Personal hearing protection is the last line of defence between your workers and permanent hearing damage. But poor management turns every pound spent on earmuffs and earplugs into wasted money.

“This isn’t about blame – it’s about recognising a key challenge,” explains Chris Steel, HSE’s Principal Specialist Inspector.

Personal protective equipment sits at the bottom of the hierarchy of control because it needs constant attention. Unlike engineering controls that work automatically, hearing protection requires ongoing information, instruction, training and supervision to stay effective.

From our inspections across workplaces in Great Britain, we’ve identified the crucial questions every employer should ask about their hearing protection programme. Get this right before inspectors visit, and you’ll be protecting your workforce properly.

Condition: is your protection actually protecting?

Hearing protection only works when it’s in good condition. Earmuffs with stretched headbands, missing foam padding, damaged seals or cracked cups give false security rather than real protection. These defects create gaps that let through harmful noise, potentially causing permanent hearing loss.

Single-use earplugs don’t work if workers treat them as reusable. Once removed – for breaks, conversations or toilet visits – they must be thrown away. Brief removal compromises their integrity and putting them back rarely achieves the same protective seal.

Reusable plugs come with issues of their own. During one site visit, Steel’s team met a worker still using moulded earplugs he’d been given at 18 – he was 43 when they spoke to him. Materials degrade over time, ear canals change, and effectiveness drops substantially. Do your workers know replacement schedules? More importantly, do they know how and where to get fresh protection when needed?

Use: making protection accessible

“Hearing protection is useless sitting in storage whilst workers operate noisy equipment,” Steel emphasises. Timing matters: protection must go on before exposure begins and stay on throughout the hazardous period.

Think about placement strategically. Steel has seen one factory manager leave an inspector at the entrance whilst he walked 100 metres to fetch his earplugs, then walked back before inserting them – defeating the purpose entirely. Put supplies where workers need them, when they need them.

Proper fitting: the devil in the detail

Even premium hearing protection fails when worn incorrectly. Earplugs need clean hands for hygienic insertion and proper technique to achieve effective sealing. Workers must understand how to straighten their ear canals during insertion – a skill requiring demonstration and practice.

Earmuffs seem foolproof until you see them worn over hats, hoods or hair accessories. These seemingly minor problems create significant gaps in protection. Helmet-mounted systems add complexity: you can’t assume compatibility between helmet and earmuff systems just because components physically connect.

Individual differences matter enormously. Some workers can’t use standard earplugs due to narrow ear canals or other physical factors. Regulations require employers to offer suitable alternatives, not force unsuitable solutions. Regular observation helps identify workers struggling with proper fitting, often showing the need for different protection types rather than more training.

Performance: matching protection to need

Effective hearing protection requires technical matching between workplace noise levels and protection capabilities. During one site visit, one employee had chosen earplugs based solely on their football team’s colours – hardly acceptable performance criteria.

Understanding your workplace noise levels in decibels provides the foundation for proper specification. Each protection type has a Single Number Rating (SNR) showing its noise reduction capability. HSE’s calculator tools and guidance help match protection performance to actual requirements.

Crucially, adequate protection shouldn’t create new hazards. Over-protection can stop workers hearing essential warning alarms, creating safety risks that outweigh the benefits. Once workers wear hearing protection, check they can still detect critical safety signals.

The CUFF approach: systematic assessment

Managing hearing protection effectively requires systematic attention to four key elements – remember CUFF:

Condition: Regular inspection ensures protection remains physically capable of doing its job.

Use: Proper timing and accessibility enable consistent protection during hazardous activities.

Fit the ear: Correct wearing technique maximises the protection potential of well-chosen equipment.

Fit for purpose: Technical matching between hazard levels and protection capabilities ensures adequate safety without creating new risks.

Moving forward

Personal hearing protection demands active management rather than passive provision. The administrative burden reflects the serious consequences of failure: once hearing damage occurs, it can’t be reversed.

Next time you walk around your workplace, think CUFF when observing hearing protection use. These real examples from our inspections show how easily well-intentioned programmes can fail without proper attention to detail.

The investment in proper hearing protection management pays dividends in reduced injury rates, improved compliance and enhanced workplace culture. Most significantly, it preserves something irreplaceable: your workers’ ability to hear.

Noise: Management of exposure in the workplace – 28 October 2025

Protect your workforce from noise-induced hearing loss with HSE’s one-day training course on 28 October 2025 in Buxton, covering risk assessment and compliance with the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Essential for health and safety practitioners, managers, and supervisors responsible for managing workplace noise risks.

Three-quarters of noisy workplaces lacked essential knowledge on maintaining hearing protection equipment, inspections have found.  

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) most recent inspection campaign has identified significant failings in workplace hearing protection, uncovering issues with employee training and equipment management. 

One in four workplaces had noise levels requiring mandatory hearing protection, placing crucial responsibilities on employers to ensure proper provision and management of protective equipment. However, inspections revealed concerning gaps in implementation. 

At high-noise workplaces, more than 75% of employees lacked essential knowledge about storing hearing protection, checking for damage, or reporting equipment faults to employers. Nearly two-thirds (63%) had not received guidance on the critical importance of wearing protection continuously during exposure to harmful noise levels. 

Training deficiencies were particularly evident, with 80% of employees receiving no instruction on proper wearing techniques, including avoiding interference from hats and hoods, keeping hair clear of earmuffs, or ensuring compatibility with other personal protective equipment such as hard hats and eye protection. 

Most significantly, 95% of employers had failed to verify whether workers wearing hearing protection could still detect vital warning signals, including fire alarms and vehicle reversing alerts. 

Chris Steel, HSE’s Principal Specialist Inspector, said: “The gaps that we found in implementation are serious. They place an added risk to workers of excessive exposure to noise when they may believe they are being protected.  

“If your defence against workplace noise is to give your workers hearing protection then you need to check that it works. How confident are you that the hearing protection you have supplied is in good order, is being worn when it should be, how it should be, and that it is not stopping your workers from hearing warning signals?” 

To address these issues, HSE is promoting the CUFF checking system to help employers assess hearing protection effectiveness. 

The acronym covers Condition (equipment integrity), Use (proper deployment when needed), Fit the ear (correct wearing), and Fit for purpose (appropriate specification). 

HSE specialists will deliver guidance at industry events and webinars, providing practical advice on implementing effective hearing protection programmes and using the CUFF system to safeguard workers from noise-induced hearing damage. 

Read a feature piece from HSE’s Principal Specialist Inspector Chris Steel.

• Grandfather Justin Day would have turned 50 this year
• Family says their world has been “shattered”
• HSE guidance on safe use of equipment is available

Tata Steel has been fined £1.5 million following the death of a contractor at its Port Talbot steelworks plant.

Justin Day’s family learnt of his death while they were waiting for him at his youngest son’s school rugby match.

The much-loved father-of-three and grandfather was working at the steel manufacturer’s site in South Wales when he was crushed to death by a piece of machinery on 25 September 2019.

Maintenance work to replace a lift cylinder on a large conveyor system had been completed earlier that day, and the system was in the process of being put back into service when a hydraulic leak was found. A radio call was sent out for Justin, 44, to resolve the issue at about 2pm.

Although power was isolated to part of the system, other sections remained live. As staff worked on the lower level to fix the leak, Justin returned to the floor above and climbed into the conveyor system. His presence triggered sensors that activated a moving beam in a live section, fatally injuring him. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Tata Steel failed to ensure the conveyor system was properly isolated and guarded. The company did not take sufficient steps to manage the safety of the ongoing work.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated Justin’s death and brought a prosecution against Tata for what an inspector described as “basic” health and safety failures.

At the time Tata’s Port Talbot plant was the largest steelworks in the UK. Earlier this month, construction started on Tata’s electric arc furnace (EAF) at the same site.

Justin Day’s family had been waiting for him at the rugby field that afternoon, ready to watch his youngest son play in a school match. But instead, they received a devastating phone call telling them he had been involved in an accident. Just an hour later, they learned he had been killed.

Justin would have turned 50 this year. His wife Zoe Day said rugby was his passion, and that when his sons played, he was their “biggest fan”. She “never imagined” to be given the news of the incident while waiting for him to arrive pitch side.

“Since losing Justin I am not the same person I was,” she said. “I have struggled since that day – mentally, I am lost and don’t know where I’m going with life. It’s shattered my whole world.

“We were together for 23 years and did everything together. I can’t put into words how much this has affected me. I am a shadow of my former self and from the day of the incident, my world fell apart.”

The HSE investigation into the incident found Tata Steel failed to ensure the work to replace the lift cylinder was done safely. After the job was completed, the company also failed to properly isolate the conveyor system before Justin returned to address the leak.

Tata Steel also failed to ensure the conveyor system was effectively guarded to prevent access to dangerous moving parts of the machinery.

Tata Steel (UK) Ltd, of Grosvenor Place, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £1.5 million and ordered to pay £26,318.67 in costs at Swansea Crown Court on 31^st July 2025.

HSE inspector Gethyn Jones said: “Justin Day’s death could so easily have been prevented. A much-loved family man is not here because of failures in health and safety basics.

“Employers have a responsibility to make sure sufficient procedures are in place to protect workers – both employees and contractors – and that those procedures are understood and followed.

“The dangers of moving machinery are well known. Sufficient risk assessments must be carried out and access to dangerous areas must be properly guarded and controlled.

“This has been a long and thorough investigation, and we believe this is the right outcome. It is clear that Justin’s death has had a devastating impact on his family, his friends and the wider community. Our thoughts remain with them.”

HSE guidance on the safe use of work equipment is available on our website: Safe use of work equipment – HSE

This prosecution was brought by senior enforcement lawyer Jon Mack at HSE.

Notes to Editors

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 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.
5. Prosecution counsel, Nuhu Gobir, told the court that Tata Steel UK has 10 previous convictions for 17 health and safety offences.

• 124 workers died in work-related incidents in 2024/25
• 2,218 mesothelioma deaths in 2023 through past exposure to asbestos

Latest annual figures show 124 workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain. A decrease of fourteen from the previous 12-month period.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today, Wednesday 2 July, published its latest annual fatality statistics, covering the period from April 2024 to March 2025. The number of deaths remain broadly in line with pre-pandemic levels, and compares to 223 twenty years ago (2004/05) and 495 in 1981.

The industries with the highest number of deaths were construction (35) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (23). Of all main industry sectors, agriculture, forestry and fishing continues to have the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers followed by waste and recycling.

The most common cause of fatal injuries continues to be falls from a height (35), representing over a quarter of worker deaths in 2024/25.

A further 92 people who were not at work were killed in work-related incidents in 2024/25. This refers to members of the public who were in a workplace but were not working themselves.

HSE’s Chief Executive Sarah Albon said: “Great Britain is one of the safest places in the world to work, but we must remember each of these deaths represents a tragedy for families, friends and communities.

“Despite the stability in numbers, we cannot accept that fatal accidents are an inevitable part of working life. We are encouraged by the long-term trend but urge against complacency  on workplace safety.

“Our practical and proportionate guidance is available for free on our website, and further support is available if needed.”

The figures relate to work-related accidents and do not include deaths arising from occupational diseases or diseases arising from certain occupational exposures.

The HSE has also published the annual figures for mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos. The figures show that 2,218 people died from the disease in 2023, representing a fall of 62 compared with 2022 and substantially lower than the average of 2,508 deaths per year over the ten-year period 2011-2020. Current mesothelioma deaths reflect exposure to asbestos that often occurred before the 1980s and annual deaths are expected to continue declining during the next decade.

Notes to editors

• 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.
• Prior to 1981 only fatal injury numbers to employees were reported to enforcing authorities.
• A further 92 people who were not at work were killed in work-related incidents in 2024/25 (excluding work-related deaths to ‘patients and service users’ in England in health and social care premises registered with CQC).

A West Midlands chemical manufacturer has been fined £100,000 after failing to protect employees from the health risks associated with the use of vibrating tools.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was prompted by nine reports of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) being made to the regulator.

The investigation found that workers at Robinson Brothers Ltd had been using vibrating equipment over a 14-year period without adequate measures in place to manage the risk of developing the condition.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how employees at the company’s West Bromwich site carried out a range of maintenance and civil engineering tasks using tools such as grinders and road breakers. Despite this, the company had not taken steps to properly assess or control their exposure to vibration.

HAVS is a serious condition caused by regular and prolonged use of hand-held vibrating tools. It can lead to permanent damage affecting the nerves, blood vessels, muscles and joints of the hand, wrist and arm. Symptoms can include pain, tingling, numbness and loss of strength – making everyday tasks such as fastening buttons or holding utensils difficult or impossible.

HSE inspectors found that the company’s risk assessment was neither suitable nor sufficient. Control measures, such as removing the need to use vibrating tools, using lower vibration alternatives, or limiting exposure times, had not been implemented. Health surveillance arrangements did not include checks for HAVS, and employees had not received training on the risks they faced.

HSE guidance, available here, and in the HSE publication Hand-arm vibration – The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (L140), describes the risks to employees’ health and safety from exposure to HAVS, and sets out practical guidance to help employers fulfil their legal obligation to control these risks. It includes advice on the assessment of risk, ways to control exposure, and in-depth information about health surveillance.

Robinson Brothers Ltd, of Phoenix Street, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5(1), 6(1), 7(1) and 8(1) of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £6,761.40 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday 27 June 2025.

HSE inspector Claire Coleman said:

“The effects of exposure to vibration can be debilitating and once damage is done, it is irreversible. The effects can make it difficult or impossible to do things like hold a pen, fasten buttons or use a knife and fork.

“It cannot be underestimated how important it is that employers take the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees should they need to use vibrating hand tools.

“The available guidance is extensive and straightforward to follow and includes tools to assist in deciding what is needed to protect employees. HSE will not hesitate to act against companies which do not do all that they should to keep employees safe.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyers Edward Parton and Samantha Tiger, and paralegal officer Sarah Thomas.

Notes to Editors

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 Hand arm vibration at work
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.

A Gloucestershire farmer has been fined after the shepherdess he employed was killed in a quad bike crash.

Laura Simmons, was working alone on 2^nd June 2023, spraying weed killer along fence lines, using the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at a farm in Charlton Abbots near Cheltenham.

The overloaded quad bike overturned. The 22-year-old was found by a jogger several hours later.

Laura, described by her mother as “lively, caring and adventurous,” died from fatal spine injuries. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the ATV overturned due to an overloaded front rack, uneven tyre pressure, unstable load from lack of baffles in the spray tank and the potential for the spray lance to be used during movement.

Toby Baxter failed to provide suitable equipment, ensure pre-use checks were conducted, implement a system to fill the spray tank, formally train his employees and properly assess the risks.

Laura’s mother paid tribute to her daughter from Shetland, saying: “She was a lively person who loved animals, was very caring, was a hard worker, was plucky, intelligent, practical, adventurous and she had a beautiful smile.”

HSE guidelines emphasise that safety checks for ATVs must include checking tyre pressures, which are crucial for vehicle stability. Even a small 1 psi difference can cause dangerous control problems. Proper ATV operation requires appropriate training, suitable helmets, and careful route planning. The risk of overturn is significantly higher when carrying loads that destabilise the vehicle, especially on uneven terrain or slopes as these conditions require reduced loads and increased caution.

Guidance on safe use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture and forestry can be found on HSE website.

Toby Baxter, of Chedworth pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £6161.72 costs at a hearing at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 29^th April 2025.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Emily O’Neill said: “This was a tragic incident, and a much-loved young woman has lost her life. It could have easily been avoided with the right controls in place.

“We found several failures, so Mr Baxter’s previous suggestion that Laura was a victim of ‘unfortunate circumstances’ is, frankly, offensive.

“This prosecution highlights ongoing safety concerns in the agricultural sector, which remains one of Britain’s most dangerous industries for workers. Proper equipment, training and risk assessment are essential to protect workers.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and supported by paralegal officer Rebecca Foreman.

Notes to Editors

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 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.
5. Guidance on safe use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture and forestry can be found here.

A builder has been fined after carrying out unlicensed asbestos removal work at a house in Cheadle, Manchester.

Gavin Mutch, trading as G Mutch Developments, had been contracted to carry out renovations at the property including roofing work. Despite being warned by the customer that asbestos was potentially present in the fascia boards, Mr Mutch proceeded to remove the asbestos-containing materials on 8 September 2022.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found  Mr Mutch had carried out unlicensed and therefore illegal asbestos removal work. This type of work should only be undertaken by a licensed asbestos contractor with appropriate safety controls in place.

Mr Mutch, of Cheadle Hulme, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Manchester Magistrates Court on 8 April 2025. He was sentenced to a 12 month Community Order with 180 hours Unpaid Work and ordered to pay £2000 in costs.

This case highlights the importance of HSE’s current “Asbestos and You” campaign, which reminds tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it.

Asbestos can be present in buildings constructed before 2000 and can cause serious diseases when disturbed. Workers in trades such as construction, maintenance, demolition and installation are particularly at risk.

The regulator also provides comprehensive guidance for workers and employers about working safely with asbestos on its website. This includes information on how to identify asbestos, what to do if you find it, and the appropriate safety measures needed when working with or around asbestos-containing materials. This guidance is available on the HSE website.

HSE inspector David Norton said: “This case demonstrates why our ‘Asbestos and You’ campaign is so vital. At HSE, we want to raise awareness across the industry about the importance of having suitable control measures in place when working with asbestos-containing materials. Licensed work requires specific training, equipment and practices to ensure safety.”

The prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Crockett  and paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.

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’s campaign “Asbestos and You” reminds tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it. Asbestos can be found in buildings built before 2000 and is still the biggest workplace killer in Britain, causing around 5,000 deaths every year. When disturbed, asbestos releases tiny fibres that can cause fatal lung diseases and cancers. More information can be found at: Asbestos & You – Work Right to keep Britain safe
5. Guidance on working safely with asbestos-containing materials can be found at: Asbestos – HSE

This April, Britain’s bosses are being invited to follow five simple steps to prevent and reduce stress in their workplace.

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Working Minds campaign has called on employers to support workers mental health during Stress Awareness Month.

Over the course of the month, employers are encouraged to focus on one of the campaign’s 5 Rs for each of the five weeks. They are: to Reach out and have conversations, Recognise the signs and causes of stress, Respond to any risks you’ve identified, Reflect on actions you’ve agreed and taken, and make it Routine.

Preventing work-related stress isn’t just the right thing to do by workers, it’s the law. All employers are required to prevent work related stress to support good mental health in the workplace.

The Working Minds campaign brings together a range of tools and support to help businesses and workers including free online learning, Talking Toolkits, risk assessment templates and examples.

Kayleigh Roberts from HSE Engagement and Policy Division says: “By being proactive, you can improve productivity, reduce sickness absence and help retain valued workers. Employers are required to assess the risk of work-related stress impacting their workers, and act on the risks identified.

“As well as guiding you step by step, we provide all the practical templates, tools and resources you need to get started or, you can use it as an opportunity to review what you already do. A huge part of this is making it part of your everyday working life, not just a one-off tick box that gets forgotten about.”

There are six main areas that can lead to work-related stress if they are not managed properly. These are: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. Factors like skills and experience, age, or disability may all affect someone’s ability to cope.

If you are an employer looking for support, a good place to start is to register for free bitesize learning.

You can also…

• Use a Talking Toolkit to help structure your conversations
• Download a risk assessment template to develop your processes for preventing or managing stressors
• Find out about NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Managing Stress at Work
• Sign up to the monthly newsletter to help you champion the Working Minds campaign beyond April.
• Watch the webinar with Healthy Working Wales, which is also available with Welsh subtitles.

Notes to Editors:

1. 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.
2. To read more about HSE’s Working Minds campaign click here.
3. There are 36 Working Minds campaign partners including; Mind, ACAS, CIPD, NEBOSH and IOSH.
4. For press and media enquiries please contact enquiries@hse.gov.uk

A self-employed roofing contractor has been ordered to undertake unpaid work after the uncontrolled spread of asbestos in a back garden, putting two young workers and local residents at risk.

Doorbell-cam footage shows parts of an old garage roof being disposed of with a lack of control measures.

The footage has been released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at the start of Global Asbestos Awareness Week today, Tuesday 1 April, to highlight the dangers.

Stephen Wilks, trading as S Wilks Roofing, pleaded guilty to breaching asbestos safety regulations after work carried out under his control led to the contamination of a residential area with asbestos-containing materials.

The court heard how Mr Wilks had been commissioned by a property management company to replace asbestos cement roof sheets on three garages off Green Walk in Bowden, Altrincham in February 2022.

HSE began an investigation after a local resident raised concerns about debris that had fallen into their garden during the work. Analysis confirmed the debris contained chrysotile asbestos.

HSE inspectors discovered ripped bags of asbestos waste stored in a publicly accessible area in front of the garages, with asbestos-containing materials spilling onto the ground and contaminating nearby undergrowth. Further investigation revealed that residents’ personal belongings stored in the garages had also been contaminated.

The footage below shows two workers under the supervision of Mr Wilks  improperly clearing asbestos debris from a neighbouring garden and disposing of it in domestic waste bins, highlighting the unsafe practices that led to this prosecution.

HSE’s campaign “Asbestos and You” reminds tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it.

The regulator also provides comprehensive guidance for workers and employers about working safely with asbestos on its website. This includes information on how to identify asbestos, what to do if you find it, and the appropriate safety measures needed when working with or around asbestos-containing materials. Workers in trades such as construction, maintenance, demolition and installation are particularly at risk and should ensure they have appropriate training before starting work that might disturb asbestos. This guidance is available on the HSE website.

The property management company subsequently arranged for a licensed asbestos removal contractor to safely collect the waste and thoroughly clean the affected areas.

Mr Wilks pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) and Regulation 16 of The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, which require proper planning and precautions to prevent exposure to and spread of asbestos during non-licensed work. He was sentenced to a 12 month Community Order with 200 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £3582.13 costs at a hearing at Ashton-Under-Lyne Magistrates Court on 28 March 2025.

HSE Inspector Phil Redman said: “This was a serious incident that put Mr Wilks, those working under his control, and members of the public, at risk from the potential harmful effects of being exposed to asbestos-containing materials. Duty holders are reminded to ensure they fully control the risks associated with the removal of asbestos-containing materials that do not require removal by a licensed asbestos removal contractor.”

The prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Kate Harney and paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.

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’s campaign “Asbestos and You” reminds tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of working safely with it. Asbestos can be found in buildings built before 2000 and is still the biggest workplace killer in Britain, causing around 5,000 deaths every year. When disturbed, asbestos releases tiny fibres that can cause fatal lung diseases and cancers. More information can be found at: Asbestos & You – Work Right to keep Britain safe
5. Guidance on working safely with asbestos-containing materials can be found at: Asbestos – HSE

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its 2025 Annual Science Review, showcasing the work it has delivered in support of the five strategic objectives outlined in the HSE’s 10-year strategy Protecting People and Places.

The 2025 review features more than 20 case studies from HSE’s science division with demonstrating how its extensive expertise, knowledge and capability delivers a positive impact on the working world.

The review highlights the range of research that HSE scientists are working on, from the safe introduction of hydrogen technologies and supporting the UK target to achieve net zero emissions, to assessing the evidence for safe levels of exposure to various toxicological hazards.

Professor Andrew Curran, Director of Science, Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of GSE Profession: “I’m proud of the important, innovative work that the scientists, engineers and analysts carry out, providing the evidence base to help deliver our strategy. The science review provides interesting examples of their important work as well as introducing you to some of the excellent people from around our organisation we are privileged to work with.”

Innovative projects featured range from the use of drones to inspect safety critical structures, including recommendations on how and when to use remote visual inspection (RVI) instead of in-person close visual inspection(CVI), to work on how lithium-ion battery power plant can be safely used within the confined space of a tunnel to remove diesel exhaust emissions – providing a positive health benefits to workers.

The 2025 Annual Science Review is available for download from HSE’s science and research website.

You can find out more about the case studies on our YouTube Channel.