Owen Delaney

The Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) has expressed its commiserations to Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imran Khan and his family after a forklift accident at a Lahore rally.

Khan, 60, was injured when he fell from a forklift that was hoisting him onto a stage in the country's capital. The leader of the Tehreek-e-Insaaf Party and his security guards fell from the truck after wooden planks forming a makeshift platform collapsed suddenly.

Khan sustained injuries to his back and a CT scan identified a minor head fracture. He received 11 stitches - five to the front of his head and six to the back.

FLTA technical manager Owen Delaney says the incident is a powerful reminder of the real dangers involved in using makeshift solutions. "Forklifts do an unparalleled amount of good in our workplaces, but are not intended to lift people except in exceptional circumstances and with all appropriate measures being taken."

Falls from height are one of the leading causes of UK workplace fatalities. According to provisional statistics from the Health & Safety Executive, falls from height killed 40 Britons in 2011-12.

"Mr Khan and his colleagues are very fortunate their injuries were not more serious. Our thoughts go out to the families of all those injured and wish them a quick recovery," Delaney says.

To view or download a factsheet on use of working platforms on forklifts, go to: fork-truck.org.uk/app/images/members/Fact-Sheets/FS_18.pdf.