Feed firm put employees at risk, found UK watchdog

The UK workplace watchdog, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), penalized Gardners, a feed supplier based in Shropshire, to the tune of £9,000 ($13,876) for safety failings after it found the firm failed to ensure their fork lift trucks had undergone regular examination, putting employees at risk.

The company was also ordered to pay £1,150 in costs after pleading guilty to the offence under the Lifting Operation and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

The HSE legislation requires such lifting equipment to have a annual check to ensure they are safe to be in operation.

Fork lift trucks, said the UK regulator, are involved in many fatalities, accidents and near misses and that those which have not been thoroughly examined in line with the statutory requirements can put the users and those working in the vicinity of the trucks at higher risk of injury than they need to be.