Firm fined £433k after machine fall fractured worker's skull

A paper packaging manufacturer has been fined more than £433,000 after a worker suffered a severe skull fracture and permanent injuries when a 4.5 ton machine fell on him in an "entirely preventable" accident.

Matthew King was working for Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited at its East Kilbride site on 31 October 2023 when he was struck on the head while working underneath the machine.

The 39-year-old sustained a severe skull fracture, bruising to his head and nerve damage to the left side of his face, leaving him with permanent health problems.

The Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) found "no safe system of work" was in place at the site for carrying out such work.

King was part of a team relocating the machine from a warehouse to a storage area.

The machine weighed approximately 4.5 tons and measured 1.56 by 4.15 metres, but had no lifting or anchoring points.

Workers had improvised a system involving lifting the machine with a forklift, placing skates underneath, and pulling it forward.

It had already slid off the forks at least twice before the incident, where it slid from the forks again and struck King - who was trying to secure a wheel on the underside - on the head.

The accident has left him with permanent double vision, loss of peripheral vision, facial palsy and hearing loss as a result.

He is also unable to drive, has required multiple surgeries and ongoing mental health support.

The HSE report found moving a machine of this size and weight was not a regular task at the site and there was no established system of work in place for it.

It ruled the lifting operation had not been properly planned by a competent person, while the characteristics of the load, including its weight, size, centre of gravity and lifting points, had not been adequately assessed.

HSE inspector Ingrid Grueso, said: "This incident was entirely preventable. The company failed to properly plan the lifting operation or implement a safe system of work.

"Mr King has been left with life-changing injuries including permanent damage to his eyesight, hearing and facial movement. He has had to sell his car as he can no longer drive safely and now relies on his wife to transport him and their three children.

"Employers must ensure that lifting operations are properly planned by a competent person and carried out safely. This is especially important for non-routine tasks involving heavy or awkward loads."

The Nottingham company - now part of the Smurfit Westrock firm - pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1)(a) and (c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

It was fined £433,333 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32,500 at Hamilton Sheriff Court.