AN EMPLOYER was fined £12,000 yesterday after pleading guilty to three offences linked to an accident which almost killed a new recruit.

Mark Hutchinson was thrown from a fork-lift truck he was driving, which then toppled on top of him at the Charles Long depot, in Brompton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire, last April.

His uncle, Chris Bromfield - who had recommended him for the job - saved his life by using another fork-lift truck to reach him and rushing him to hospital for emergency surgery.

As well as a broken pelvis and ribs, Mr Hutchinson had part of his intestine removed.

Prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Richmond Magistrates' Court yesterday, inspector David Green said Mr Hutchinson was lucky to survive.

Mark Long, 29, a partner with Charles Long and Sons, admitted failing to ensure Mr Hutchinson was adequately trained, failing to ensure Mr Bromfield had the necessary training skills, and failing to report the accident within the time limit stipulated by health and safety legislation.

The family firm was fined £4,000 for each offence and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,760.

Mitigating, solicitor Barry Gray told the court that Long had assessed Mr Hutchinson's driving skills shortly before the accident happened.

Although Mr Hutchinson was only three days into his new job, Long believed he was capable of moving empty pallets around the yard.

Mr Gray said that although he failed to inform the Health and Safety Executive of the accident immediately, he telephoned Richmondshire District Council for advice and subsequently contacted the HSE as soon as he realised it was his responsibility.

Since the accident last year, the firm has commissioned a consultant to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment of its depot and has introduced stringent safety policies as a result.