Airport fined after young child injured
Birmingham Airport Limited has been fined after a six-year-old boy became trapped in a baggage conveyor
Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how the boy was trapped by machinery when he found his way into the mesh cage of the ‘out of gauge’ conveyor, which was used for delivering oversized baggage to the public baggage reclaim area. The conveyor started whilst he inside. He suffered a crush injury to his leg and had to remain in hospital for two nights for observation.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred on 4 September 2016, found the airport management had removed a safety device and its replacement did not provide the same level of protection.
Birmingham Airport Limited of Bickenhill, Solihull, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,251.23.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Geoffrey Brown said:
“This case will serve as a reminder that risk assessments and guarding of machinery requires regular review and monitoring especially where arrangements are altered or removed. Had the airport assessed the changes properly these injuries could have been avoided”.