The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies they must ensure forklift trucks are checked and maintained on a regular basis.

Official statistics show that nearly one in four transport-related workplace accidents involve lifting machines and they are responsible for thousands of injuries on building sites and in factories.

The HSE made its latest plea after a company in Wakefield was fined £2,000 for failing to keep a forklift truck in good working order.

Inspectors found that two sets of bearings holding the forks in line had collapsed and this posed a huge threat to workers.

The firm supplies stone in flexible large bags and these can weigh up to a tonne.

It goes without saying that this amount of stone could kill or severely injure somebody if it suddenly fell from a forklift truck.

The HSE discovered that the truck in question had been repaired on numerous occasions in the previous year, but only when it had broken.

Firms should not see truck maintenance as a last resort and should check their machines regularly; after all, prevention is better than cure.

Owners of the business appeared at Wakefield Magistrates' Court, where they admitted to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Following the hearing, HSE inspector Neil Hope-Collins remarked: "This shows the potential dangers of relying solely on fixing things when they go wrong. All machinery should be maintained regularly to ensure it is safe to work with and [be] near. That means looking for signs of wear and tear before they lead to an incident."

Another issue that the HSE is constantly being forced to deal with is building sites or manufacturing facilities that do not adequately separate pedestrians and transport.

It is vital that workers are segregated from forklift trucks as much as possible as they set about their jobs.