Shropshire businessman fined for falsifying safety document

A Shropshire businessman, who supplies workplace vehicles and lifting equipment, has been fined for falsifying a safety document for a forklift truck. Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court was told this week that Stuart Jeavons intentionally made a false entry on a Report of Thorough Examination for the truck, a statutory document required by law to show that lifting equipment is in a good state of repair.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Mr Jeavons had put the name of a genuine forklift truck supplier at the top of the report and forged a genuine examiner’s signature at the bottom.  Jeavons, 57, of Bridge Road, Broseley, was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay costs of £989 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

After the hearing HSE inspector Lyn Mizen said: “Strict inspection regimes are there to ensure that lifting equipment is kept in good working order. The certification to support these examinations are key documents which a user of such equipment should be able to rely on to show the machine has been examined by a competent person and is safe to use. It is therefore critical that all aspects of inspection, examination and verification of the safety-critical parts of forklift trucks are carried out diligently, properly and with the highest level of integrity. HSE will not hesitate to hold people to account where it finds forged reports as it seriously endangers the health and safety of people at work.”