• Health and Safety Executive inspectors issued Truro Sawmills Ltd with Improvement Notices after finding it failed to protect workers from health risks of wood dust and safety risks from lift trucks.
• Inspectors found employees were not trained to use rider-operated lift trucks, and protective equipment wasn’t properly fitted, and employees weren’t screened for health risks from wood dust.
• Despite several notices the company failed to act – and HSE brought a prosecution brought a prosecution
• HSE applied for the Managing Director to be disqualified as a company director following the case.

A Cornwall-based timber company and its director have been handed a £20,000 fine after failing to comply with a series of enforcement notices issued by health and safety inspectors.

Truro Sawmills Limited and its Managing Director, Alistair Wright, have been fined after failing to comply with improvement notices served by the HSE.

Truro Sawmills Limited supplies timber and manufactures gates, fencing panels and garden furniture, processed at its sawmill in Penhallow, Truro. The company was served with Improvement Notices after HSE inspectors found that employees were not being protected from the ill health risks arising from wood dust, nor the safety risks associated with the use of rider-operated lift trucks in the workplace. If not properly controlled, wood dust can cause asthma, respiratory conditions and cancer.

The HSE investigation found that employees had not been appropriately trained to use rider-operated lift trucks. Staff had also not been face fit tested for respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to protect them from wood dust and were not under suitable health surveillance.

An investigation by the HSE determined that Truro Sawmills Limited had failed to comply with its legal duty under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and had contravened the requirements of three Improvement Notices served by HSE to protect its workers.

Alistair Wright, the company’s Managing Director, also pleaded guilty to contravening the requirements of an Improvement Notice. HSE applied for Mr Wright to be disqualified from acting as a company director under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

Relevant guidance on the use of rider-operated lift trucks and the control of wood dust can be found here:

Lift-truck training – HSE

Wood dust – HSE

Fit testing basics – HSE

Health surveillance – HSE

Truro Sawmills Limited, of Penhallow, Truro, TR4 9NF, pleaded guilty to four counts, including breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and contravening the requirements imposed by three Improvement Notices, contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Act.

Alistair Wright, Managing Director of Truro Sawmills Limited, pleaded guilty to one count of contravening a requirement imposed by an Improvement Notice, contrary to Section 33(1)(g) and Section 37(1) of the Act.

The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. Mr Wright was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £2,500 in costs, at a hearing at Truro Crown Court on 20 August 2026. The court granted HSE’s application to disqualify Mr Wright from acting as a company director for a period of five years.

HSE principal inspector Melissa Lai-Hung said:

“Exposure to wood dust can cause asthma, respiratory conditions and cancer – yet this firm failed to act on legally-binding notices served by health and safety inspectors to protect their workforce.

“We also found workers hadn’t been properly trained to use lift trucks, creating very real dangers for those onsite.

“Firms should be left in no doubt that companies and individuals who do not comply with health and safety legislation will be held accountable.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Robert James and paralegal officer Mike Millman.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance on use of FLTs and control of wood dust can be found here: Lift-truck training – HSE,  Wood dust – HSE, Fit testing basics – HSE and Health surveillance – HSE.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Company fined £300,000 after health and safety inspectors find failings when investigating incident
• Nightshift worker had been attempting to unblock machine when his arm was severed below elbow
• Victim had three major surgeries to restore the use of his hand but still suffers constant pain

A clinical waste disposal company has been fined £300,000 after one of its workers severed his arm from the elbow down while unblocking machinery in Swindon.

The man – who was 42 at the time – had been working his usual night shift at Tradebe Healthcare National Limited’s site on Elgin Industrial Estate on 4 February 2022. He had been working alongside a colleague when he attempted to clear an obstruction on an autoclave machine. His left arm was trapped and crushed by the door – severing it from the elbow down.

He was rushed to hospital where doctors spent six hours saving his arm. He has since had three major surgeries to restore the use of his hand, though he now suffers from very limited movement.

Part of his treatment has involved skin grafts taken from the thigh of his left leg as well as veins from his left and right legs transplanted into the arm. He still suffers from constant pain and struggles to complete many everyday tasks independently.

Autoclave machines are pressure vessels with lids or doors and are used in a variety of processes whereby products are placed inside and subjected to greater than atmospheric pressure and elevated temperatures. A rotoclave is a type of autoclave that rotates during operation. On this particular site, it was used for high temperature sterilisation of waste.

The machine was surrounded by an enclosure which included an access gate at its rear. The man had used this unsecured rear gate to walk into the enclosure to reach in to remove the debris. His colleague was unable to see the employee and due to miscommunication, mistakenly resumed operation of the machine.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed multiple failings by the company, including:

• Not having sufficient measures in place to prevent their employees from being at risk when clearing blockages.
• Employees being exposed to risk, specifically in relation to the failure to properly isolate the machine before cleaning.
• Employees not being provided with sufficient information and instruction about how to use and how to clean the machine safely.

The investigation also found that training provided to employees was inadequate and that employees were not suitably supervised.

HSE guidance highlights the importance of following safe isolation and lock-off procedures before any maintenance or cleaning work is carried out. Employers must ensure all machinery is properly isolated from power sources, and that systems are regularly monitored and reviewed to prevent inadvertent start-up. Further guidance is available here: The safe isolation of plant and equipment – HSE.

Tradebe Healthcare National Limited of Atlas House Third Avenue, Globe Park, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, 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 costs of £18,710.

HSE inspector Emma Preston said:

“This was a harrowing incident made more tragic by the fact that events of this kind are all-too foreseeable.

“Accidents which happen when cleaning and maintaining machinery often result in life-changing injuries, which is why companies need to make sure they have robust lock-off procedures, effective guarding, and that all sources of power are fully isolated before work begins.

“The man affected by this incident faces a long road to recovery and we hope today’s outcome provides him a measure of justice.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and supported by paralegal officer Farhat Basir.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here – Using work equipment safely – HSE and Safe use of work equipment – HSE.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Clearaway Recycling Limited failed to properly manage the movement of pedestrians and vehicles at its site in Basildon
• A 22-year-old woman suffered life-changing crush injuries after being struck by a mobile shredder
• HSE statistics show that fatal incidents in the waste and recycling sector are ten times more likely than the all-industry average

An Essex-based waste and recycling company has been fined £400,000 after an employee was seriously injured after being struck by a mobile shredder at its site in Basildon.

Clearaway Recycling Limited, based at Archers Fields, was sentenced after a 22-year-old site operative was crushed by the moving vehicle while accessing the tipping yard on 28 October 2023. She suffered life-threatening injuries when she was trapped between a gate post and the shredder itself. She has been left with life-changing injuries as a result of the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had not managed the movement of pedestrians and vehicles at the site. This allowed it to become custom and practice for pedestrians to walk in areas close to moving vehicles, including the shredder, as well as close to lorries and forklift trucks.

The waste and recycling industry saw six workers killed during 2025/26 – which when compared over a five-year period, means fatalities are ten times as likely compared to the all-industry average.

Clearaway Recycling Limited of Archers Fields, Basildon, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,259 at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 13 August 2026.

HSE inspector Joanne Williams said:

“The waste and recycling sector continues to be one of the leading industries for workplace injuries and fatalities.

“One of the reasons is the risks from vehicle and pedestrian collisions are well known, yet serious incidents continue to occur.

“In this case, a young woman was left with significant and life-changing injuries.

“Where pedestrians require access to working areas, safeguards must be in place to protect them, including providing adequate segregation or separation distances between pedestrians and vehicles in the area.”

The case was taken by HSE enforcement lawyer Andrew Siddall, supported by paralegal officer Thomas Smith.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Guidance is available here – https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg199.htm, https://www.wishforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/WASTE-09-.pdf and https://www.hse.gov.uk/roadsafety/worker/index.htm.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England

• Concerns raised by the public during extension work in Kings Cross area of London.
• Despite repeated warnings by HSE, unsafe work continued.
• Falls from height remain leading cause of workplace death and injury.

A construction company and a director have been fined after workers lives were put at risk with unsafe roof work in central London.

B&O Developers Ltd and Sanjay Swaminaryan were fined following an investigation by Britain’s workplace regulator. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) took action after members of the public raised concerns about unsafe working practices during extension and refurbishment of what is now the Kings Cross Express Inn on Kings Cross Road.

In January 2024, concerned members of the public sent photographs to HSE showing people working on a roof at the site with no control measures to protect them from falling, such as edge protection.

There was no safe means of access to the roof, with operatives photographed standing on a makeshift platform balanced on a stepladder.

The HSE investigation found that there were no controls in place to prevent the workers, who were employed by a subcontractor, from falling from height on at least two separate dates.

Measures which had been identified in the roofing subcontractor’s risk assessment as necessary controls, including scaffolding around the roof, were not in place.

The construction project ran from October 2020 until March 2024 and was initially managed by principal contractor Hubb Construction Ltd, of which Sanjay Swaminarayan, 48, was a director. In March 2023, the principal contractor changed to B&O Developers Ltd, with Mr Swaminarayan retained as the sole director and keeping all other site arrangements the same.

HSE inspectors responded to several concerns raised by the public and occupants of surrounding buildings between November 2021 and September 2023 and took enforcement action against both Hubb Construction Ltd and B&O Developers Ltd.

Inspectors also met with Mr Swaminarayan to discuss how he could improve management arrangements to ensure sustained compliance with health and safety law.

Despite these interventions, a further concern was raised regarding unsafe roof work in January 2024.

Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury with the latest statistics from HSE showing that they account for over a quarter of all work related deaths in 2025/26.

HSE guidance states that in order for roof work to be carried out safely there must be, at a minimum, safe access to the roof and a safe place to work on the roof.

For sloping roofs, in practice this usually means providing full edge protection on all roof elevations to which access is needed. Where roofs are steep, the edge protection system needs to be capable of safely containing a person sliding down the sloping surface. Edge protection is also needed at gable ends.

B&O Developers LTD of Prince Albert Road, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.  The company was fined £4,020 and a surcharge of £1,608 at City of London Magistrate’s Court on 22 July 2026.

Sanjay Swaminarayan, of St John’s Wood Court, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work (etc) Act 1974 (‘the Act’), by virtue of s37(1) the Act. He was fined £2300, a surcharge of £1,108 and ordered to pay costs of £8,000.

HSE inspector Lucy Ellison-Dunn said:

“The working practices of both the company and Swaminarayan put lives at risk.

“Swaminarayan was fully aware of the requirements for safe work at height, having been given guidance from both HSE and his own health and safety advisors on several occasions.

“Despite repeated assurances to improve work practices, he failed to ensure that suitable controls were in place to prevent falls and did not properly supervise those he employed to manage and carry out the work.

“I would like to thank those concerned members of the public who got in touch with HSE to let us know.

“We will always take action against those that fail to protect the lives of workers.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Colin Bromfield and paralegal officer Thomas Smith.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE guidance states what an employer must do to protect their employees from falls from height.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England can be found here and those for Scotland here.

• Lift supervisor struck and fatally injured by a telehandler on a construction site in Cheshire.
• HSE found the driver had chosen to reverse without a banksman despite a clear turning circle being available.
• Driver had also been using his mobile phone while in control of the vehicle, contrary to site rules.
• Telehandler operator given a 12-week suspended custodial sentence and fined £800.

A self-employed telehandler driver has been sentenced after he reversed over his colleague on a construction site in Cheshire, causing fatal injuries.

In June 2023, 49-year-old James Connolly was working as a lift supervisor on a large construction site in Ince, Ellesmere Port, where Michael Nixon was working as a telehandler operator.

On the morning of 11 June, whilst walking back to his work area from the welfare compound, Mr Connolly was struck and reversed over by the telehandler being operated by Michael Nixon, resulting in fatal injuries.

In a victim personal statement, Jamie’s mother Pauline Connolly said:

“I have constant flashbacks to that day and every time we get a phone call my heart drops and I fear the worst news, I am always saying, ‘who is it? What is it?’

“Every time I see someone in a high viz jacket and a hard hat, I think it is Jamie. I am changed forever since my son’s death. I miss and think about him every day. My first-born child. My only son.”

Jamie’s daughter Amelia Connolly said:

“I struggle with a great deal of anger. I am angry that my dad went to work and never came home. Alongside the sadness there is also a constant sense of injustice. It is difficult to accept that someone could leave home for work and never return to their family.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the principal contractor had taken steps to minimise the need for reversing on site, including the creation of a turning circle, which was unobstructed at the time of the incident. Despite this, Michael Nixon, who was a qualified and experienced telehandler operator, chose to reverse the vehicle without the aid of a banksman, with tragic consequences.

The investigation also found that Michael Nixon had been using his mobile phone whilst in control of the telehandler, contrary to the site rules he had signed up to.

HSE publication The safe use of vehicles on construction sites HSG144 sets out the risks involved and ways of avoiding reversing on construction sites, as well as setting out a checklist of safe working practices for drivers to follow.

Michael Nixon, 46, of Deeside, Heswall, Wirral, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and fined £800. He was also ordered to pay £2,000 in costs, at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 11 August 2026.

HSE Principal Inspector Laura Royales said:

“Workplace transport incidents remain one of the biggest causes of deaths in the workplace. It is vital that drivers follow the site rules and do not cut corners and put lives at risk.

“Our thoughts remain with the family of James Connolly.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Nathan Cook and paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart. The investigation was supported by Visiting Officer Sarah Ough.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here The safe use of vehicles on construction sites HSG144
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

Bricklayer hospitalised for a month after fall through collapsing roof

• Oldham-based company fined £30,000 after Health & Safety Executive investigation found multiple failings
• 25-year-old bricklayer sustained serious injuries including fractures to his right leg, hip and left hand
• Latest HSE statistics show falls from height remain the leading cause of fatal injuries in the workplace

An Oldham-based construction company has been fined after a bricklayer was hospitalised for a month when the floor he was working on collapsed.

On 4 June 2024 at a house under construction on Lynn Street, Oldham, the 25-year-old was bricklaying on the upper level of a house when the floor he was working on collapsed.

The worker fell along with multiple concrete blocks that had been stored on the upper floor. He sustained fractures to his right leg, hip and left hand, requiring surgery and a month-long stay in hospital.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited, as the principal contractor, had failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the construction work on site.

The floor that collapsed had been overloaded with concrete blocks and had not been constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s design.

The investigation also identified a number of other health and safety failings at the site, including unsafe scaffolding, inadequate arrangements for work at height, a lack of fire alarms and inadequate competent site management.

As a result of these failings, HSE inspectors issued multiple enforcement notices.

HSE guidance states that effective management of health and safety is crucial to the successful delivery of a construction project. Principal contractors have an important role in managing the risks associated with construction work and must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase, ensuring that effective preventative and protective measures are in place and that appropriate supervision is provided.

HSE has a range of guidance on managing health and safety in construction available online.

Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited, of Bath Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4,883 in costs, to be paid within 3 years, at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 11 August 2026.

HSE Inspector Karen Farley said:

“The injuries suffered by this worker were the consequence of fundamental failures to manage health and safety.

“Our investigation revealed that this was not an isolated failing but part of a broader pattern of poor health and safety standards across the site.

“The construction industry remains one of the highest-risk sectors and employers must ensure that work is properly planned, supervised and carried out safely.

“This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been prevented had the floor been constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and safe systems of work been in place to ensure it was not overloaded with construction materials.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Arfaq Nabi and Paralegal Officer Hannah Snelling.

Further Information

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases are available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Adam’s Building Construction Ltd built an extension over gas pipework and a boiler flue without relocating them, despite repeated warnings
• The gas installation was found to be immediately dangerous, forcing Northern Gas Networks to cut off the property’s gas supply
• The company failed to comply with an HSE Improvement Notice, and its director failed to cooperate with the HSE investigation

A Yorkshire-based building company and its director have been sentenced after botched building work on a home extension compromised gas safety and put the lives of a homeowner and her two children at risk.

Adam’s Building Construction Ltd had been hired by the homeowner to build an extension at the rear of her property in Bradford. Construction began in January 2024, but the extension was built over the top of the existing gas service pipework, and without repositioning the flue serving the property’s gas boiler. This exposed the family to the risk of gas leaks, fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that on 22 May 2024, a Building Control Inspector from the City of Bradford Metropolitan Council attended the property and discovered that the boiler flue was terminating inside the extension. He contacted Northern Gas Networks, who found the gas installation to be immediately dangerous, with the boiler still in operation and the flue discharging into the extension. The gas supply had to be cut off, leaving the residents without gas for several weeks and costing them around £4,000 to put right.

The investigation also found that Adam’s Building Construction Ltd had been warned several times by local authority Building Control Inspectors during the works that the gas pipework and flue needed to be properly relocated. The company’s sole director, Mohammed Adam Azhar, was unable to show HSE inspectors that his company had prepared construction phase plans for any of its building work, which was carried out exclusively for domestic clients.

This led HSE to serve an Improvement Notice requiring the company to put in place a system for producing written construction phase plans for projects where it was the principal contractor. The company subsequently failed to comply with that notice, an offence under Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Mr Azhar also personally failed to provide relevant information to the investigation when required to do so by the HSE Lead Inspector, an offence under Section 33(1)(e) of the Act. The court heard that neither the company nor Mr Azhar continue to work in the construction trade.

Adam’s Building Construction Ltd, of Leeds Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) and Section 33(1)(g) of the Act. On 7 August 2026 at Leeds Magistrates Court, the company was fined a total of £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,263.

Mohammed Adam Azhar, of Intake Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) and Section 33(1)(e) of the Act. He was fined a total of £1,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £400.

HSE Inspector David Beaton said:

“This was a tragic accident waiting to happen. The failure on the part of the company and its director to properly plan this building work, and to make suitable arrangements for relocating the gas pipework and appliances, could have easily had fatal consequences for the family living in the property.

“Those failures were compounded by the further failures to comply with an HSE Improvement Notice, and to provide relevant information to assist our investigation.

“Everyone in control of domestic building work must ensure that a suitable and sufficient construction phase plan is in place before building work commences, so that no-one faces the kind of risks this family were exposed to.”

This Prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Arfaq Nabi and supported by Paralegal Officer Henrietta Ruthven.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases are available.
4. Guidance on Construction Phase Plans, including a template, can be found in HSE publication CIS80, freely downloadable at https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis80.pdf.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England and Wales can be found here.

• Worker suffered a severe crush injury when their hand was drawn into the rollers of a laminating machine.
• Same company was fined £277,500 in November 2025 following a fatal incident at another of its sites.
• HSE found company had failed to provide a fixed guard to prevent access to the dangerous nip point during cleaning.
• Company fined £60,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety offences.

A plastic packaging manufacturer has been fined for the second time in less than a year after a worker suffered a severe crush injury when their hand was drawn into the rollers of a laminating machine at its site in Telford.

Reflex Flexible Packaging Limited was sentenced in November 2025 after an employee died when he became trapped in an unguarded machine at the company’s site in Langley Mill, Derbyshire. This latest case relates to a separate incident on 17 January 2025, at the company’s Telford premises, when a worker suffered serious injuries while cleaning a machine.

The worker, a laminator operative and shift supervisor employed by the company, was injured while cleaning a laminator machine at the company’s premises on Halesfield, Telford.

The worker was cleaning the machine’s rollers using rags after a production run had finished. As they cleaned the machine, a rag became caught between two in-running rollers and pulled their left hand into the nip point between them. Their hand was drawn into the machine up to the wrist.

A colleague immediately activated the emergency stop, allowing the worker to free their hand from the machine. They were taken to hospital with a severe crush injury. The worker underwent two operations on their left hand, spent four nights in hospital and later required physiotherapy to rebuild strength in the injured hand.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Reflex Flexible Packaging Limited had failed to ensure effective measures were in place to prevent access to the dangerous moving parts of the laminating machine.

The company had failed to provide a fixed guard to prevent access to the in-running nip point between the rollers during cleaning operations. The HSE investigation also revealed that the company’s risk assessment and safe system of work were not suitable and sufficient. The cleaning operation had not been properly assessed and the risk of a worker being drawn into the machine during cleaning had not been identified. The safe system of work also failed to provide clear instructions regarding the use of the foot pedal to rotate the rollers during the cleaning process.

HSE guidance states that employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. Where access to dangerous parts is foreseeable, employers should follow the hierarchy of control measures set out in the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, giving priority to engineering controls such as fixed guarding wherever reasonably practicable.

Risk assessments should consider not only normal production activities, but also tasks such as cleaning, maintenance and repair where dangerous parts may become accessible to workers.

Further guidance can be found here:

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – HSE

Safe use of work equipment: Approved Code of Practice and guidance – HSE

Reflex Flexible Packaging Limited, of Vision House, Hamilton Way, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 5BU, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £4,464 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 10 August 2026.

HSE Inspector Zach Morris said:

“This incident was entirely preventable. Reflex Flexible Packaging Limited failed to ensure that effective measures were in place to prevent access to dangerous parts of the laminating machine during cleaning operations.

“This is the second time in less than a year that this company has been sentenced for health and safety offences, following a fatal incident at another of its sites. Dangerous moving parts of machinery continue to cause serious injuries in workplaces across Great Britain. Dutyholders should not focus solely on normal machine operation when considering access to dangerous parts. They must also consider activities such as cleaning, maintenance, and repair where workers may be exposed to dangerous parts of machinery that are inaccessible during normal operations.

“HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action against dutyholders who fail to protect workers from these well-known and foreseeable risks.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Neenu Bains and paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.htm
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Worker suffered broken ribs and a fractured collarbone after falling from stepladder.
• Ladders stored outside were in poor condition and accessible to employees, who were not trained on how to assess a ladder as being safe.
• Latest HSE statistics show falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury.

Wirral Council has been fined £6000 after an employee suffered serious injuries when a stepladder collapsed beneath him.

The Wirral Council Employee was attempting to access a loft space at the Council-operated Dale Farm site in Heswall, Wirral, when the incident occurred.

As he neared the top of the stepladder, it gave way causing him to fall to the ground. He suffered a fractured collarbone and broken ribs.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Wirral Council had failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its employees by not adequately controlling the risks associated with working at height and the use of ladders.

The investigation identified failures in the Council’s management of work at height activities. Ladder use was not effectively controlled and despite identifying ladders that were not in a good state of repair and unsafe to use, they remained in place, accessible to any employee who wanted to use them. Furthermore, employees had not received training in in relation to how to assess a ladder as being safe to use.

HSE guidance, produced in partnership with the Ladder Association, sets out the practical steps employers should take to ensure ladders are used safely at work. Further HSE guidance explains the measures employers should take to prevent falls when working at height.

Wirral MBC pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The Council was fined £6000 and ordered to pay £4000 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 11^th August 2026.

After the hearing HSE Inspector Mike Lisle said:

“This worker suffered painful and life-changing injuries in a fall that could have been prevented.

“The council failed to put in place basic measures to manage the risks associated with working at height. Employees had not received suitable training and ladders were not being systematically inspected to ensure they were safe.

“Employers should ensure suitable equipment is properly maintained, workers are trained and robust arrangements are in place for all work at height activities.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement Lawyer Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here:
   LA455-Safe-Use-of-Ladders-and-Stepladders-A-brief-guide.pdf
   Working at height: A brief guide
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has confirmed a new non-executive director appointment to the Board of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Louise Hosking replaces Professor Gina Radford, who leaves the Board in September 2026. Louise brings her considerable wealth of experience in health and safety and environmental health to the board.

Chair of HSE, Sarah Newton, welcomed the appointment, saying:

“I am delighted that Louise will be joining us on the HSE Board and I’m sure she’ll make a significant contribution to the HSE Board.

“Louise will be a great addition to our team of effective and committed non-executive directors who are focused on enabling the delivery of HSE’s vitally important mission of protecting people and places.”

Louise Hosking is an experienced board-level leader with over 30 years’ expertise spanning health and safety, environmental health, governance and regulatory assurance. A former Local Authority Environmental Health Officer, Louise has held a range of senior executive and non-executive leadership positions, including Executive Director of Environmental Health at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. She has also served as President and Chair of Council at IOSH, the global professional body for occupational safety and health. Her extensive experience across the public, private and voluntary sectors brings valuable strategic, governance and stakeholder engagement expertise to board-level decision-making.

Find out more about all our Board members on our website.

Further information

• Recruitment for new NEDs is an ongoing process as members come to the end of their terms.
• It is managed by the Public Appointments team in the Department for Work and Pensions, our sponsor department, with involvement from our Board Chair, Sarah Newton.