£4m fine after unplanned forklift lift: HSE found no risk assessment or lift plan

A routine task with catastrophic consequences

HSE reported on 16 October 2026 that a 40-year-old worker suffered catastrophic brain and spinal injuries when a 231kg switchboard fell from a forklift during loading of a flatbed lorry at City Electrical Factors Limited’s Proteus Switchgear division. He now requires 24-hour care.

HSE found there was no risk assessment or lift plan, employees had not been given suitable information or instructions, and the lifting operation had not been properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised or carried out safely. The company was fined £4 million and ordered to pay £6,304 costs.

Safer options were available

The switchboard had anchor points that could have been used to secure it to the forklift and lifting eyes that allowed use of the delivery vehicle’s lorry-mounted crane. Instead, workers acting as spotters were expected to steady loads by hand.

• Assess loading and unloading as lifting operations where applicable.
• Confirm load weight, stability, lifting points and centre of gravity.
• Select suitable lifting equipment rather than relying on habitual methods.
• Secure loads and keep people outside the fall or crush zone.
• Ensure competent planning, supervision and clear instructions.
• Retain the lift plan and approval trail.

Why this matters to LiftPlanProUK users

This case demonstrates that competent lift planning is not reserved for large cranes or exceptional lifts. Routine operations can produce life-changing consequences when the load, equipment, method and people interface are not properly assessed.