A Preston steel firm has appeared in court after a working platform slid off the forks of a forklift truck and struck one of its employees.
The 50-year-old fractured a rib, and suffered muscle and back injuries when he was hit by the heavy metal platform at EDV Reinforcements Ltd. on the Redscar Industrial Estate on 20 January 2011.
The company, which manufactures and supplies steel products, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found the platform had not been secured to the forklift, and instead was just resting on the forks.
EDV Reinforcements Ltd. pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of its employees. The company, of Longridge Road in Preston, was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £3,566 in prosecution costs.