i have just been suspended from work for having a raised empty pallet with a plastic sheet on it to shelter us smokers from the constant rain is there a law against this and was anyone at risk the truck was tuned of and parked.

Simon. Are you sure this is not meant to be a wind up? I assume you are standing under the forks? Well I guess if you are smoking you are risking your life anyway so you might as well stand under several hundred kilos of metal! Seriously it is not permitted to stand under raised forks for obvious reasons. Most trucks even have a small sign on the mast stating this.

Who ever did your forklift training !!
I seriously think you should sit and read the hse act

Thats true, Forklift
or Truck operators must have license and trained to operate the
equipment according to OSHA's guidelines.