A security guard who seriously injured a lorry driver after ignoring safety warnings and attempting to drive a fork lift truck has been fined.
Travers Clarke, who was 19 at the time of the incident, was warned by both his employer and the company whose premises he was guarding not to use any of the equipment on site.
But he agreed to help upload a consignment of cardboard using a counterbalance fork lift truck. One of the pallets fell as he was lifting it and hit a delivery driver, fracturing his pelvis, foot and ribs, and causing spinal injuries.
He was convicted of failing to take reasonable care for his own health and safety and that of another person and fined £260 by Leeds magistrates.
Health and Safety Executive Inspector Kathryn Wells, who carried out the investigation, said: “This case demonstrates all too clearly what can happen when an inexperienced and untrained driver gets behind the wheel of a fork lift truck.
“Fork lift trucks are used throughout industry for moving materials and goods. However, they are not a straightforward piece of machinery to operate and drivers require specific and thorough training.
“Last year there were 70 deaths from workplace transport activities and around 2,000 major injuries to employees. Fork lift trucks account for around a quarter of these injuries.
“No-one should be permitted to use a lift truck unless he or she has been selected, trained, and authorised to do so.”
