A BUILDING supplies company has been fined £5,000 following an accident in which a lorry driver was injured by a falling load of timber and later died.

W Hanson (Riverdale) Ltd, of Staines Road, Hounslow, admitted violating three sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The company was also ordered to pay costs of £6,000.

Feltham Magistrates' Court heard that Nigel Foster, 37, a driver from Lincolnshire, delivered a load of 18ft timbers to W Hanson in September 2006.

While they were being unloaded by a forklift truck, the timbers fell about 10ft and hit Mr Foster on the head.

He suffered multiple major injuries and died of an embolism six weeks after being released from hospital.

The forklift truck driver involved in the accident, Christopher Dennis, who is now 67 and retired, was found to have repeatedly failed to comply with the company's review of safe working practices after the incident. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £100.

Councillor Barbara Reid, Hounslow Council's executive member for environment, said: "This incident is an example of what can happen when the processes involved for the management of health and safety are not addressed and fails to recognise the possible dangers involved."