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In May 2025, British Airways was fined approximately £3.2 million following two serious falls involving baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport. The incidents occurred in August 2022 and March 2023 while employees were using aircraft-loading equipment. Unite, whose members were injured, reported deficiencies in fall protection and guardrails.
The HSE account, reproduced by Perses, describes a fall of 1.5 metres in the first incident and three metres in the second. It records £20,935 in costs at Southwark Crown Court.
The management-system lesson
Changes to equipment, working methods and interfaces between different aircraft types can change the risks workers face. A useful review asks whether the actual working arrangement still provides adequate protection, who checks it and what happens when it does not.
Assess the task as it is performed
For an airport operation, an audit might examine how loading equipment is positioned, how changes are assessed and how unsafe conditions are reported. Observing a task and speaking to workers can reveal gaps that a written procedure alone does not show.
Check that corrective action works
After an incident or warning, completing an action is only part of the response. Managers need evidence that the revised arrangements work across the equipment, shifts and operating conditions concerned. Internal audits and management reviews can help track whether recurring risks are being addressed.
Keep certification in perspective
ISO 45001 provides a framework for managing occupational health and safety. It does not prove that a particular organisation was or was not certified at the time of an incident, and this article makes no assertion about British Airways’ certification status. Nor can certification alone guarantee that an accident will not occur.
AAA provides independent certification audits of implemented management systems. Your organisation remains responsible for workplace controls and legal duties.
Explore ISO 45001 certification or get an indicative audit price.
Sources: Unite’s account of the prosecution; HSE report reproduced by Perses; HSE guidance on ISO 45001.