He was acting as banksman while colleagues shunted the broken down machine into a repair bay at the West Drayton workshop of RVC Engineering when he was crushed between the telehandler and a steel post
He was in hospital for four months after the incident andhad to have his spleen and most of his pancreas removed.
The incident, on 25 September 2013, was investigated by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), which prosecuted RVC Engineering Ltd for safety failings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this week.
The court was told that an impromptu operation had been taking place to enable workers to shunt a broken-down telehandler into the RVC workshop. It was agreed that an HGV would be reversed up to the vehicle to push it just the few feet it needed to end up within the unit.
The injured man was asked to act as a lookout but became trapped between the moving telehandler and the post. He was freed within a few minutes but had suffered severe crush injuries.
RVC Engineering Ltd, of Springpark House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hants, was fined £6,600 and ordered to pay £1,087 in costs after admitting a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Pete Collingwood said: “A worker suffered a very serious injury from what was perceived to be an innocuous operation. It was an entirely preventable injury as the manoeuvre could have been conducted without the need for his involvement.
“Crush injuries are common from reversing vehicles in industry. RVC Engineering should have planned this operation carefully despite it being of a short duration and then ensured the whole thing was adequately supervised.”
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