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British Airways has been fined $4.2 million following two incidents where baggage handlers were injured at London Heathrow Airport. The accidents occurred in 2022 and 2023 due to inadequate safety features on aircraft-loading equipment. The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the case, which concluded at Southwark Crown Court, with British Airways pleading guilty to breaching workplace safety regulations.
The first incident involved Ravinder Teji, who fell approximately 1.5 meters from a televator at Heathrow Terminal 5 in August 2022, sustaining back injuries and a head wound. In March 2023, Shahjahan Malik suffered a brain bleed and long-term neurological effects after falling nearly 3 meters in a similar incident. Both incidents involved the same type of machinery used during baggage loading operations.
An HSE investigation found significant design flaws in the televators used by British Airways. Gaps between guardrails and aircraft fuselage were identified as risk factors, worsened by modifications made to extend platform reach without adding additional fall prevention measures. According to Rebecca Schwartz from HSE, "[In these cases] adequate guardrails would have significantly reduced the risk of harm."
