A man in Keighley has died two months after falling from a folk lift truck at a Cross Hills Haulage company.
The man was being lifted on the forks by his qualified work colleague to inspect pallets. He had been lifted to the second deck of a lorry approximately three metres in the air when he lost his balance and fell to the concrete floor.
Francis Roberts suffered serious injuries from the fall on 14th March 2006, he was taken to Airedale Hospital and later transferred to St James’ Hospital in Leeds.
Mr Roberts was discharged from hospital but was re-admitted to the Leeds hospital where he died two months after his work accident.
An inquest into the incident that took place earlier this year found the death recorded as ’caused by misadventure’
Mr Yeadon from the Health and Safety Executive said there was no reason for Mr Roberts to have been lifted to the pallets. Protocol shows the pallets would have been lowered to ground level for inspection. Mr Roberts’ widow admits that the forklift driver Mr Mason is not entirely at fault. Yeadon said: “She does accept that Mason’s actions were incorrect but she would like to point out that that her husband would have to take some of the blame, she does not hold Mason solely responsible for the accident.”
Mason pleaded guilty to breaching section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. He was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £15 victims’ surcharge.