• 126 workers died in work-related incidents in 2025/26

• New analysis comparing rates of fatal injury in workers from a wide range of countries from around the world supports Great Britain’s position as one of the safest places in the world to work

• 2,146 mesothelioma deaths in 2024 through past exposure to asbestos

Great Britain continues to be one of the safest places in the world to work, according to new analysis published today (1 July) by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The analysis comes alongside the annual release of HSE’s statistics for work-related fatalities for 2025/26, which show that 126 workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain (GB).

HSE has this year developed new analysis comparing the level and trend of fatal injuries to workers in GB with a selection of 35 other countries from around the world, meaning for the first time the results can be compared with countries outside Europe. This analysis provides further supporting evidence that GB is maintaining its position as one of the safest places to work.

Excluding the years affected by the coronavirus pandemic (2019/20-2021/22), the number of worker deaths in 2025/26 is provisionally the lowest number recorded in a single year, comparing to 217 fatalities twenty years ago (2005/06) and 495 in 1981.

The industries with the highest number of deaths continue to be construction (25) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (22). Of all main industry sectors, agriculture, forestry and fishing continues to have the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000  workers (8.09) followed by waste and recycling (5.47). This compares to an average 0.37 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers across all industries combined.

The most common cause of fatal injuries continues to be falls from a height (31), representing around a quarter of worker deaths in 2025/26.

Workers aged 60 and over accounted for around a third of all fatalities during the year (40) despite that age group accounting for just 12 per cent of the workforce.

A further 104 people who were not at work were killed as a result of work-related incidents in 2025/26. This refers to members of the public who were not directly working themselves at the time of the incident.

HSE’s Chief Executive Sarah Albon said:

“Every one of these numbers represents a loved one lost; serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of the work we do.

“We can be proud that Great Britain remains one of the safest places in the world to work, and the new analysis we have developed this year, for the first time, allows us to compare our safety record with a wide range of other advanced economies.”

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

The HSE has also published the annual figures for mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos. These show that 2,146 people died from the disease in Great Britain in 2024, representing a fall of 109 compared with 2023 and substantially lower than the average of 2,508 deaths per year over the ten-year period 2011-2020.

Many current mesothelioma deaths still reflect exposure to asbestos that often occurred before the 1980s and annual deaths are expected to continue declining during the next decade.

Further information:

• 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.

• The international comparisons report findings show how other countries’ work-related fatal injury rates compare to Great Britain, and whether those relative rates are going up or down over time. They are based on statistical models, not direct comparisons, so should be treated as estimates rather than definitive figures.

• These findings should not be used to rank countries or compare non-GB countries against each other — only against Great Britain.

•  For additional information:

• the statistics webpage – Health and safety statistics – HSE

• the latest published fatal injury statistics – Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain – HSE

• the report ‘international comparisons of rate of fatal injury to workers Comparisons of work-related fatal injuries between Great Britain and other countries

• the latest report on mesothelioma statistics Mesothelioma in Great Britain

• 20-tonne tipper truck fell off edge of excavation ramp
• The driver of the truck suffered multiple injuries
• The joint HS2 venture set up by Skanska Construction UK Limited, Costain Limited and Strabag AG

A joint venture working on the HS2 rail project has been fined after the driver of a 20-tonne tipper truck was injured when his vehicle fell off the edge of an excavation ramp.

The incident happened on 27 July 2021, at a site in Copthall North near Uxbridge, West London. The site was being run by SCS Railways, a venture set up by three major construction companies – Skanska Construction UK Limited, Costain Limited and Strabag AG.

The tipper truck fell approximately two metres and landed on the driver’s side. The man behind the wheel suffered a broken nose, cut hand, and a shoulder injury.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited the site after the incident and found that there were no signs on the haulage routes being used. They also identified that there was no edge protection in place to prevent vehicles going over the edge of the ramp, and that excavations adjacent to some of the vehicle routes had unsupported, vertical faces which were at risk of collapse.

The incident occurred in an area where SCS Railways was building a ‘cut and cover tunnel’. These are shallow tunnels built on the surface before being buried, with trees, plants, and shrubs planted on top. Material from the excavation was to be reused, removing the need for it to be taken off site.

SCS Railways had contracted another company – ACE Grab Hire and Haulage Limited (ACE) – to transport excavation material via 20-tonne tipper trucks to an area under the control of another joint venture working on HS2, Align JV.  ACE drivers had been operating at the site for about two weeks by the time the incident occurred.

The subsequent HSE investigation found that on the morning of the incident, the SCS earthworks team changed their working area after an Align JV representative found the original material could not be used. This meant moving the excavator’s loading position and creating a new traffic route – but the change inadvertently left an unprotected edge on the bank above.

When the first ACE tipper truck driver used the higher-level bank instead of the intended new route, his vehicle slipped on the ramp. The next ACE driver followed the same path – and his vehicle veered off the edge of the bank.

HSE guidance on the management of vehicle movements on construction sites can be found in the HSE publication HSG 144, The safe use of vehicles on construction sites. This states that physical barriers, such as safety banks, should be provided at the edges of excavations. Guidance on excavations can also be found at Excavations – HSE. Haul roads on construction sites are also classed as temporary works and guidance can be found at Temporary Works – HSE.

SCS Railways, of 1 Hercules Way, Leavesden, Watford, pleaded guilty to contravening section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,974 at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 16 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Gordon Carson said:

“SCS had detailed procedures in place for much of the work at the site, including temporary works schemes for excavations.

“However, its failure to properly plan and promptly communicate changes in vehicle routes created unsafe conditions for the drivers of tipper trucks.

“The consequences of this could have been even more serious than they were for the driver involved in this incident.”

The investigation was carried out by HM inspectors Saif Deen and Gordon Carson, and the prosecution brought by HSE lawyer Andrew Siddall and paralegal 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. Guidance on the management of vehicle movements on construction sites can be found in the HSE publication HSG 144, The safe use of vehicles on construction sites. Guidance on excavations can be found at Excavations – 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 in England and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.

• Antonio Rodrigues, 55, fell from a scaffold platform through an unglazed window
• Lima Construction Limited was principal contactor at a redevelopment site in south west London
• Falls from height remain leading cause of workplace injury and death

A construction company has been fined after one of its employees was killed when he fell through an unglazed window opening.

Antonio Rodrigues, 55, had been working for Lima Construction Limited, the principal contractor on a project to redevelop a former department store on the High Street in New Malden, into a mixture of commercial and residential units.

On 27 July 2022, Mr Rodrigues, who was working as a labourer on the site, fell from an external scaffolding platform through an unglazed window void, landing on an internal concrete ground floor more than three metres below.  Although he was taken to hospital Mr Rodrigues died from his injuries several days later on 1 August.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that in one wall, window voids had been created to install glazed ‘Juliet’ doors. However, when the doors were delivered it was found some had damaged glazing panels so were not installed. Although the company recognised that the four unglazed window voids created a risk to workers on the scaffolding platform – falling from height through the voids – it was only in the hours after Mr Rodrigues fell that protective boarding was installed.

The HSE investigation identified it was reasonably practicable for boarding or additional inside scaffolding guard rails to have been installed over the window voids to prevent falls from height as soon as they had been created.

The company had also not ensured that legally required weekly scaffolding inspections had been carried out after 5 July 2022, so the opportunity for identification of the risks posed by the unglazed window voids by a competent scaffolding inspector was lost.

Lima Construction Limited, of Apsley Road, New Malden, pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 13(1) of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. It was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,347 at Westminster Magistrates Court on 18 June 2026.

HSE inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said: 

“This is a case where a company who generally tried to have good standards of health and safety, failed to react effectively to an unusual situation and there were tragic consequences.

“Falls from height are one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries in the UK.  Employers and those in control of any work at height activity should ensure a sensible, pragmatic approach when considering precautions for work at height.

“As there was no CCTV and nobody witnessed the incident, we will never know exactly what caused Mr Rodrigues to fall. But if the boards added shortly afterwards had been in place, then there would have been no opening for him to fall through in the first place.”

The HSE’s investigation was carried out by HM inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers, and the prosecution was brought by HSE lawyers Iain Jordan and Tom Ledden-Rocks, and paralegal Anushka Lulith.

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.

1. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.

1. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

1. Guidance on working at height is available at Working at height – HSE and further guidance on construction can be found at Get started – HSE.

1. 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.

• Employee sustained life-changing injuries when struck by a reversing vehicle.
• HSE investigation found the workplace did not have proper measures to separate vehicles and pedestrians.
• Nearly one in four workplace vehicle incidents involving reversing – HSE guidance advises setting up one-systems to remove the need for reversing.

A landscaping and civil engineering company has been fined £125,000 after a man was seriously injured when struck by a reversing vehicle in Wolverhampton.

The 58-year-old employee of Jack Moody Landscaping and Civil Engineering Limited suffered life-changing injuries after a visiting flatbed truck reversed into him as he walked across the company’s site at Hollybush Farm on Warstone Road on 22 September 2017. The worker sustained serious head injuries, damage to his eyesight, and significant mental and psychological trauma.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the workplace had not been organised to allow pedestrians and vehicles to circulate safely. There were no clearly demarcated pedestrian routes, no instructions for drivers on safe vehicle manoeuvring, and inadequate arrangements to ensure vehicles could reverse without risk to those on foot.

Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport occur during reversing. Many other reversing accidents do not result in injury but cause costly damage to vehicles, equipment and premises.

HSE guidance on reversing advises to remove the need for reversing altogether by setting up one-way systems, for example drive-through loading and unloading positions. Where reversing is unavoidable, routes should be organised to minimise the need for reversing.

Jack Moody Landscaping and Civil Engineering Limited, of Hollybush Farm, Warstone Road, Shareshill, Wolverhampton, was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court in November 2025. The company was fined £125,000 and ordered to pay £150,000 in costs at a sentencing hearing at the same court on 15 June 2026.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector Laura Royales said:

“This was a completely avoidable incident, caused by the company’s failure to put in place very straightforward measures to separate vehicles and pedestrians.

“Workplace transport incidents remain one of the most common causes of fatal injuries in this sector, and it is fortunate that this incident did not prove fatal.

“Employers must ensure their workplaces are properly organised to keep workers safe.”

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. Relevant guidance can be found here: Introduction to workplace transport safety – 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.

• Heat health alert issued until Thursday 25 June
• Employers have legal duties to protect workers from extreme heat
• Workers should talk to their employer if the temperature isn’t comfortable

Employers need to act now to make sure their workers are protected as a heat health alert has been issued for parts of the country until Thursday 25 June.

That’s the message from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the country’s workplace regulator, as summer arrives in the UK.

The regulator sees a surge in people seeking advice in periods of hot weather and, following the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing the alert, is calling on employers to plan for and support those working in extreme heat. The regulator says doing so will keep workers healthy and safe while also maintaining productivity.

Employers must assess risks to the health and safety of their workers by law, including risks from extreme weather such as heatwaves. While there is no legal maximum temperature for workplaces, heat is classed as a hazard and should be treated like other hazards.

HSE says everyone – whether working indoors or outdoors – is at risk and employers should discuss with workers changes to manage the risk.

John Rowe, Deputy Director for Technical Support and Engagement for the Health and Safety Executive, said: “Last summer should have been a wake-up call for all employers. If we continue to experience hotter summers this could have a big impact on the workforce of this country, affecting everything from health of workers to productivity on construction sites.

“The risks to workers from extreme heat must be properly assessed. Practical steps can include providing adequate ventilation and shade and allowing enough breaks for workers to cool down. We provide detailed guidance on our website hse.gov.uk.

“We know all employers are under pressure and we don’t want to add to their burden but it’s vital they think hard now about simple and cheap measures they can put in place to support workers should we see extreme heat again this summer.”

Simple measures to consider include:

• Making sure workplace windows can be opened or closed to prevent hot air from circulating or building up.
• Using blinds or reflective film on workplace windows to shade workers from the sun.
• Placing workstations away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
• Putting insulation around hot pipes and machinery.
• Offering flexible working patterns so workers can work at cooler times of the day.
• Providing free access to drinking water.
• Relaxing dress codes if possible.
• Providing weather-appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Encouraging workers to remove personal protective equipment when resting (ideally in shaded areas) to cool off.
• Sharing information about the symptoms of heat stress and what to do if someone is affected.

Ends

Further information:

• 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. hse.gov.uk
• HSE news releases are available at: http://press.hse.gov.uk
• HSE guidance can be found at: Temperature (hse.gov.uk)
• The UKHSA has issued a heat health alert for parts of the country until Tuesday 23 June 2026. Further information is available at ukhsa.gov.uk
• HSE is progressing the review of guidance and associated code of practice (ACOP) for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, ensuring our guidance reflects a modern workplace.
• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 place an obligation on employers to provide a ‘reasonable’ temperature in indoor workplaces. Detailed guidance is available on HSE’s website including information on measures that can be taken to improve thermal comfort.
• There is a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for all employers to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their workers and take action where necessary to minimise those risks as far as reasonably practicable. This would include the risks from extreme weather events, such as heatwaves.

• Gary Saville instructed man to carry out roof work but wasn’t insured in the event of injury.
• Jacob Black, 31, fell through skylight and was taken to hospital by air ambulance.
• The roof work was carried out without any control measures in place.

An uninsured business owner from Lancashire has been given a suspended prison sentence after an employee suffered life changing injuries falling through a roof.

Gary Saville, 54, (trading as Bespoke Landscapes and Buildings) of Park Lane in Preesall, Poulton-Le-Fylde, was given an 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and told to complete 260 hours of unpaid work.

He had employed 31-year-old Jacob Black to replace skylights on a farm outbuilding in Pilling, Preston, on the 17 June 2024, but he fell through a fragile roof to the floor below while carrying out the job.

Mr Black, also from Preesall, was taken by air ambulance to Preston Hospital and as a result of the incident, required two lung operations, collarbone surgery as well as sustaining multiple bone fractures.

In a victim personal statement, Jacob Black said:

“I have always been an active person and prior to the accident I cycled and used to enjoy walking with the family.

“Now I am unable to walk long distances and it has to be flat as I become very breathless.

“I also have restricted movement due to the communal fractures of the shoulder, which has caused poor movement in my right arm and makes everyday things, such as using a knife and fork and carrying items much more difficult.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Saville had instructed Mr Black to walk across the fragile roof surface without any control measures, such as crawling boards and netting, in place to prevent or protect against a fall, ultimately leading to him falling through a fragile roof light.

Falls from height remain a leading cause of workplace death and injury and HSE has detailed guidance eon working at height and it can be read at hse.gov.uk.

Gary Saville of Park Lane, Preesall, Poulton Le Fylde, Lancashire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and told to complete 260 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £700 costs at Warrington Magistrates Court on 16 June 2026.

At an earlier hearing on 10 February 2025, Saville also pleaded guilty to not having Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) at the time of the incident. Most employers are required by law to provide ELCI cover to ensure successful civil claims can be met. Further guidance can be found on the HSE website at Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 – HSE.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Paul Taylor said:

“Falls from height remain the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in UK workplaces and Mr Black is lucky to be alive.

“No control measures were in place to ensure the work could be carried out safely.

“To make matters worse, the man who employed him to do the job didn’t even have insurance in place should anything have happened.

“Nobody should be put at risk through the failures of those in charge.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger and paralegal officer Stephen Grabe.

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 – Work at height – 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.

• Colin Thwaites, who had spent his entire career in mining, died working for Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited.
• Lochaline mine is the only underground quartz sand mine in Europe.
• Mr Thwaites was struck by the blades of a fan which wasn’t sufficiently well-guarded

The operator of Europe’s only quartz sand mine has been fined after an experienced electrician was killed after being struck by the blades of a mine BORA fan.

Colin Thwaites, 61, died on 21 October 2024 while working at Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited’s underground mine on the Morvern Peninsula in the Scottish Highlands.

Mr Thwaites, who had spent his entire career in mining and was the mine’s only time-served electrician, had arrived for his day shift to help restore power following damage caused by Storm Ashleigh. He was working alongside an apprentice to disconnect a communications cable near one of the mine’s BORA fans when the incident occurred. His colleague found him trapped in the fan, having suffered fatal injuries.

HSE investigation findings

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Mines and Quarries Unit carried out an investigation, with inspectors arriving at the mine the following day. Their findings identified a series of serious failings in how the fan had been modified, commissioned and maintained.

The fan involved had originally formed part of a single in-line assembly unit with a sister fan. In June 2020, the decision was taken at the mine to split this single unit into two separate fans. HSE investigators found that the hazards arising from this modification had not been properly identified or managed. No written risk assessment was produced, no commissioning documents were created, and no records of any management discussion about the separation could be provided.

Critically, the splitting of the unit left the rotating parts of the Number 2 fan significantly closer to its intake guard than was safe. The fan blades were just 43mm — less than two inches — from the leading edge of the duct. The relevant guarding standard required a distance of at least 200mm, which could have been achieved through appropriate nose cone or cage-type guarding.

To cover the exposed intake, guards were fabricated on-site from two sheets of metal square lattice mesh, which HSE inspectors determined was poorly designed. The metal bracing straps were fitted on the outside of the mesh panels rather than the inside, providing no additional structural strength. The exhaust end of the fan remained entirely unguarded.

When inspectors examined the fan the day after the incident, the intake guard was found to be in a seriously degraded condition. Significant areas of mesh were missing, particularly around the fan’s impeller hub. Wire and mesh pieces recovered from the floor showed heavy corrosion on their broken ends, indicating they had been in that condition for some time — not freshly broken during the incident. Further pieces of mesh had been ejected through the fan during the incident itself. Had the guard been properly designed and maintained, it is likely it would have prevented the fatal incident.

Compounding these failures, the two fans had not been listed on the mine’s Mechanical Asset Register. No inspection checklists or maintenance records for them could be provided. While electrical inspections had been recorded, the degraded condition of the inlet guard had not been identified during those processes.

HSE took immediate and appropriate enforcement action against the company, who then engaged a specialist mining consultancy to achieve compliance.

Lochlaine Quartz Sand Limited, of European Technical Centre, Hall Lane, Lathom, in Ormskirk, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £150,000 and told to pay a Victim Surcharge of £11,250 at Inverness Sheriff Court on 16 June 2026.

Kevin Wilson, HSE’s chief inspector of mines and quarries, said:

“This was a tragic and entirely preventable death.

“Colin Thwaites was a highly experienced mining professional with decades of service. He should have gone home to his family that day.

“Our investigation found that when the fan was modified, the risks were not identified. The guarding that was put in place was inadequate from the outset, and its deteriorating condition went unnoticed because there was no proper maintenance regime in place.

“Mine operators have clear legal duties to ensure equipment is safely commissioned and maintained. Where those duties are not met, the consequences can be fatal.”

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 in Scotland can be found here.

• Albert Xhediku, 34, had been playing football with friends in Portsmouth.
• He was electrocuted by a floodlight as he climbed a fence to retrieve the ball.
• Parkwood Community Leisure Ltd failed to act on previous incident just weeks before.

A leisure facilities management company has been fined after a man was electrocuted while playing football in Portsmouth.

Albert Xhediku, 34, had been playing five-a-side with his friends on the all-weather pitch at Mountbatten Leisure centre on 17 January 2016. After the ball went out of play Albert climbed a fence to collect it. As he did so, he came into contact with a floodlight which delivered the fatal shock. Despite efforts by his friends to resuscitate him, later that day he was pronounced dead at the local hospital.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the incident arose from worn and faulty wiring on the floodlight which Parkwood Community Leisure Ltd had failed to properly inspect and maintain. It was also found that this failing had been present for several years and no action had been taken to repair the equipment. This was despite a previous incident being reported to the leisure centre a month before Albert’s death when an off-duty police officer suffered an electric shock from the same equipment.

HSE provides guidance on the requirement to maintain electrical systems. This guidance establishes that electrical equipment should be maintained so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, danger to any persons likely to come into contact with the equipment.

Parkwood Community Leisure Ltd of The Stables, Duxbury Park, Duxbury Hall Road, Chorley, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at a previous hearing.  At Portsmouth Magistrates’ court on 16 June 2026 the company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £40,000.

HSE inspector Dominic Goacher said:

“This tragic incident should never have happened.

“What followed was a long and complex investigation.

“We found that the electrical system of the floodlight that resulted in Albert’s death had already been identified by Parkwood as being in poor condition, yet they failed to take action to remedy the faults.

“This case is a stark reminder that effective systems must be put in place to properly assess and manage the risks posed by ageing infrastructure on their sites.

“As always, our thoughts remain with Albert’s family and friends and we hope the conclusion of this case can offer them some comfort.”

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 requirement to maintain electrical systems
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.

• Temporary wooden platforms collapsed during refurbishment project in City of London
• Steve Zschoch, 60, described being ‘folded up like a concertina’ and has not been able to work since.
• HSE guidance is clear temporary structures must be designed, installed and maintained to withstand any foreseeable loads.

Two construction companies have been fined after a drilling operative sustained fractures to his neck and back when a temporary platform loaded with concrete debris collapsed on top of him.

Steve Zschoch, now 60, was working for contractors Diacutt Limited on 23 February 2024 at a construction project at Paxton House in the City of London. The refurbishment project, which was being run by principal contractor Roots Contractors Limited, involved cutting openings through five concrete floors to create a service riser shaft.

Roots Contractors Ltd had instructed its carpenters to build temporary wooden platforms under each opening to collect the 16kg concrete cores and debris that were generated by the cutting.

Mr Zschoch had been cutting an opening on the third floor, working directly under one of the temporary platforms, when it suddenly gave way and collapsed on top of him, along with chunks of concrete that had not been cleared away.

He described being “folded up like a concertina.” He sustained injuries including fractures to his neck, his back and a bleed on his brain. He described the profound impact of the incident on his day to day life;

“The impact this incident has had on me has been life changing in so many ways, he said.

“Not just in mobility issues but in my confidence to do just about anything.

“Even simple domestic tasks, like using the launderette or going to the shops can overwhelm me now. Emotionally as well as physically.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that there was no design for the temporary platforms and no calculation had been made for the safe level of loading.

While an inspection form for the platform was completed, it failed to identify any issues with the design, and the person tasked to complete it was a not a competent temporary works coordinator.  We also found that although there had been a verbal instruction for workers to regularly clear the platforms of concrete and not ‘overload’ them, no safe level of loading was known, and there was no monitoring of whether the platforms were indeed cleared.

HSE also found deficiencies in the planning, managing and monitoring of the work by the contractor.

• Risk assessments and method statements provided by Diacutt in advance were inconsistent and their requirements for the principal contractor to provide ‘crash decks’ were unclear.
• There was no supervision of the drilling team by Diacutt management in the week leading up to the incident or on the day.
• While operatives understood that they should not work directly below one another, there was a lack of coordination and clarity as to who should have been working where.

Temporary works must be carefully managed. The law says any temporary structure must be designed, installed and maintained to withstand any foreseeable loads which may be imposed on it and that it be only used for the purposes for which it was designed, installed and maintained. They should be inspected by a competent person on a regular basis. Guidance on temporary works is available at hse.gov.uk.

Roots Contractors Limited of Ewell, Surrey, pleaded guilty to breaching The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulation 16(2). The company was fined £19,333 plus costs of £5,548 at a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ court on 11 June 2026.

Diacutt Limited of Croydon pleaded guilty to breaching The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulation 15(2) and was fined £13,000 plus costs of £5,548 at the same hearing.

HSE inspector Lucy Ellison-Dunn said:

“People rightly expect that when they go to work, they are not put in unnecessary danger, and this entirely avoidable incident had the effect of seriously injuring Mr Zschoch and ending his construction career much earlier than he wanted.

“Those providing temporary works have a duty to ensure that any temporary structure is properly designed and constructed to withstand any foreseeable load that might be imposed on it.

“This means having appropriate arrangements in place to manage temporary works.  Contractors should ensure all construction work is properly planned, managed and monitored to ensure workers can carry out their work safely.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyers Chloe Ward and Jon Mack, supported by Thomas Smith.

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 on temporary works is available can be found here and also about the duties of contractors to plan, manage and monitor construction 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.

• Mykhalio Hustei, 35, had been working and living on the site.
• He fell down an exposed excavation hole after returning from a night out.
• Company only made site safe after his tragic death.

A construction company has been fined after a man drowned when he fell into an exposed excavation hole described as a ‘death trap’, at a building site in Hertfordshire.

Mykhalio Hustei had been working for Alchemist DB Limited as a labourer on a project building several flats on the High Street in Bovingdon. The 35-year-old had been living in a property adjoining the site when he attempted to make his way home from a night out on 22 October 2021. However, as he tried to access his own home he fell into one of the exposed excavation holes that was filled with rainwater. His body wasn’t found until around 2pm the following day.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Alchemist DB Limited had been acting as a contractor to build the flats as part of a family-run property development business. New excavation foundations had been dug for the building footings. However, they were crisscrossing the construction site without any designated safe walkways.

The investigation also found the company had failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of those moving around and working at the site. At best, large boards and planks were used as bridges over excavations. The boards and planks were slippery and bowed when walked across. The site was also open to the weather, making it highly likely it would be slippery after rain, increasing the risk to those at site. There was also no dedicated lighting to the site and the boards and planks didn’t have handrails and weren’t secured.

The company only made the site safe after HSE inspectors visited the site following Mr Hustei’s death and took enforcement action. This included them installing dedicated walkways bridging over exposed excavations using scaffolding framework to prevent falls.

HSE guidance clearly states that no work should take place until all excavations are made safe. This includes protecting the edges of excavations with substantial barriers where people are liable to fall into them. Our guidance on excavation is available at hse.gov.uk.

Alchemist DB Limited of Devonshire House, Manor Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, were sentenced in absence for breaching Regulation 22(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs at a hearing in Luton Magistrates Court on 29 May 2026.  Since the incident, the company is now in liquidation.

HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed said:

“As always, our thoughts remain with the family of Mr Hustei, a young man who was just setting out on his career in construction.

“He had been simply returning to his flat after socialising with friends.

“However, the site was quite literally a death trap.

“The measures put in place by the company after his tragic death are a crude reminder about what could and should have been done in the first place.

“We will always take action against those who fail to protect people from risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Rebecca Forman.

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 excavation is available at hse.gov.uk
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.