A Cambridgeshire logistics company has been fined £133,000 after an employee suffered serious injuries when they fell from a sugar beet conveyor.
The incident happened in November 2023 at Knowles Logistics Limited, when a worker was loading sugar beet for transport.
The conveyor became blocked with waste material, and the employee climbed up the side of the machine to clear it. They fell, sustaining several broken ribs, a punctured lung and liver damage.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the conveyor system frequently became blocked during shifts and that the blockages were often cleared by hand. Inspectors found no safe system in place for dealing with the problem.
HSE guidance makes clear that any work carried out at height must be properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people, with measures in place to prevent falls.
At Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, Knowles Logistics Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £133,000 and ordered to pay £5,438 in costs.
HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said the incident was entirely preventable. “Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries,” she said. “This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to a worker being seriously injured.”
The case highlights the need for all employers to plan and manage work at height safely — and the costly consequences when they fail to do so.
It also serves as a reminder to agri-logistics and haulage operators handling seasonal produce such as sugar beet to ensure machinery is properly maintained and safe systems of work are firmly in place.
