Company Fined £433,000 After Machine Crash Leaves Worker with Life-Changing Injuries
Unsafe Lifting Operation Leads to Horrific Head Injury
A packaging firm has been fined a substantial £433,333 after a worker at its Scottish facility suffered a severe skull fracture and permanent life-altering injuries when a heavy machine fell on him in an incident that authorities described as “entirely preventable.” �
STV News
On 31 October 2023, 39-year-old Matthew King was helping to move a large 4.5-tonne industrial machine at the East Kilbride site of Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited when the equipment slipped from a makeshift lifting system and struck him on the head. �
STV News
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the UK’s primary workplace safety enforcement agency, found that the operation had not been properly planned or supervised by a competent person, and no established safe system of work was in place for such a heavy and unusual task. �
AOL
At Hamilton Sheriff Court on 20 January 2026, the Nottingham-based company pleaded guilty to breaching the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and was ordered to pay a £433,333 fine and a £32,500 victim surcharge. �
STV News
Life-Changing Consequences: A Worker’s Harrowing Ordeal
The incident has had devastating effects on Mr King’s life. The machine, weighing over 4.5 tonnes and measuring well over four metres in length, had no manufacturer-provided lifting or anchoring points, meaning the workers improvised a lifting method using a forklift and wheeled skates to move it. �
AOL
According to the HSE report, the machine had slid off the forklift forks at least twice before the accident occurred, yet the team continued with the unsafe method. �
AOL
At the moment of the accident, Mr King was positioned underneath the suspended machine attempting to fasten a wheel on its underside when it unexpectedly slid off the forks and struck him on the head. �
STV News
The force of the blow caused a severe skull fracture, extensive bruising and significant nerve damage to the left side of his face. The lifelong injuries have left him with:
Permanent double vision
Loss of peripheral vision
Facial palsy
Permanent hearing impairment
He is no longer able to drive and has undergone multiple major surgeries and continues to receive ongoing medical and mental-health support. �
STV News
HSE Response: “This Incident Was Entirely Preventable”
HSE inspector Ingrid Grueso spoke strongly about the findings, emphasising that the tragedy could have been avoided if safe working practices had been implemented. She stated that the company failed to properly plan the operation or establish a safe system of work for moving such a large and heavy machine. �
AOL
Grueso added that for non-routine tasks involving heavy or awkward loads, it is especially critical that employers ensure lifting activities are properly planned by competent personnel and executed under safe conditions. �
STV News
The inspector also highlighted that employers must not take shortcuts on safety standards, particularly when dealing with complex industrial equipment. �
AOL
A Sobering Reminder of Workplace Risks
This case serves as a stark reminder of the real risks workers face every day, especially in industrial and warehouse environments where heavy machinery is involved.
According to workplace safety records and similar cases, serious injuries from machinery and falls remain all too common. For instance:
Cwmbran business Safran Seats GB was fined £660,000 after a worker fell through a roof, suffering multiple fractures including to the skull. �
Cwmbranlife
Other incidents across the UK have seen companies fined smaller amounts after employees suffered serious injuries from falls, highlighting persistent issues with safety at height and machinery operations. �
Health & Safety Matters
Workplace accidents like this usually stem from a combination of poor planning, lack of risk assessment, inadequate training and unsafe systems of work. The UK’s health and safety laws place a clear duty on employers to protect their workforce — a responsibility that, when neglected, can lead to catastrophic human and financial costs. �
STV News
The Broader Impact: Families, Workers and Employers
Beyond the fine, the human toll of such incidents cannot be overstated. Mr King’s injuries have forced him to give up driving and rely entirely on family support for everyday tasks, drastically impacting both his personal independence and his family’s daily life. �
STV News
The psychological effects of life-changing injuries are profound, adding mental health struggles to the long-term physical challenges. Many injured workers require extensive rehabilitation, counselling and adaptations to their home and working environments. �
AOL
For employers, while fines are intended to act as deterrents, they also underline the importance of investing in proper training, supervision and risk assessments. Fines like the one imposed on Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited are designed not only to punish but to send a message to industry that safety standards must never be compromised. �
STV News
Conclusion: Safety Should Never Be Optional
The tragic case of Mr King underscores a critical lesson for all businesses: a failure to properly assess risks and implement safe systems can lead to dire consequences.
Employers must take proactive steps to:
Conduct thorough risk assessments before lifting or moving heavy equipment
Ensure that all lifting operations are planned and supervised by competent personnel
Provide training and safety briefings for all employees involved in non-routine tasks
Avoid makeshift methods that put workers’ lives at risk
When these basic responsibilities are honoured, workplaces become safer, tragedies are prevented, and the wellbeing of workers — and their families — is protected. �
AOL
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