This year the National Forklift Safety Day was held on 14 June 2022. It is a global event and this year’s focus was on Operator Training. As mentioned in a number of blogs recently, about a quarter of all workplace accidents involve a forklift truck and hence it is vitally important that the forklift truck operator is appropriately trained.
Wallace has dedicated training forklift training facilities at its site in Park Royal. Wallace also provides operator forklift training at your own site. To emphasise the need for training and following Health and Safety Regulations, we highlight three recent accidents involving a forklift truck.

Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard a case where the driver was assisting in loading of pallets of cardboard tubes on his vehicle. The forklift truck, reversed and struck the driver causing injuries to his right leg. An investigation by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that there was lack of suitable segregation between pedestrians and vehicles. Corespec of County Durham pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. It was fined £117,585 and ordered to pay £5404 in costs.
HSE inspector Ashfaq Ali said, “This injury was easily preventable. Planning for transport safety and implementing safe working practices should avoid such incidents. Workplace transport is a significant hazard, and the risks must be recognised and managed. There are simple and effective measures employers can take to help keep everyone safe. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required safety standards.”
In another incident, Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard a case of a HGV delivery driver, employed by Brighthouse Pallet Services Ltd, being struck by falling pallets whilst they were being unloaded using a forklift truck from a HGV trailer by Seal It Services Ltd at its site at Elland. The HGV driver suffered a fracture to one of his neck vertebrae.
An investigation by HSE found both companies failed to provide a safe system of work. All delivery drivers who visited Seal It Services should have been moved to a safe location for waiting while their vehicle was being unloaded using a forklift truck.
An investigation by HSE found both companies failed to provide a safe system of work. All delivery drivers who visited Seal It Services should have been moved to a safe location for waiting while their vehicle was being unloaded using a forklift truck.
Brighouse Pallet Services Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £4806.60 in costs.
Seal It Services Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £4,654 in costs.
David Welsh of HSE, said: “Loading and unloading of HGVs by forklift trucks is among the most dangerous transport activities in the workplace. People can be hit by falling objects, struck by forklifts, or fall from vehicles. All such incidents can result in serious personal injury and the risks involved must be managed by all those who have legal duties for the safety of delivery drivers, both their employer and the sites they deliver to. This incident could so easily have been avoided by implementing the simple control measure of keeping the delivery driver out of the area where the forklift truck was operating to maintain a safe system of work.”
In the third accident, Lerwick Sheriff Court heard a case of Karen Allen, an employee of QA Fish Ltd, who suffered significant fatal leg injuries as a pedestrian, following an accident with a forklift truck in Scalloway, Shetland.
A joint investigation by Police Scotland and the HSE found that no site-specific workplace transport risk assessment had been carried out. The forklift truck operation was vital to the business but the company failed to provide control measures to segregate pedestrians and vehicles in a safe manner.
QA Fish Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £80,000.
HSE Inspector Connor Gibson said “The tragic outcome of this incident clearly highlights why dutyholders must ensure that vehicle and pedestrian movements at their work site are properly assessed and adequately controlled. This fatal incident could and should have been prevented via suitable and sufficient control measures segregating pedestrians from vehicle movements.”
All three above accidents could have been prevented had the correct Health and Safety at Work procedures been implemented. It is vital to separate forklift routes and pedestrians wherever possible. Forklift trucks are large heavy pieces of equipment and contact with a pedestrians could be fatal. All the companies would have suffered significant disruption to their business operations and incurred heavy fines. Also ensure that the forklift truck operator training is fully up to date including refresher courses.
Wallace School of Transport is a fully accredited RTITB company with over 50 years' experience. You can be trained either at your own work site or at Wallace Centre in Park Royal. If you have any questions, call Wallace Forklift Training on 020 8453 3440, choose option 3 or click here to email us.