16 June 2012 Last updated at 05:15 ET

Derby firm fined after teenagers injured in fall

A Derbyshire firm was fined £22,000 after two teenage agency workers were seriously injured falling from a platform.

The 18-year-olds were dumping trolleys for recycling company Storetec in Tibshelf when the makeshift platform came loose from a fork lift truck.

One broke his back and the other broke both heels after falling 4.5m (14.7ft) to the ground.

The firm admitted breaching safety laws when building the platform.

Derby Crown Court heard the accident happened in April 2009 when the two teenagers were putting scrapped supermarket trolleys into a skip using the platform, designed by Storetec director Brian Crossan.

As they were being brought down, it came away from the truck's forks sending them tumbling to the ground.

'Dangerous position'

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the company had not followed its guidelines in designing the platform as the fork extensions did not fit properly.

It said the teenagers had been left with "life-changing physical and psychological injuries".

Storetec Ltd was fined £22,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,134.

Mr Crossan was also fined £3,500 and ordered to pay costs of £7,866.

HSE inspector Fiona Coffey said: "Mr Crossan put two teenagers in a dangerous position without thought for the consequences."