At the beginning of the year, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warned workers of the dangers of using forklift trucks, after a man was crushed to death by a container of dye during an unloading operation.
Following the incident, HSE inspector Richard Clarke urged employers to carry out regular risk assessments to ensure the safety of the machines.
He said: "Employers have a responsibility to ensure that the right equipment is used for the job and to ensure that loads are safely secured."
However, despite on-going advice from the HSE, there seems to be a growing number of work related accidents regarding forklifts.
Forklift accidents to increase
The number of personal injuries as a result of forklift accidents could increase after employers admitted that health and safety was becoming less of a priority because of the recession.
Research from YouGovStone found that eight per cent of the 729 UK businesses studied, have reduced their health and safety budgets.
However, the move could leave businesses facing more losses.
Recently, a firm was fined £12,000 after a worker suffered serious injuries as a result of a forklift accident.
The worker had his leg amputated below the knee after a 1.8 tonne counterbalance weight, fell off a faulty forklift truck and onto his leg, which was crushed as a result.
Another forklift truck was being used by his colleagues to lift the weight.
Prosecutor, Samantha Farrar stated that the firm had admitted liability, claiming that it had breached the Health and Safety at Work Act by failing to ensure the safety of workers.
The firm also admitted to breaching the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, by failing to carry out suitable risk assessments.
She said: "The incident resulted from an unsafe system of work. The weight was not supported during removal and the person carrying out the repair had been given insufficient information and instruction. Also, the injured party was allowed to walk through the work area."
"A risk assessment for the job was not carried out. A suitable and sufficient assessment would have addressed all of these issues and a man may not have been left with a life-changing disability."
Health and safety important during recession
The HSE is now urging employers not to cut corners on health and safety during the recession as part of its 'Be Part of the Solution' campaign, to call on business in the hopes of ensuring that employers and employees "minimise risks while maintaining business competitiveness."
Phil Orford, the chief executive of the Forum of Private Business (FPB) stated that "Good health and safety is good business."
He also said: "If a firm has an accident or someone is killed then it's going to cost them whatever happens - not just in a down time.
Most of the best businesses are those that take health and safety as seriously as book-keeping and all the other things they have to do."
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