Painters liability insurance holders have been warned about the dangers of working from height after a food retailer was prosecuted.
EAT of Fourth Way, Wembley, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,500.
London magistrates court heard how in January 2007, Chirag Ray, 31, was seriously injured at the firm's production unit when he was preparing pallets for delivery in a raised man-riding cage which was not properly fitted to a forklift truck.
Mr Ray fell nearly five metres and was knocked unconscious. He also suffered swelling to the brain, a broken hand and elbow, cracked ribs and a dislocated knee.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive showed that EAT did not have adequate measures in place and the cage was not suitable for the type of work it was being used for.
Last month, public liability insurance holders were warned about working at height after Philpott Demolition and Recycling of Norwich was fined £7,500 after one of its workers broke his spine in a fall.