Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding contractors of the importance of implementing safe systems for working at height.

This follows the prosecution of a company after a maintenance engineer’s hand was trapped in a forklift truck.

The court heard that, on 7 February, 2008, three maintenance engineers, employed by Invotec Curcuits Tamworth Ltd of Blackburn Lancashire, were replacing the motor of a Local Exhaust Ventilation system in the company's premises at Halesfield, Telford.


To remove the motor from its position three metres (10ft) up in an external wall, two of the employees were using a ladder to access a pallet, balanced on the forks of a forklift truck, as a work platform.

As the motor was being lowered on the pallet with one of the engineers steadying the motor he became unstable and put out his left hand to stabilise himself. His hand went into the moving parts of the mast of the forklift and became temporarily trapped, six stitches were needed to repair a finger what was partially 'de-gloved'.

This situation arose because of an absence of effective planning to avoid unsafe working at height and other arrangements should have been made to ensure safe removal of the motor.

Telford & Bridgnorth Magistrates' Court yesterday ordered Invotec Circuits Tamworth Ltd, to pay £1,000 in fines, with £1,259 costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

(JM/NS)