Heathrow Expressway Collapse Results in Record Fines

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited and Austrian tunnelling specialists Geoconsult ZT GmbH were prosecuted for breaches of HSWA after the collapse of tunnels forming a new rail link to Heathrow Airport. The prosecutions followed extensive investigation and comprehensive reporting by the Health and Safety Executive of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) which was used to construct the Heathrow Expressway tunnels. Balfour Beatty pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 and Section 3 of HSWA and was fined £1.2 million - the single biggest fine for offences under HSWA. Geoconsult was also convicted on similar charges and was fined £500,000. The costs of £200,000 were split between the two defendants. The HSE is to publish a full report on the incident following the conclusion of criminal proceedings.
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