British Airways has been fined more than £3.2 million after two employees suffered severe injuries in separate falls at Heathrow Airport, raising serious concerns over workplace safety procedures.
Southwark Crown Court heard that both incidents occurred within a seven-month period and involved similar equipment used for loading baggage. In both cases, proper safety features such as guardrails were missing, leaving workers at risk.
The first fall took place on 25 August 2022. Ravinder Teji, a ground operations agent, was unloading luggage from a short-haul flight when he fell 1.5 metres from a televator. He sustained back injuries and a head wound after hitting the ground.
Just months later, on 8 March 2023, a second incident involved Shahjahan Malik, who fell three metres from a TLD elevator in icy conditions while offloading baggage from a transatlantic flight. He suffered far more serious injuries, including a brain bleed, multiple facial fractures, and enduring headaches. The court heard that his jaw had to be sewn shut, leaving him on a liquid diet for months.
Neither employee was present at the sentencing, but the court acknowledged the long-lasting physical and mental impact of their injuries.
British Airways PLC admitted to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The regulation requires employers to implement suitable and sufficient safety measures for those working at height.
Judge Brendan Finucane KC described the airline’s failings as highly culpable and imposed a £3,208,333 fine, along with prosecution costs of £20,935 and a victim surcharge of £120.
The court also heard that HSE inspectors had visited the airport in March 2022 and identified serious safety concerns with the same equipment. Judge Finucane said these warnings represented a missed red flag that should have triggered immediate action.
HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz commented after the ruling, emphasising that falls from height remain one of the most common causes of life-threatening injuries at work. She added that both incidents were entirely foreseeable and could have been prevented with better safety controls.
Since the incidents, British Airways has taken steps to improve its safety measures, including replacing outdated televators with newer models equipped with guardrails.
A spokesperson for the airline stated, “Safety is always our highest priority, and we deeply regret that despite the measures we had in place, these incidents occurred. Having worked closely with the Health & Safety Executive, we had made changes to our procedures.”
