Life-changing injuries after hydraulic arm collapse
A manufacturer of rolled aluminium products, Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited, has been fined £300,000 following an incident at its Bridgnorth facility in which a worker suffered serious crush injuries.
The incident occurred on 10 May 2023, when a man in his early 40s was kneeling inside a casting mould inserting ceramic string. Above him was a 1.5-tonne hydraulic arm used to transport molten aluminium. The arm failed and fell onto him, trapping him, the exterior temperature was estimated to be around 100 °C.
Worker trapped for over 20 minutes
The injured worker was trapped under the arm for three minutes before the mould floor could be lowered and a further 19 minutes before the arm could be lifted. He has been unable to return to work since the incident.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the hydraulic arm collapsed due to hydraulic failure. Although a safety bar was fitted, it was not fit for purpose.
Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited had not assessed the risks of the hydraulic arm falling and therefore failed to implement a suitable safe system of work to prevent employees from working beneath it.
Incidents like this highlight the importance of understanding your legal duties under UK health and safety law. →
Company fined £300,000 for safety breaches
Bridgnorth Aluminium pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £8,301 in costs at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 13 October 2025.
HSE Inspector Nicola Willcox said:
“This was a serious incident that should never have happened. The company subsequently implemented simple control measures to prevent it from re-occurring. The process of placing the ceramic string in the moulds is now carried out with the hydraulic arm in the lowered position, and people are restricted from walking under the it when it is raised. If these measures had been in place at the time, then this incident would not have happened.”
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