Firm Fined For Airplane Worker's Painfull Fall

A Gloucester airplane maintenance company have been fined £7,200 after a mechanic plunged six feet onto his face – suffering serious injuries - while working on a Virgin jet at Heathrow Airport.

Messier Services Ltd. of Meteor Business Park, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester admitted a summons, brought by the Health and Safety Executive, (HSE) at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

The employee was replacing the nose landing gear on an A340 aircraft at the Virgin Atlantic Airways Hanger, Exeter Way on September 1, 2008 when he fell from a pallet resting on a forklift.

The court heard Gloucester man John Nicholas, 59, and a colleague were using a fork lift truck in an attempt to align the barrel of the main landing gear fitting with the socket on the underside of the aircraft.

During the procedure Mr. Nicholas realised the alignment was not correct and in an attempt to correct it kneeled down on an unsecured pallet designed to support the landing gear, two metres above the floor.

However, the forklift truck supporting the pallet reversed suddenly causing the pallet to drop to the floor.

Mr. Nicholas fell with the pallet, fracturing his kneecap and suffering significant injuries to the left side of his face.

Since the incident he has needed a number of operations to his mouth and teeth.

The HSE investigation found the work was not properly planned and the pallet being used did not have a proper adjustment to help align the landing gear and the socket on the underside of the aircraft.

Messier Services Ltd. admitted failing to ensure the safety at work of all its employees, including Mr. Nicholas.

The company was also ordered to pay £11,820 costs.

Following sentencing HSE inspector Steve Kirton said: “This company did not properly plan this work even though it was a core part of its operations.

“Mr. Nicholas has suffered severe injuries to his face and knees purely due to a lack of planning.

“Messier should have either found a way working at ground level or provided a safe way of working at height with access to the right equipment.

“Employers need to plan work and assess the risk to people not only in their own premises, but also when the work takes place in another company’s property.”