A Liverpool motor vehicle repair company has been fined after a car fell from a two-post car vehicle lift onto a worker who was praying on his break.
The court heard how the man suffered multiple serious fractures in the incident at a garage in the Kensington area of Liverpool on 23 November 2022.
The 56-year-old from Toxteth, Liverpool, was working as a mechanic at the time, at the Marvin Street premises of Car Spa & Tyres Ltd. He was working on a vehicle which had been raised on a two-post lift. Neither swivel arm on one of the lifting columns was locked into position, and as he took a break to pray, the car fell from the lift, crushing him beneath and causing multiple serious fractures.
He was taken to Aintree Hospital, where he was found to have a broken leg, three broken bones in his spine, five broken ribs and a broken pelvis.
HSE guidance on working safely under motor vehicles being repaired: Working under vehicles – HSE
The man spent four months in hospital because of his injuries. Almost two years later, he has been left highly dependent upon his wife, and others, to carry out even simple daily tasks. It is unlikely he will be able to work again.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Car Spa & Tyres Ltd, had failed to put in place a safe system of work, or to sufficiently train their staff, in the proper, and safe operation of the lifting equipment.
The company, of the Kensington area of Liverpool, were found guilty by the jury to breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at a hearing at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on 25 June 2025.
After the hearing, HSE inspector David Bellis said:
“This was a very serious incident, and it is fortunate nobody was killed as a result.
“If Mr Hamad had been suitably trained in the use of the two-post lift, the company had a suitable system of work in place and the swivel arms had been positioned correctly and locked into place this incident would have been avoided.
“The HSE take all accidents seriously, especially those that could have been easily prevented, and will not hesitate to prosecute, whenever it is appropriate”.
The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park and paralegal officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.
Further information:
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
- More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
- HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
- Guidance on working safely in the motor vehicle repair industry, and the safe use of lifting equipment can be found at:
L113: Safe use of lifting equipment (hse.gov.uk)
Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries (hse.gov.uk)