Fatality Could Have Been Prevented With Correct Forklift Inspection and Sign-Off

A delivery driver has tragically died in a forklift truck accident at a plant hire company depot in West Yorkshire, a devastating reminder of how avoidable workplace transport incidents still occur when equipment checks and safe systems of work fall short.

What Happened

On 20 November 2023, Chris Keegan, 67, was reversing a forklift truck onto a trailer in the early hours at the Castleford depot of Hessle Plant Ltd. The truck fell from the edge of the trailer, throwing Mr Keegan from the seat. He became trapped between the forklift chassis and a neighbouring trailer and died at the scene despite emergency response efforts.

HSE Finding

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found significant safety failings that directly contributed to this fatality: 

• The forklift truck had not been fully inspected after repair work and had defects that should have been detected before it was returned into use. 
• The company only carried out full pre-delivery inspections for new customers, but not on machines coming back from hire, leaving a gap in safety checks. 
• Seatbelts were rarely worn by operators, and no effective supervision system was in place to enforce their use — a factor the HSE highlighted as critical, since the outcome could have been very different if Mr Keegan had been belted in. 

HSE Inspector David Beaton described the incident as “tragic and preventable,” stressing that proper inspection regimes and compliance with basic safety practices such as seatbelt use must be non-negotiable on every site.

GUIDANCE ON STATUTORY INSPECTIONS AND THOROUGH EXAMINATIONS
Stay compliant with PUWER

For guidance on statutory inspections and thorough examinations under PUWER, see Plant and Safety’s PUWER Inspection and Testing Work Equipment page.

Legal Outcome

Hessle Plant Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £433,550, ordered to pay costs of £8,146.80 and a £2,000 victim surcharge at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.

Key Safety Lessons for the Industry

This tragic case highlights several core safety principles that all companies involved with plant and workplace transport must reinforce:
 

• Pre-use inspections matter: Machines coming back from hire or repair must receive the same level of inspection and sign-off as new deliveries. 
• Seatbelt enforcement saves lives: Where forklifts are fitted with seatbelts, operators must wear them every time — and employers must have systems to ensure compliance. 
• Supervision and safety culture count: Regular checks, clear responsibilities and a culture that puts safety first help ensure that plant-related risks are managed and controlled on every shift.