A lorry-trailer building company in Trafford has been fined after a worker was crushed by more than two tonnes of metal.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted S Cartwright and Sons (Coachbuilders) Ltd following the incident in Broadheath near Altrincham. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £18,315 towards the cost of the prosecution at Manchester Crown Court.

The court heard that David Jones was helping to move a stack of 6.7 metre-long metal strips onto a trailer on 13 March 2008 when the incident happened. The stack and lifting beam, weighing a total of 2.2 tonnes, fell onto him from the forks of a forklift truck.

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Mr Jones broke his back in four places, 12 ribs and a shoulder blade, punctured a lung, bruised his heart and suffered stomach injuries.

HSE Inspector Richard Clarke said: "One of S Cartwright and Sons' workers was seriously injured because the company did not do enough to protect the safety of its employees. Mr Jones is still in constant pain and the incident could have killed him.

"The company regularly requires its employees to unload long stacks of metal strips, which are used to build the trailers for lorries. But, at the time of the incident, it did not provide suitable training or written guidance for its staff to handle long loads."

(CD/GK)