A Leicestershire building company has been fined after two workers fell four metres from an insecure platform balanced on the raised forks of a telehandler.
On 26 September, Leicester Magistrates' Court heard that Caplin Homes Ltd. was building a new house on land in Stretton Road, Great Glen, when the incident happened on 25 April 2013.
Managing director Stuart Caplin, his son and self-employed builder Jason Caplin and a self-employed joiner, Robert Coleman, arrived on site and decided to take some photographs of the partially completed project to record progress.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that in order to get a high level shot an enclosed work platform was placed on the forks of a telehandler and raised with Jason Caplin and Robert Coleman inside. However, it was not secured to the forks and as the telehandler extended the platform slid off sending the two workers crashing to the ground.
Both men were airlifted to hospital. Jason Caplin, 32, of Great Glen was diagnosed with a fractured heel and spine compression requiring pins. He was off work for three months.
Robert Coleman, 52, of Beaumont Leys, Leicester, suffered a broken collarbone, collapsed lung, fractured pelvis, lacerated spleen and three broken ribs and has not yet been able to return to work.
Caplin Homes Limited, of Stretton Road, Great Glen, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £460.