A vehicle repair and sales company has been fined after an employee fell from a cage while repairing a high-sided lorry.
Douglas Mowat, who worked for Vincents Car Sales Ltd, fell to the ground while trying to change a marker light at the back of the lorry. He placed a cage on the forks of a fork lift truck and stood on top of it while a colleague raised the forks. However, the cage fell off the forks, throwing Mr Mowat to the ground. He fractured his elbow and suffered heavy bruising to his shoulder.
An HSE investigation into the incident found that the company had not carried out a risk assessment into repairs to such vehicles and that it had failed to provide a safe system of work. Bristol Magistrates Court found the company guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and fined it £5,000. Though the company was now in administration the court said that it was still liable for the prosecution because of the severity of the breach.