• 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.

• 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.

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.

• Man fell through barn roof at farm in Northumberland
• Company failed to protect workers carrying out the work
• Falls from height remain leading cause of workplace death and injury

A North-East building contractor has been sentenced after a bricklayer broke his back after falling through a barn roof in Northumberland.

The 24-year-old had been part of a team working for Len Smith & Son Building Contractors Limited carrying out repairs to the roof at East Fleetham Farm in Seahouses on 5 February 2025. The man stepped on a polycarbonate roof sheet and fell approximately eight feet to the concrete floor below. He suffered two broken vertebrae in his back, as well as having a fractured sternum, that required surgery.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to ensure that there were adequate measures in place to protect employees or contractors when working at height. There was no risk assessment or safe system of work for the work activity being undertaken.

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 what an employer must do to protect their employees from falls from height including making sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.

Len Smith & Son Building Contractors Limited, East House, 17 Meadow Lane, Beadnell, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to breaching the Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,744 in costs by North Tyneside Magistrates Court on 6 August 2026.

HSE inspector Richard McMullen said:

“The outcome of this case could have been much worse, but the man’s injuries were still very serious.

“Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, with 31 people losing their lives in the past year.

“The construction industry remains the sector that accounts for the greatest number of workers killed each year.

“These figures do not include those individuals that have sustained serious, life changing injuries in falls.

“We will prosecute those that fail to protect people while at work.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park and assisted by paralegal Zara Salman.

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 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.

• Bradley Willis-Chambers carried out gas work at two properties despite not being registered with Gas Safe
• Dangerous defects found at both properties and one home without hot water for an extended period
• Rogue trader had previously faced HSE enforcement for illegal gas work in 2012 and was later struck off the Gas Safe register in 2016

An unregistered gas fitter has been sentenced after carrying out illegal gas work at two houses in Hampshire, leaving the properties in a condition that could have endangered lives.

Bradley Willis-Chambers, 47, removed boilers at homes in Southsea and Tipner between 2021 and 2022, leaving a single parent with a young daughter without a working hot water appliance for an extended period, while a young couple in their first home were left facing costly repairs.

Following the removal of the old boilers and installation of new ones at both properties, concerns were raised with the Gas Safe Register about the installations and non-working parts.

An HSE investigation found that Bradley Willis-Chambers was unregistered – making the work illegal –  and had previously faced HSE enforcement action in 2012 for carrying out illegal, unregistered gas work. Although he later became a member of the Gas Safe Register, he was struck off in 2016 due to a failure to demonstrate competence, rectify defects and comply with registration rules. He had not been registered to undertake any gas work since 25 May 2016.

The property owners described the effects of the illegal gas work as being “misled at every stage”. They said the whole experience was “an ordeal” which “impacted not just… personal life, but also … work and relationships”, leaving them in an unfinished home and “still working to manage the debt” incurred, with the “emotional and financial toll” affecting them every day.

Alongside the HSE investigation, a Portsmouth City Council Trading Standards investigation found Bradley Willis-Chambers guilty of fraudulent trading against four victims during the same period. He is now subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order. Details can be found on the Portsmouth City Council website.

Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and can have fatal consequences; unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Members of the public should always check those carried out work on the Gas Safe register – anyone can check whether an engineer is registered by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or calling 0800 408 5500.

HSE Inspector Francesca Arnold said:

“Bradley Willis-Chambers carried out illegal and dangerous gas work which he knew he was not registered to do.

“His failures could have led to catastrophic and tragic consequences for the homeowners, putting the lives of the homeowners and their children at risk.

“All gas work must be undertaken by Gas Safe registered engineers. The public should always ask to see the gas engineer’s identification and check the registration number online to ensure it is valid – it only takes a few minutes to check and could prevent disaster.”

Bradley Willis-Chambers, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty on the morning of trial to four counts of breaching Regulation 3(3) and Regulation 5(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court and was committed for sentence to Portsmouth Crown Court.

Finding there had been a “flagrant disregard for the law”, on 23 July 2026, His Honour Judge Newton-Price KC sentenced him to eighteen months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and imposed a requirement to complete 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £600 compensation to each of the victims in this case, along with the victim surcharge.

Bradley Willis-Chambers is currently prohibited by HSE from undertaking gas work without being registered.

Gas engineers and consumers can contact the Gas Safe Register in any of these ways:

Gas Safe Register Phone – Consumers: 0800 408 5500; Engineers: 0800 408 5577 Email – [email protected]

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a rogue trader incident, or you suspect a business has broken the law or acted unfairly, you can report this to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133, or report fraud at 0300 123 2040.

This prosecution was brought by HSE Senior Enforcement Lawyer Jon Mack, enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer Helen Jacob. The investigation was supported by David Wilcox, HSE Visiting Officer, and Muriel Woolford, HSE Gas Safety Officer.

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: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) as amended. Approved Code of Practice and guidance – 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.

• Wayne Culliss got his son teenage Kazys to carry out boiler-replacement work despite the fact he wasn’t qualified to do so
• The work carried out was dangerous and resulted in a gas leak
• The lives of tenants – including a baby – were put at risk

A father and son have been sentenced after illegal gas work in a home in Stoke-on-Trent caused a leak that put the lives of those living there – including a baby – at risk.

Wayne Culliss, 55, had subcontracted boiler replacement work to his then 18-year-old son Kazys, despite the fact he wasn’t qualified or registered with Gas Safe to do so. The pair, of Boot Street in Whittington, pleaded guilty to offences after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The investigation by the HSE found that a British Gas engineer had attended a rental property in Hanley on 1 December 2023. This followed a report made by the tenant that the gas boiler was hissing and leaking cold water. The boiler was found to be dangerous and taken out of use, prompting the landlord to contact Wayne Culliss. He was a landlord himself, who also helped with the management of the property and he arranged for a new one to be installed.

Culliss Snr subcontracted the job to his son, Kazys, now 21, who carried out the illegal work on 9 January 2024. However, when another British Gas engineer inspected the boiler two weeks later as part of a Gas Safety Check, he could smell gas so immediately isolated the supply. After completing a gas tightness test, he identified a leak in the system, prompting him to cap off the supply. Gas leaks can have deadly consequences and the lives of the tenants, who also had a young baby, had been put at risk by the dangerous work carried out by Culliss.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require those undertaking gas work to be Gas Safe Registered, and to hold qualifications to demonstrate their competency to undertake gas work.

Kazys Culliss of Boot Street, Whittington, pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and must complete 140 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £500 in costs at a hearing at Wrexham Magistrates Court on 21 July 2026.

Wayne Culliss, also of Boot Street, Whittington, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £2,500 in costs.

HSE Inspector Rob Gidman said:

“The work carried out by Kazys Culliss, under the instruction of his father, Wayne, was reckless and put people at risk of serious harm.

“Gas work must only ever be undertaken by Gas Safe Registered engineers and HSE will not hesitate to prosecute those who disregard this and put people at risk.

“I would appeal to anyone who is getting gas work done on their home to always ask to see the identification of who come out to do it. They should also check their registration number online to ensure it is valid.

“It only takes a couple of minutes but can keep you and your loved ones safe.”

Gas engineers and consumers can contact the Gas Safe Register in any of these ways:

• Gas Safe Register
• Phone – Consumers: 0800 408 5500; Engineers: 0800 408 5577
• Email – [email protected]

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas. The investigation was supported by Sarah Ough and Natalka Heath, HSE Visiting Officers.

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: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) as amended. Approved Code of Practice and guidance – 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.

• Aaron Back, 41, fell from tipping bucket while dismantling pipework
• No suitable arrangements were in place to manage their contractors and ensure safety on their construction site
• Falls from height remain leading cause of death and injury.

A principal contractor has been fined after a man was left ‘physically ruined’ after falling from a tipping bucket on a fork lift truck in Kent.

Aaron Back, 41, a father of four, spent months in hospital after the incident at the EMIR site on Wotton Road in Ashford on 28 March 2023. The then 38-year-old had been contracted by South East Refurbishment Limited to carry out work dismantling pipework. He was in a raised tipping bucket on a fork lift truck at the time when he fell out of it to the concrete floor below.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that a scissor lift had been ordered to undertake the work but was too tall to enter the area where it was taking place – so the fork lift truck was used instead.

In a victim personal statement, Aaron Back said:

“Since the incident I am physically ruined.

“My left hand side doesn’t work properly. I can’t push off from my toes on my left so I struggle to get up and walk around.  My back also causes me excruciating pain.

“This accident has destroyed me as a person it has taken away my identity. I miss taking my kids to football.

“I have worked hard to improve and get better I want to be that person again.

“I worked hard for the company and I have been given a lifetime sentence.  I would give anything to be normal again to be back to being me.”

The HSE investigation found that no suitable arrangements were in place to manage the company’s contractors and ensure safety on the site. No actions had taken by the company either to ensure a different safe system of working was undertaken.

Although the company provided equipment to its labour-only subcontractor there was no training in place for relating to the fork lift truck or scissor lift for Mr Back or his sub-contractor. There was no instruction or procedure in place to ensure only trained operatives could get access to these and no adequate supervision on site.

HSE found significant failings by the company relating to unsafe work at height over a prolonged period of time, relevant advice and enforcement was given to them from 2013 regarding control of contractors and unsafe working at height.

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 what an employer must do to protect their employees from falls from height including making sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.

South East Refurbishment Limited of Unit 5 Aja Business Centre Laker Road, Rochester, Kent, pleaded guilty to Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, section 3(1).  The company was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £27,241 at Margate Magistrates Court on 7 July 2026.

HSE inspector Joanne Williams said:

“Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, with 31 people losing their lives in the past year.

“The construction industry remains the sector that accounts for the greatest number of workers killed each year.

“These figures do not include those individuals that have sustained serious, life changing injuries, resulting from a fall from height.

“In this case Aaron and his family have had their lives changed forever following what was a completely avoidable incident.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and assisted by paralegal Jason Dix.

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 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.