Multan a British Airways con £3.2 millones por accidentes laborales en Heathrow

Puntos Clave

• British Airways multada con £3,208,333 por dos accidentes graves de equipajeros en Aeropuerto de Heathrow.
• La falta de barandillas adecuadas provocó caídas y lesiones graves en 2022 y 2023, según la investigación.
• El tribunal concluyó que British Airways ignoró advertencias previas y vulneró el Reglamento británico de Trabajo en Altura.

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British Airways ordered to pay more than £3 million after two workplace accidents at Heathrow Airport

British Airways has been fined more than £3.2 million in a criminal case after two of its workers suffered serious injuries while working as baggage handlers at Aeropuerto de Heathrow. These incidents, which happened months apart, have raised strong concerns about workplace safety in the aviation industry, especially when it comes to preventing accidents laborales linked to falls from height and the use of baggage handling equipment.

Multan a British Airways con £3.2 millones por accidentes laborales en Heathrow

Two serious injuries spark massive penalty

On August 25, 2022, Ravinder Teji, a 54-year-old who worked for British Airways as a ground operations agent for seven years, was unloading baggage from an aircraft at Terminal 5 in Aeropuerto de Heathrow. Teji was standing on a piece of equipment known as a televator. While he was moving baggage containers, he fell around 1.5 meters to the ground. The fall left him with broken vertebrae, several broken ribs, and a head injury. The pain and trauma were so severe that he required immediate medical attention and a long recovery time.

Less than seven months later, on March 8, 2023, another baggage handler, 43-year-old Shahjahan Malik, suffered an even more serious accident. Malik was using a TLD elevator in snowy weather. When he fell, he dropped 3 meters to the ground—a much greater height. Malik’s injuries were more severe: he had a brain hemorrhage, multiple bone fractures, and significant facial injuries. He was rushed to a hospital in central London for emergency treatment due to the seriousness of his accident.

Both workers survived, but the life-changing impacts highlight the real dangers of accidents laborales. Eventually, both have recovered enough to return to work for British Airways, but in roles different from what they did before.

Why did these accidents laborales happen?

When officials from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national workplace safety regulator, looked at the accidents, they found serious and preventable safety failures. Their investigation revealed that the baggage loading equipment, including televators and TLD elevators, did not have enough protection along the edges that could stop a worker from falling off.

Here’s what the HSE investigation found:
– Televators and TLD elevators being used did not have proper guard rails at the edges or there were gaps in the guard rails, especially where the ramp met the aircraft. These large gaps created a risk that someone could fall through.
– Since as early as 2011, British Airways had been using baggage handling equipment with reduced guard rails, making it easier for someone to fall.
– In March 2022, before either accident, British Airways received a clear warning from a safety audit that the lack of guard rails on their baggage equipment was dangerous. Despite this, nothing was done to fix the problem until after both serious accidents had already happened.

In the words of the presiding judge, Brendan Finucane KC, these two cases acted as a “red warning light” for the entire aviation industry. He pointed out that putting proper guard rails in place was possible, affordable, and could have prevented both falls.

Legal action and financial consequences for British Airways

The Health and Safety Executive decided to bring criminal charges against British Airways PLC for two violations of Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. This law requires that companies put in place “suitable and sufficient measures” to protect employees when they are working at height—a very clear rule in the United Kingdom for any employer.

Facing the evidence collected by the HSE, British Airways pleaded guilty to both breaches. Judge Finucane made it clear that the airline had a responsibility to keep its employees safe and that the control measures required—such as extending or upgrading guard rails—were well-known in the industry.

The court’s penalties broke down like this:
– For the accident on August 25, 2022 involving Ravinder Teji, British Airways was fined £1,330,000.
– For the more serious fall on March 8, 2023 involving Shahjahan Malik, the fine was £1,875,000.
– The court also ordered British Airways to pay £20,935 in costs and a victim surcharge of £120.

In total, the fines and costs reached £3,208,333. For a company of British Airways’ size, this amount still shows how seriously the courts and regulators view accidents laborales that can be prevented.

HSE: Falls from height are a known danger

After the sentencing, HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz said, “Falls from height present a real risk of death or serious, life-changing injury.” She added, “Both employees are fortunate to be alive today.” Schwartz also explained that everyone in the industry already knows about the dangers of working at height and the ways to reduce these risks. “Adequate guardrails would have significantly reduced the risk of harm,” she said.

The HSE made clear that companies operating at Aeropuerto de Heathrow and elsewhere should understand that failing to protect workers in these environments brings not just danger, but also financial and legal consequences.

History of ignored warnings

One of the most concerning details to come from the court case is that British Airways had clear warnings about these risks but failed to act. In March 2022—a few months before either major accident occurred—a health and safety audit identified the same problems with insufficient guard rails and warned the airline that these created a real chance of accidents laborales. Yet, there were no urgent changes.

The court found that the decision dating back to 2011 to scale back guard rails on baggage equipment left workers in possible danger for years. The judge stated that these choices were not just small oversights but showed a pattern of ignoring basic safety precautions that any responsible operator should provide. British Airways could have taken simple steps, but did not until after receiving these severe penalties.

What’s next for the aviation industry?

These events do not just impact British Airways and its employees—there are lessons for the whole aviation sector. Judge Finucane described the incidents as “a red warning light” and pointed to the need for all airlines operating in major airports like Aeropuerto de Heathrow to revisit their safety procedures, make sure that accidents laborales are kept to a minimum, and never ignore the warnings of audits or safety professionals.

British Airways is a big name not just in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 but across the globe. The fact that a company with such resources and experience failed to solve such basic safety risks shows that all airlines need to keep safety at the center. Airlines have to keep workers safe, not only for moral reasons but because the law requires it. This includes using proper guard rails on any equipment where baggage handlers work at height.

How do these failures impact immigration and legal policies?

For international workers and migrants who find jobs at airports like Aeropuerto de Heathrow, these events are especially important. Baggage handlers and other ground staff often come from different countries, and they may not always be aware of their rights or of the steps that employers must take to keep them safe. As reported by VisaVerge.com, strong safety laws and enforcement in the workplace show that the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 is serious about the well-being of all workers, including those from overseas.

For immigration authorities and legal departments, these cases are a reminder that laws to prevent accidents laborales must be applied fairly and with full attention to all details. Employers must provide training, equipment, and proper supervision for all workers, no matter where they come from.

What should workers and employers do now?

Workers at Aeropuerto de Heathrow who are worried about their safety should remember that:
– They have the right to a safe place to work
– They can raise concerns to their managers, union reps, or health and safety officers
– There are legal protections in place; if those rights are not respected, they can be reported, including directly to the Health and Safety Executive

Employers in the aviation industry need to:
– Review all their safety procedures, especially for jobs that involve working at a height
– Upgrade or maintain equipment such as televators and elevators to make sure they have proper guard rails
– Listen to the findings from audits and take immediate steps to fix any weaknesses
– Make regular training about fall prevention mandatory for employees

These are not just best practices—they are legal duties under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. You can read more about these regulations and employer obligations on the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 government’s official page for working at height.

Lasting effects and the role of big companies

Large companies like British Airways play a major part in setting standards across the industry. When they ignore known safety dangers or skip simple protections designed to avoid accidents laborales, the effects reach far beyond one workplace. Smaller companies often follow these examples, and the risks can multiply—especially in busy, international places like Aeropuerto de Heathrow.

The attention surrounding these accidents has also reminded government officials to keep a close eye on safety and quickly hold companies responsible when they do not follow the rules. With thousands of people from around the world working at major airports, any drop in safety can put lives at risk and cause terrible injuries, just as these two cases showed.

A call to action for all in the aviation sector

The court’s punishment and the strong reaction from the Health and Safety Executive are powerful reminders to everyone involved—airlines, support companies, migrant workers, and regulators—that good safety is not just a rule but a real-life need. Accurate safety equipment, true training, and a culture where all dangers are addressed quickly are the best ways to stop accidents laborales from happening in the first place.

As airports around the world look to keep up with busy demands and international competition, the basic duty to protect employees must never be pushed aside for speed or profit. Aeropuerto de Heathrow, British Airways, and the wider aviation world have a clear path forward: make safety part of every decision, listen to warnings, fix risks right away, and show respect for every worker—no matter where they come from.

Wrapping up, these recent incidents at Aeropuerto de Heathrow show the high price of not taking safety seriously—both in terms of human injury and in the large fines that follow accidents laborales. British Airways’ experience stands as a lesson for all employers in aviation and beyond. The courts, regulators, workers, and the public expect—and deserve—safer workplaces.

Aprende Hoy

Reglamento de Trabajo en Altura → Norma del Reino Unido que exige a los empleadores proteger a los empleados de caídas y lesiones al trabajar en altura.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) → Agencia estatal británica encargada de regular e inspeccionar la seguridad laboral y prevenir accidentes en el trabajo.
Barandillas de protección → Estructuras físicas instaladas en equipos o áreas elevadas para evitar caídas accidentales de los trabajadores.
Televator → Montacargas empleado en aeropuertos para cargar o descargar equipaje a distintas alturas de forma segura.
Recargo a la víctima → Cantidad económica impuesta por el tribunal a responsables de delitos para financiar apoyo a las víctimas.

Este Artículo en Resumen

British Airways recibió una multa de más de £3 millones tras dos graves accidentes laborales en Heathrow. Faltaban barandillas en los equipos y se ignoraron advertencias previas. El caso demuestra el impacto legal, la importancia de la seguridad para trabajadores migrantes y provoca reformas urgentes en la industria de la aviación.
— Por VisaVerge.com