Boal UK has been fined £140,000 and ordered to pay over £32,000 in costs after a worker was crushed to death under a forklift truck.

Stefan Durina, 33, died after becoming trapped underneath the truck on 23 June 2013.

Mr Durina was using the vehicle to collect and return extruder dies from storage racks when the truck tipped over.

He suffered fatal injuries and died the following day in hospital.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation concluded the incident was entirely preventable.

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There was an inadequate risk assessment in place for collecting and replacing dies in storage racks along with an incompetent safe system of work for the use of a forklift truck.

The company's organisation of lifting operations in the die storage area was also found to be inefficient.

Boak UK pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

HSE Inspector Berian Price said: "Mr Durina’s death was entirely preventable and his life was needlessly lost.

"This incident happened because of management’s failure to ensure a safe system of work was in place that was clearly understood and adhered to by employees and supervised by departmental management.

"This stemmed in part from the lack of appropriate controls to prevent the lifting truck coming into contact with overhead beams, and from poor control of working practices.

"In addition, there was a failure on behalf of management to record and learn from previous near-miss incidents."

(LM)