Multi Packaging Solutions UK was sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 20 January 2026 after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety legislation following the incident, which occurred in October 2023.
The company, which is a subsidiary of Smurfit Westrock Group, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1)(a) and (c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.
It was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32,500.
‘This incident was entirely preventable’
The court heard that on 31 October 2023, Matthew King was working as part of a team relocating a large machine from a warehouse to a storage area around 160 metres away.
The machine, measuring approximately 1.56 metres by 4.15 metres and weighing around 4.5 tonnes, had no designated lifting or anchoring points.
As a result, workers improvised a method to move it, using a forklift to lift the machine, placing skates underneath and then pulling it forward.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HES), the machine had already slipped from the forklift forks on at least two occasions prior to the incident.
At the time of the accident, King was positioned underneath the suspended machine, attempting to secure a wheel on its underside, when it slid from the forks and struck him on the head.
He sustained a severe skull fracture, bruising to the head and nerve damage to the left side of his face. As a result, King has been left with permanent double vision, loss of peripheral vision, facial palsy and hearing loss.
HSE inspector Ingrid Grueso commented: “Mr King has been left with life-changing injuries including permanent damage to his eyesight, hearing and facial movement.
“He has had to sell his car as he can no longer drive safely and now relies on his wife to transport him and their three children.”
HSE investigation
An investigation by HSE found that the lifting operation “had not been properly planned by a competent person”.
Inspectors concluded that the characteristics of the load, including its weight, size, centre of gravity and lack of lifting points, had not been adequately assessed. No safe system of work had been put in place for the task.
The court was told that moving a machine of this size and weight was not a routine activity at the site and that there was no established procedure for carrying out such work safely.
Grueso added: “This incident was entirely preventable. The company failed to properly plan the lifting operation or implement a safe system of work.
“Employers must ensure that lifting operations are properly planned by a competent person and carried out safely.
“This is especially important for non-routine tasks involving heavy or awkward loads.”
HSE guidance on lifting operations stresses the importance of properly resourcing, planning and organising lifts to ensure they are carried out safely, particularly when dealing with heavy or awkward loads.
