Driver training is a major problem at the city depot yard in Woolston said a Lyttelton Port worker.

On Saturday, at about 7.30 am at Lyttelton Port Company's (LPC) city depot yard a forklift operator was injured after a shipping container fell on him.

The driver was taken to Christchurch Hospital after he suffered head injuries.  On Wednesday he might have to undergo reconstructive surgery to repair the shattered bones in his skull.

An LPC worker, who did not wish to be named, said the injured driver had pulled a stack of seven shipping containers down, with one crushing the cab of his forklift. The anonymous LPC worker said, ''The driver training is our main problem.  We think it should be mandatory six-week training, like it is over on the [Lyttelton] port.  Here you can be driving by yourself within a week-and-a half.''

He said, "You could certainly hear when that container came down.  The noise is what got our attention."

The driver who is in his 20s, managed to get out the cab on his own and was coherent when emergency services arrived.  The worker said he was "lucky to be alive."

He had been with the company for three weeks when Saturday's incident happened.