£300,000 fine after unplanned forklift lift: HSE prosecution under LOLER Regulation 8
E H Hassell & Sons was fined £300,000 after a one-tonne hopper slipped from an improvised forklift unloading arrangement and seriously injured a worker. HSE found the non-routine lift had not been properly planned by a competent person.
A one-tonne load and an improvised method
HSE reported on 26 October 2026 that E H Hassell & Sons Limited was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £5,690 costs after a worker suffered serious injuries while a one-tonne metal hopper was unloaded from a trailer.
Workers improvised a method using a forklift beneath the unsecured hopper. The load slipped and struck the worker, causing fractures to his skull, neck and spine, broken ribs and a severe head wound.
HSE found the lift was not properly planned
HSE found that the lifting operation had not been properly planned by a competent person. The load’s weight, size, centre of gravity and lifting points had not been adequately assessed and no safe system of work was in place. The company pleaded guilty to breaching LOLER Regulation 8(1).
- Treat non-routine unloading as a planned operation, not an improvised task.
- Establish weight, dimensions, centre of gravity and suitable lifting points.
- Select equipment and accessories for the actual load and method.
- Define exclusion zones and keep people clear of the fall/crush zone.
- Ensure competent planning, supervision and a recorded safe system of work.
LiftPlanProUK relevance
The case reinforces the need to capture load characteristics, equipment selection, rigging, method, competent review and approval before the lift starts.
LiftPlanProUK provides planning and management support. Site-specific information must be checked and every lifting operation approved by a competent person.