A UK paper packaging manufacturer has been ordered to pay a £433,333 fine following an incident in which a worker sustained severe, permanent injuries when a heavy machine collapsed during relocation work.

The prosecution highlights serious failings in workplace safety planning, particularly for lifting operations and machinery hazards, raising concerns across the packaging sector about adherence to risk-management standards.

Worker critically injured during machinery repositioning

On 31 October 2023, a 39-year-old employee, identified as Matthew King, was involved in a machine-relocation task at the East Kilbride facility of Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited.

During the move of a 4.5-tonne paper packaging machine, it slipped off a forklift and struck Mr King on the head while he was positioned underneath it.

The worker suffered a severe skull fracture, nerve damage, double vision, loss of peripheral vision, facial palsy and hearing impairment. He has been left with lasting disabilities that have impacted his ability to drive and required multiple surgeries and ongoing support, according to the UK regulator.

The improvised relocation involved lifting the machinery with a forklift and placing skates underneath to pull it forward. The load had previously detached from the forklift on more than one occasion, signalling a lack of appropriate lifting planning and hazard assessment.

Inadequate lifting operations and safety planning

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that the lifting operation had not been properly planned or organised by a competent person.

Inspectors found that the characteristics of the load, including weight, dimensions and centre of gravity, were not assessed, and there was no safe system of work for moving the heavy equipment.

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), employers must ensure that all lifting activities are planned, supervised and carried out safely by competent personnel.

HSE pointed out that moving heavy machinery was not a routine task at the site and should have been treated as a special lifting operation requiring detailed risk assessment.

The court ruled that Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited breached Regulation 8(1)(a) and (c) of LOLER. The company pleaded guilty and was fined at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 20 January 2026.

Implications for machinery safety and risk assessment

The sentencing serves as a reminder to companies in the packaging industry and beyond of the importance of comprehensive machinery safety risk assessments, especially for tasks involving heavy or irregular loads.

According to recent UK safety guidance, lifting operations should be planned in advance, with all foreseeable risks eliminated or controlled and suitable equipment selected for the task.

HSE officials noted that the incident was entirely preventable had a proper safe system of work been in place, reflecting wider concerns about compliance with workplace safety legislation across manufacturing sectors.

The case underscores the need for firms handling industrial machinery and heavy equipment in packaging production to review their workplace risk management procedures and training, with a particular focus on machinery hazards and lifting operations.