HSE · Lifting and loading safety · Enforcement case
HSE £4m fine: Hiab loading safety and lift planning
HSE reported a £4 million fine after a worker suffered life-changing injuries while a 231kg switchboard was being loaded onto a flatbed lorry with a forklift. HSE found that the lifting operation had not been properly planned or supervised and noted that the lorry-mounted crane available on the delivery vehicle could have provided a safer alternative. This is enforcement of existing duties, not a new Hiab or LOLER rule.
What happened?
The incident happened in October 2024 while a 231kg electrical switchboard was being loaded onto a flatbed lorry using a forklift. The load was not secured to the forklift and fell onto an employee who was acting as a spotter, causing severe brain and spinal injuries.
HSE found there was no suitable risk assessment or lift plan for the operation, employees had not been given adequate information or instructions, and workers were expected to steady loads manually. HSE also noted that the switchboard had lifting eyes and that the lorry-mounted crane on the delivery vehicle could have been considered as a safer lifting method.
Why this matters to Hiab and haulage operators
The case is a strong reminder that loading and unloading should be considered before the vehicle reaches site. For specialist haulage, the transport movement and the lifting operation are closely connected: the load, lifting points, equipment, accessories, site conditions and people involved can all affect the safest method.
HSE guidance says lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. The amount of planning should be proportionate to the complexity and foreseeable risk.
Official requirement
This prosecution does not create a new requirement for every routine Hiab lift to have a new standalone written document. HSE states that straightforward, common lifting operations may be covered by a suitable generic plan, while more complex or higher-risk operations can require more detailed planning.
The legal requirement remains that lifting operations involving lifting equipment are properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely using suitable equipment and competent people.
Suggested office action
A proportionate transport-office response is to make sure unusual or higher-risk lifts can be identified before dispatch. Useful booking information can include the load weight and dimensions, lifting points, proposed unloading method, lifting accessories, access restrictions and any unusual site conditions.
That is a suggested management check, not a new statutory form created by this prosecution.
Where Outrig fits — and where it does not
Outrig can help keep job information, vehicle records, lifting-equipment records, LOLER examination dates and follow-up actions connected so the transport office has a clearer operational picture before work is dispatched.
Software does not replace competent lift planning, approve a lifting method or determine whether an operation is safe. Outrig does not certify lifting equipment, guarantee compliance or imply HSE endorsement.
Suggested office actions
- Official requirement: lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely.
- Suggested office action: identify unusual or higher-risk lifts during booking or planning rather than waiting until the vehicle arrives on site.
- Suggested office action: record the load, proposed lifting method and any relevant site or equipment constraints where they affect the planned operation.
- Do not treat this prosecution as a new requirement for extra paperwork on every routine lift; the planning should be proportionate to the risk.
Official sources
Check the original wording before changing your arrangements. Outrig's review date is not the date a legal requirement took effect.