Flybe Ltd has been fined after an investigation into a worker falling into a lift shaft at Exeter Airport uncovered health and safety failings.

Exeter Magistrates’ Court heard that on 15 May 2016, a 34-year-old employee was moving a loaded lift trolley in the tool department of Hanger 2 when he fell into the lift shaft to the bottom floor and suffered injuries.

Although the exact cause of the incident could not be established, the HSE investigation found that the lift doors had a fault which meant that they defaulted to locked. As a result, the emergency door release key was being used by employees while the lift doors remained locked.
Flybe Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974 and has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9,963.16.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Emma O’Hara, said:

“Despite a fault, busy workers who were moving parts and tools felt compelled to keep the lift in use. The safety features of the lift were therefore made redundant. The lift should have been taken out of service or an alternative system of work should have been in place, and this should have been communicated. The HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below required standards.”

Passenger lifts and combined goods / passenger lifts in workplaces (e.g. offices and factories) which are primarily used by people at work, are subject to periodic thorough examination and inspection, as required by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). Guidance for lift owners and others responsible for the examination and testing of lifts is available here.