Boss fined over fork-lift injurySevere injuries suffered by a 17-year-old Staffordshire apprentice has led to his employer being fined £1,750 with £2,250 costs at Stoke Crown Court.
David Alcock, of Stoke-on-Trent, admitted breaching safety regulations after the apprentice took control of a fork lift truck even though he was told not to drive it.
The teenager was badly hurt when it overturned on his foot at Britannia Park Industrial Estate last year. He was able to drive the vehicle because the key had been left in the ignition.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Mr Alcock could not produce records to show that a thorough examination under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations had been carried out. Another employee had also been using the truck without proper training.
Says an HSE inspector: "This youngster is lucky to be alive, since forklift truck overturns can be fatal. If the key had not been left in the vehicle, the accident could not have happened.
"It is very important that appropriate arrangements are made for the custody of the key of any mobile work equipment, particularly in view of the coming school holidays."
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