Company fined £90,000 after man dies at Heathrow airport

Published: HSE, January 2010

A major airport services company has today been fined £90,000 after a man was crushed to death under a vehicle at Heathrow Airport in 2008.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted a company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, for its role in the incident. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974, at the City of London Magistrates' Court, in November 2009.

The company was today £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £18,800 at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey).

The court heard that in March 2008, a vehicle maintenance specialist, 52, was repairing a defective vehicle used to pull baggage trolleys, also known as a baggage tug, which had broken down near Heathrow Airport's Terminal 1.

The vehicle was raised 60cm in the air on a single trolley jack as its only means of support. The worker was underneath the tug when the trolley jack moved backwards, dropping the tug onto him. He died at the scene shortly afterwards from head injuries.

The HSE investigation showed that the maintenance van supplied by the airport services company routinely carried a trolley-jack but never carried axle stands or other means of support which should be used.  They did not have an adequate system for ensuring that the maintenance van returned to the workshop for axle stands, or that defective vehicles were recovered and proper vehicle hoists used.

HSE inspector, Stephen Kirton said:

"A man’s tragic death could have been avoided if axle stands were routinely carried in the company maintenance van and were used by staff. He could be alive today if just £30 had been spent on a pair of axle stands.

"Working under poorly supported vehicles has been recognised by HSE as serious problem for many years. We've recently published guidance in this area which clearly states that people should never work below vehicles supported only by jacks. This should be read by all managers in the motor vehicle repair industry."

Notes to editors

• Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states: It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
  
• HSE's guidance on the motor vehicle repair industry, 'Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries' is available to be downloaded at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg261.htm
  
• More information on the Health and Safety in the motor industry can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/index.htm   

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