Waste firm fined after forklift truck accident

A TRAFFORD Park-based company which treats industrial waste has been fined £20,000 following an incident in which one of its workers was hit by a forklift trick.

A 60 year-old man from Wirral suffered life-threatening injuries following the incident at Colliers Industrial Waste in January 2010 after a 35-tonne vehicle reversed into him.

The 60 year-old suffered damage to his internal organs and multiple broken bones. He was also in hospital for several months and has suffered a number of permanent injuries.

A Health & Safety Executive investigation found the company did not have sufficient systems in place to protect workers from reversing vehicles on the site.

Collier Industrial Waste admitted a breach of health & safety rules and was last week fined £20,000 at Trafford Magistrates Court as well as costs of £9,410.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Daniel Longdon said: “This was an entirely preventable incident which could have cost one of Collier’s employees his life.”