moved at the firm's plant in Lancaster Road, Out Rawcliffe in August 2011.
The driver of the forklift lifted two bales from a stack in the warehouse by clamping hold of the bottom bale, with the other one resting on top.
As he moved the bales, the top one toppled off and hit a 26-yearold man, who was sweeping up bits of plastic.
He was thrown to the floor as the bale hit his hands and head.
He suffered a fracture to his spine and had to wear a back brace while it healed.
An investigation found the firm had failed to plan the lifting operations properly so that the work could be carried out safely.
HSE guidance advises against using a forklift truck to lift two heavy items, with one resting on top of the other.
There have been several deaths caused by toppling loads.
Preston Plastics, which has an 0-licence for three vehicles and two trailers, pleaded guilty to breaching the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.
It was ordered to pay £4,533 in prosecution costs. Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Rohan Lye said:
"The employee at Preston Plastics was badly injured when he was struck by the 400kg bale, but his injuries could easily have been fatal.
"The company has since changed its working practices so that the forklift truck is now only used to lift one bale at a time.
"If that procedure had been in place at the time of the incident, then the worker's injuries could have been avoided."
Summing up
Preston Plastics had a legal duty to make sure the work was properly planned, supervised and carried out safely but failed to do so. The forklift was regularly used to lift two bales at once, making it almost inevitable that someone would be injured