A Beoley vehicle maintenance company has been fined after a worker suffered life-changing injuries when he was crushed by a one-tonne concrete block.
The 35-year-old father-of-two had been working for BA Mobile Fleet Services Limited, based in Beoley, Redditch, when the incident happened on 14 December 2023.
His injuries were so severe that his left foot and lower leg had to be amputated. He also sustained serious injuries to his right leg. The man was later dismissed from his job following the incident.
At the time, he had been inside an HGV box trailer as it was being loaded with one-tonne concrete blocks ahead of a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) brake test. He was working alongside a colleague inside the trailer while a third worker operated a forklift truck.
During the loading process, the forklift truck nudged a stack of blocks, causing them to topple onto the man’s legs, resulting in the devastating injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to put adequate safety measures in place. Workers had not been properly separated from moving vehicles, and the forklift driver had not received training or authorisation to operate the vehicle.
The HSE said preventing workplace transport incidents requires consistent safety measures, including proper risk assessments, well-maintained equipment and ensuring staff are trained to identify hazards.
BA Mobile Fleet Services Limited, of Tanworth Lane, Redditch, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4,325 in costs at a hearing at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 15 April 2026.
HSE inspector Emma Page said: “The injuries sustained here by this young man have been truly life-changing.
“Too many people are injured or killed every year in workplace transport related incidents.
“Companies should do all they can to ensure all workers go home safely to their families at the end of each day.
“We will take action against those who fail to do so.”