Balfour Beatty Fined after Scissor Lift Death

BALFOUR BEATTY was fined £285,000 after a worker died during the construction of a new university facility.

Igor Malka and a second contractor, Edmund Vispulskis, were in a scissor lift while installing cladding during the construction of a new engineering hall at the University of Birmingham on 7 January 2020.

The pair, from Lithuania, fell approximately 10 metres when their scissor lift was pushed over by a nearby crane. The crane was being used to move hydraulic equipment that had been delivered by a lorry.

Igor was fatally injured in the incident, while Edmund sustained injuries to his spine and broken ribs, before spending seven weeks in a neck brace. He also required pins to be inserted in his pelvis and thigh.

Incident Could Have Been Prevented

The HSE investigation found the incident could have been prevented had Balfour Beatty implemented better controls and put in place better communication between contractors.

There were contractors at the site that were moving the hydraulic units into place with the overhead travelling gantry crane, and another team who were installing internal cladding.

Balfour Beatty, as principal contractor on site, had a duty to ensure communication and co-operation between these contractors, says HSE. There was also no lift supervisor present at the time of the incident.

Balfour Beatty Fined

Balfour Beatty was the principal contractor while the National Buried Infrastructure Facility was being built at the University of Birmingham.

Balfour Beatty, of Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £285,000 and ordered to pay £21,768.88 in costs at Birmingham Crown Court on 16 September 2024.

The University of Birmingham was not prosecuted by HSE.

HSE Inspector Gareth Langston said: “This was a tragic incident that led to the death of a worker with another being seriously injured and still experiencing difficulties today as a result.

“Lifting operations must be properly controlled – they must be planned, with plans adhered to.”

HSE guidance can be found at Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER).

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