Heathrow Worker sucked into Machine leaving her Brain Damaged

A Heathrow baggage handler was left with brain damage after her scarf got caught in machinery and she was dragged along a conveyor belt.

Jasbir Sahota, who had been working at the airport for 30 years, was left seriously injured after the accident on February 14, 2024.

She was unloading luggage from a Loganair flight when her scarf got caught in the machine.

The incident caused catastrophic injuries, as well as brain damage, leaving Mrs Sahota in need of specialist care.

Her family are now taking legal action against her employer Menzies.

They are demanding that they pay for her transfer from Hillingdon Hospital to Wellington Hospital – a private facility which provides the complex care Mrs Sahota requires.

Her two children, Nina Haer and Harman Sahota, along with brother-in-law Satti, said the firm has been “treating her like a number rather than a valued employee” and that they have been forced into legal action.

Satti said: “Jaz deserves the best care and the best treatment and this just isn’t available on the NHS.

“To stand a fighting chance of making any improvement she needs to be moved to the Wellington.

“Every day she stays at Hillingdon – and they are doing their best – it is a day we’re losing her and that’s awful.”

The family said the aviation company had offered to help them after the accident but that the only help they had received had been the company paying for taxis to and from the hospital.

They added that the firm now rarely gets in touch.

Nina said no one enjoyed their job more than Mrs Sahota, whose condition has also affected the people around her.

Financially, the cost of a transfer to Wellington would reach around £300,000 which is more than her family can afford.

Meanwhile, Harman has been forced to take time off work as a signal engineer with Network Rail for stress-related reasons.

Nina has also taken a less demanding position for a recruitment company near the family home in Hayes, west London.

The family’s lawyers have found several causes which they say raise questions over Menzies’ commitment to its employees’ health and safety.

On Christmas Eve 2016, Rebecca Smith was injured when she fell through a gap in the railing on top of a luggage belt loader.

Mrs Sahota’s solicitors Fieldfisher are heading to court in the next few weeks to seek the disclosure of material that could help in a possible future negligence claim.

A Menzies spokesperson said: “An active investigation is underway following a serious incident involving a Menzies employee at Heathrow Airport earlier this year.

“As this is ongoing, we cannot provide any further detail at this time. Our thoughts are with our colleague and their family.”