The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a company that supplied a maintenance van to Heathrow Airport without including vital equipment in it, which lead to a worker being crushed.

In March 2008, 52-year-old Mohammed Taj from Hayes in Middlesex was repairing a defective vehicle known as a baggage tug, which is used to pull baggage trolleys.

The baggage tug had broken down near Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 1 and vehicle maintenance specialist Mr Taj had raised it 60cm in the air on the single trolley-jack available in the van supplied by Aviance UK.

Mr Taj was underneath the baggage tug when the trolley-jack moved forward and the vehicle fell on him. He sustained serious head injuries and died at the scene shortly after the accident.

The HSE investigation found that that the maintenance van supplied by Aviance UK routinely carried a trolley-jack – but never carried axle stands or other means of support which should be used.

The HSE also found that Aviance UK did not have an adequate system for ensuring that the maintenance van returned to the workshop for axle stands, or that defective vehicles were recovered and proper vehicle hoists used.

On Tuesday (26/01/10) at London’s Central Criminal Court (The Old Bailey), Aviance UK – based at Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne – was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay £18,800 costs.

The company had pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 at a hearing at the City of London Magistrates’ Court on 27 November, 2009.

After the hearing, HSE inspector HSE Stephen Kirton said that Mr Taj could be alive today ‘if just £30 had been spent on a pair of axle stands’. Mr Kirton added:

‘Mr Taj’s tragic death could have been avoided if axle stands were routinely carried in the company maintenance van and were used by staff.

‘Working under poorly supported vehicles has been recognised by HSE as serious problem for many years. We’ve recently published guidance in this area, which clearly states that people should never work below vehicles supported only by jacks. This should be read by all managers in the motor vehicle repair industry.’

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