A Leyland firm has been fined £20,000 after two people were injured in forklift truck accidents in just 18 days.

Norlec Engineering Ltd, of Bison Place, Moss Side, pleaded guilty to four charges at South Ribble Magistrates Court, Leyland, and were fined a total of £20,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £3,311.

The company had been charged with two offences under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, in that they failed to carry out suitable risk assessments, and two further offences of failing to conduct their business in such a way as not to expose people to risk under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The court heard that Norlec, a precision sheet metal manufacturer employing 120 people, were prosecuted following two incidents involving forklift trucks on February 10 and 28 last year.

In the first incident, driver Stephen Hewitt, who was employed by Chorley Palletts Ltd, had just delivered a batch of 220 wooden pallets when he approached the forklift driver to get his paperwork signed.

The forklift trucked reversed and ran over his foot and Mr Hewitt suffered severe bruising causing him to be off work for five days.

In the second incident, Ian Hustings, who is employed as a driver by Norlec, was walking into the despatch yard when he was struck by a reversing forklift truck. Mr Hustings broke his leg and was off work for several months.

HSE Inspector Joanne Nicholls said: "Every year a significant number of people are killed or seriously injured by accidents involving vehicles in the workplace.

"Better planning, training and awareness, and the appropriate use of vehicles, can avoid most of these accidents.

"Reversing vehicles are a major source of accidents.

"Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving vehicles at work occur while vehicles are reversing.

"The most effective way/means of reducing the risks is to remove the need for it altogether by setting up one-way systems, e.g. drive through loading and unloading.

"Where reversing is unavoidable, organise routes to minimise the need for it."

Norlec were fined £10,000 for a breach of Section 2(1) of the HSW Act and £7,000 for a breach of Section 3(1).

They were fined £2,000 for a breach of Regulation 3(1)(a) and £1,000 for a breach of Regulation 3(1)(b) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.