Two owners of Kidderminster based fencing firm Hoo Farm Fencing have been given suspended sentences after a worker was hit by timber posts and frames which fell from a fork lift truck.

The worker suffered injuries that still require regular physiotherapy sessions following the incident on 12 February 2016, although the seriousness of the safety failings could have resulted in much more severe injuries according to the HSE.

The injured person was helping to dip timber posts and frames in preservative, when they fell from the metal frame on the fork lift truck, striking him. The courts was told that the method of work was unsuitable.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the company had not been using the suitable equipment for the task. The operator had not been properly trained to operate a fork lift truck. The company also failed to have the fork lift truck in question thoroughly examined up to required standards.

This case highlights the importance of maintaining proper safety practices and also all duty holders will be held accountable for failing to do so.”