What happened
A Telford electrical wholesaler has been fined £4million after an employee suffered life-changing injuries during a loading operation. According to the HSE Media Centre, the 40-year-old father of one was working for City Electrical Factors Limited at its Proteus Switchgear Industrial Division on 4 October 2024 when the incident happened.
The man was acting as a "spotter" while a forklift truck loaded heavy switchboard equipment onto a flatbed lorry. The load weighed 231kg, was not secured to the forklift, and fell on top of him. He sustained brain and spine injuries, underwent lifesaving surgery, and — as the HSE reports — now lives in a care home and requires 24/7 care.
The HSE investigation found the company failed to ensure the lifting operation was properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. There was no risk assessment or lift plan, and employees had not been given information or instructions about the operation — despite it being a regular activity.
Crucially, the investigation found safer options were available. The load could have been secured to the forklift using pre-existing anchor points, and it had lifting eyes welded to it, meaning the lorry-mounted crane could have been used instead. HSE inspector Keeley Eves said the incident "was completely avoidable and caused by a failure to properly plan for the job taking place."
City Electrical Factors Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £4m plus £6,304 costs at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 16 October 2026.
Why this matters to contractors
If you move, lift or load heavy kit — switchgear, boilers, cable drums, plant, pallets — this case is a stark reminder. Loading and unloading remain among the most hazardous transport activities on any site.
The failures here weren't exotic. They were basic planning gaps on a routine, repeated task:
- No lift plan and no risk assessment for a recurring operation.
- An unsecured load on a forklift, when anchor points already existed.
- A worker put at risk as a human "spotter" to steady a 231kg load — when a lorry-mounted crane with lifting eyes was right there.
The lesson is uncomfortable because "we've always done it this way" is exactly how routine tasks slip past proper planning. HSE guidance is clear that a lift plan should address the risks identified by the risk assessment and set out the resources, procedures and responsibilities so the operation is carried out safely.
What to check on your site
- Is every lifting operation planned by a competent person? Not just the big crane lifts — forklift loading counts too.
- Is there a written lift plan and risk assessment for routine lifting and loading? Repetition is not a substitute for planning.
- Are loads secured to the lifting equipment? Check for anchor points and use them.
- Have you chosen the safest available method? If a load has lifting eyes and a crane is available, question why a forklift is being used.
- Are people kept clear of suspended or moving loads? No one should be steadying heavy loads by hand.
- Have operatives been given information and instructions? Toolbox-brief the task before it starts.
- Is the lift supervised? Someone competent should be overseeing, not just a spotter in the firing line.
SafetyPod documents that help
You can't buy your way out of planning, but the right templates make it far quicker to do it properly. Start with the RAMS & Permits Bundle to build a method statement and lift plan for your loading and lifting tasks. Pair it with task-specific assessments from the Risk Assessment Library — Complete Bundle, and keep the yard honest with the Site Monitoring Bundle so plant and lifting activities get inspected, not assumed.
If you're new to this, our plain-English guide What is a RAMS? explains how a risk assessment and method statement fit together before a lift.
These templates are editable and drafted to current UK legislation — but they only work if a competent person tailors them to the actual task and the site enforces them.
The takeaway
One unplanned, unsecured lift has left a man needing round-the-clock care and cost his employer £4million. Plan every lift, secure every load, pick the safest method, and keep people out of the danger zone.
Browse the full SafetyPod library and get your lifting and loading paperwork sorted before your next job.