A Herefordshire-based conservatory manufacturer and installation company has been fined £40,000 after an employee fell through the roof of a first-floor orangery home extension.

Leslie Baker was one of several employees of Atrium Conservatories Limited, working to install an orangery extension covering the footprint of a former first-floor balcony at a house in Abberley, Worcestershire on 9 February 2024.

While working on the roof trusses, Mr Baker, who was 56 at the time, stepped onto an unguarded opening for a future skylight, resulting in him falling approximately two metres to the floor below. He sustained a serious head injury, several broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and kidney damage. He remained intubated in hospital for approximately two weeks before surgery could be attempted.

The long term impact on Mr Baker has been profound both physically, as his mobility has been affected long term, and mentally as he has since been diagnosed with PTSD.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that no external scaffold had been put into place around the perimeter of the extension to provide safe access or prevent falls to the ground below. Additionally, there were no measures in place internally to prevent falls into the extension.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height and managing construction activities.

The HSE investigation also found that Atrium Conservatories Limited had failed to properly plan the work and to provide its workers with suitable instructions for carrying out their duties safely.

Atrium Conservatories Limited of Kington, Herefordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They were fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £5,309 in costs at a hearing at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 26 June 2025.

HSE Inspector Jo Quigley said “Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death.

“This incident could have easily had fatal consequence and it highlights the importance of undertaking a thorough assessment of the risks for all work at height activities. Suitable control measures, such as internal crash deck, should also be implemented to minimise the risk of serious personal injury.

“Every company that carries out building alterations must understand they are undertaking construction work; and therefore ensure they put in place suitable control and management measures throughout the duration of the work to the same standards as the wider construction industry.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White 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 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.
5. HSE guidance on working safely at height is available.

An airport company has been fined £144,050 for failures that led to the tragic death of a 59-year-old man.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport Limited pled guilty to a breach of health and safety legislation at Ayr Sheriff Court after Joseph Dempsey, an experienced member of the ground handling team, died when a corroded guardrail gave way and he fell to the tarmac below.

The procurator fiscal told the court the fatal incident happened at Prestwick Airport on Wednesday 11 January 2023.

The prosecutor described how Mr Dempsey was preparing to unload cargo from an aircraft using a pallet loader. He had positioned the loader and was repositioning a guardrail when it suddenly gave way and Mr Dempsey fell to the tarmac, about 10 feet below.

Mr Dempsey’s colleagues immediately went to his assistance and paramedics attempted CPR and advanced life support. These efforts proved unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Health and Safety Executive investigation found that one of the guardrail posts had completely fractured. There were visible signs of significant corrosion, discolouration and flaking white paint around the area.

Metallurgical examination of the guardrail posts found differences in chemical composition, manufacturing, and wall thickness which indicated the posts were manufactured from two different tubing sections.

These welded sections were not a feature of the manufacture’s original design and appear to have been modified while the loader was under the ownership of Prestwick Airport. The welds on both the guardrail posts contained defects which would allow moisture in, creating a corrosive environment and speeding up deterioration.

There was no record of any modification or repair to the loader guardrail involving welding and the maintenance programme in place at the time did not cover the parts of the guardrail where failure or deterioration could lead to health and safety risks.

The charge libelled by the Procurator Fiscal and accepted by the company is that they failed to ensure that the pallet loader was maintained and in good repair.

They failed to have in place a suitable and adequate maintenance and inspection programme to identify deterioration of and corrosion to the safety guardrails fitted to the container loader.

As a consequence of Prestwick Airports failure, Joseph Dempsey fell from the platform when part of a safety guardrail gave way due to corrosion and sustained severe injuries from which he died.

Since the incident, Prestwick Airport has undertaken a review of all work at height.

Checks of the guardrails on the platform loaders have been added to the list of checks conducted during the annual service and inspection schedule and the failed guardrail was replaced by a new rail from the manufacturer.

Graeme McMinn HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety added:

“Employers have an absolute legal duty to ensure that equipment they use at work is maintained in an efficient state and in good repair and full working order.

“This incident is a tragic reminder of what can result when that does not happen.”

Glasgow Prestwick Airport Limited pled guilty to a charge contrary to Regulations 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations1998 and Section 33 (1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Ayr Sheriff Court on 25 June 2025. The company was fined £134,000 with a Victim Surcharge of £10,050.

Speaking after the sentencing, Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the COPFS, said:

“Joseph Dempsey lost his life in circumstances which could have been avoided if Prestwick Airport had in place a suitable and adequate maintenance and inspection programme to ensure the equipment he was using was in a good state of repair.

“This prosecution should remind duty holders that a failure to fulfil their obligations can have fatal consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure.”

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.

A London property developer has been fined £40,000 after a member of the public was crushed by a faulty falling lift at a block of flats.

The 23-year-old had returned to the flats on Cambridge Heath Road in East London, with a group of friends on 9 September 2019. When he and seven others entered the lift on the ground floor, it began to shudder and descend with the doors still open. As it began to fall, the young man attempted to exit the lift but he was crushed between the ground floor and the top of the lift. The crush injuries he sustained were so serious he eventually required a liver transplant.

Nofax Enterprises Limited had been acting as the property manager for the five-storey block flats. The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that it failed to act when defects with the lift were identified by a third party, resulting in a member of the public being harmed.

Health and safety law places specific obligations on those providing, controlling and using lifting equipment. HSE has detailed guidance for how to properly manage these risks. Thorough examinations should be carried out by a competent person at six month intervals for lifts designed to lift people. When a defect is identified that poses a danger to people the lifting equipment should not be used until the defect is remedied. Further guidance can be found here: Thorough examination and testing of lifts: Simple guidance for lift owners INDG339.

Nofax Enterprises Limited of Swiss House, Beckingham Street, Tolleshunt Major, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £8,540 in costs at Southwark Crown Court on 22 July 2025.

HSE inspector Pippa Knott said: “As a result of this company’s failures, a young man who was simply returning from a night out with friends has suffered life-changing injuries.

“The fine imposed on Nofax Enterprises Limited should underline to everyone in property management that the courts, and HSE, take these failures extremely seriously.

“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Nathan Cook and paralegal officer David Shore.

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 – Thorough examination and testing of lifts: Simple guidance for lift owners INDG339
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.

• Unannounced visit by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found failures.
• The company had failed to protect workers from exposure to wood dust.
• They also failed to maintain electrical installations.

A joinery firm in Middlesbrough has been fined £10,000 after an unannounced visit by Britain’s workplace regulator found multiple health and safety breaches.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)  visited Abbey Joinery and Manufacture Limited at its Worlton Road site on 25 May 2023. During their inspection they identified multiple failings relating to the company’s control of wood dust as well as its maintenance of electrical systems.  These failings meant that employees were being unnecessarily exposed to unnecessary risks.

Breathing in wood dust excessively can cause asthma and nasal cancer. HSE provides a range of guidance on working in the woodworking industry, covering the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002; exposure limits; extraction; and health surveillance.

HSE inspector Darian Dundas said: “Wood dust can cause serious health problems.

“It can cause asthma, which carpenters and joiners are four times more likely to get compared with other UK workers.

“There is clear health and safety guidance available to assist businesses in adequately controlling exposure to wood dust.

“Adequate control of wood dust is achieved when the eight principles of good control practice are applied.”

The HSE inspection also found failures in the company’s electrical installations, including both fixed and portable appliances and machinery. Exposed wiring carried the potential to put workers at risk of serious injury, or worse, from electric shock.

HSE guidance about electrical safety is also available. Darian Dundas continued: “It is vital that maintenance is carried out done to ensure the safety of electrical systems.

“The inspection and testing of equipment is also an essential part of any preventive maintenance programme.

“This investigation was supported by specialist inspectors with a deep knowledge in electrical safety.

Abbey Joinery and Manufacture Limited, of Whorlton Road in Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £10,000 with £4,428 costs by Teesside Magistrates’ Court.

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and paralegal officer 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 in England and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.
5. Relevant HSE guidance referred to in this press release can be found here: Control of substances hazardous to health (Sixth edition) – HSE, EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limits and The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 – HSE.

• Antony Clifton was suspended by the Gas Safe Register – but carried out illegal and unsafe work anyway.

• People encouraged to check the Gas Safe Register.

A rogue gas fitter from Norfolk has been jailed after carrying out unsafe gas work at a residential property while suspended from the Gas Safe Register.

Antony Clifton, from Wymondham, has been sentenced to 46 weeks in custody after he carried out unsafe gas work while falsely claiming to be a member of the Gas Safe Register. He worked at a home in Drayon, Norwich in January 2022, but there was a gas escape on the inlet to a cooker that had been fitted the day before by the 52-year-old.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Clifton had left the appliance in a condition where gas was leaking, and emergency repair work was required. Clifton had previously been served with a prohibition notice by HSE following unsafe gas work.

Further information and guidance on domestic gas health and safety is available.

Antony Clifton, a director of CS Appliance Repairs Limited, of Exige Way, Wymondham pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(7) and 5(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) 1998 Regulations. He was sentenced to a total of 46 weeks in custody and was ordered to pay £1,000 costs at a hearing at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on 14 July 2025.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Martyn Webb said: “Antony Clifton knew that he was not registered and should not carry out any gas work.

“However, he showed a blatant disregard to this fact and his illegal actions meant the people living in that house could have been killed.

“Homeowners and tenants should check for Gas Safe registration before allowing work to commence on their appliances and refuse entry to individuals who cannot prove they are registered.

“All gas work must be done by a registered Gas Safe engineer to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life.”

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 HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan and paralegal officer Helen Hugo.

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 England and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.

• Director’s family left with ‘mixed emotions’.
• No risk assessment or safe system of work in place at time.
• HSE guidance on safe use of transport is available

A textile manufacturer has been fined £220,000 after one of its directors was killed by a reversing HGV in Rochdale.

Daniel Ames was a director of The British Millerain Company Limited and had offered to stay behind at the company warehouse to wait for the return of the vehicle on 22 June 2023.

The truck arrived at around 5.30pm. Mr Ames spoke to the driver and confirmed he would act as banksman to help the vehicle reverse into the warehouse.

During the manoeuvre, the driver lost sight of Mr Ames and when he got out to check, he found him trapped between the vehicle and some steel storage racks in the warehouse. The driver called paramedics, but Mr Ames died in hospital from his injuries.

Speaking after the company was fined, Mr Ames’ family said the outcome left them with ‘mixed emotions’.

“Daniel went to work and never came home again and we have a massive hole in our lives that will never be filled,” they said in a statement.

“We are glad the company have admitted being responsible for his death and been handed a fine.

“But we remain devastated that we no longer have Daniel in our lives. Today we have still lost a much-loved dad, husband, uncle, son and brother, and we are devastated that his life ended in this way.

“He got on well with all his colleagues at work and had a great career. He was a respected professional who loved his job and was well known in the industry and was excited for his future. But that was taken away from us all in an instant.

“He was a real family man with a great sense of humour who was always making people smile and laugh and he enjoyed life to the full. We all miss him so much.”

The incident was reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who carried out an investigation into what happened. That identified a number of failings exposing employees to various risks, including having no safe system in place for reversing HGVs. Employees confirmed they had been doing the task for several years but had never received any training. This included one employee who said he had on occasion reversed HGVs into the warehouse with someone else acting as banksman – despite neither being trained to do so.

The HSE investigation also found the company had no risk assessment in place in relation to this work, with the regulator serving it with an improvement notice. Following the incident the company carried out a risk assessment that resulted in a safe system of work being implemented, which meant vehicles were no longer reversed using a banksman. Relevant guidance can be found here: Workplace transport – HSE.

The British Millerain Company Limited, of Unit 1 Park Mill, Buckley Road, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to breaching section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £220,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,634 at Manchester Magistrates Court on 10 July 2025.

HSE inspector Jane Carroll said: “This is a tragic case.

“Daniel was clearly popular and respected, but his leadership and dedication to his colleagues was not properly protected by the defendant.

“A safe system of work was not in place.

“We will always take action against those who fail to protect people in work.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski 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 Workplace transport – 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.

• CCTV stills show the scene moments before the incident.
• Company failed to property managed vehicle movements on site.
• HSE guidance is available.

A company in the West Midlands that reclaims and processes textiles has been fined £300,000 after one of its workers was hit by a telehandler.

The man, now 42, suffered serious injuries to his legs in the incident that happened on 23 March 2023 at a factory belonging to JMP Wilcox & Company Limited at Beldtray Works in Bilston.

Stills from CCTV footage captured the scene moments before the 39-year-old man was struck. He had been using a ride-on electric pallet truck inside the factory building. The pallet trucks are used for transporting goods of clothing to sorting lines and other areas around the factory.

The man and his supervisor had been finding stock in the ‘goods-in’ area. He was using his pallet truck to return an empty cage when he was hit by a telescopic handler that was being driven by another employee.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to properly manage vehicle movements on site. This included organising the workplace in such a way as to ensure the safety of its employees, both pedestrians and those using vehicles.

HSE provides guidance – Workplace transport – HSE – about what workplace transport arrangements can be put in place to prevent incidents. These include:

• The importance of risk assessment considering the risks associated with impact from other vehicles in the area such as telescopic handlers, forklift trucks and other trucks such as heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and what separation is required from those vehicles; and
• What separation would be required from other pedestrians and that these controls are implemented.

JMP Wilcox & Co Limited of Beldray Road, Bilston pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and have been fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,732 at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on 20 June 2025.

HSE inspector Gail Bell said: “This incident highlights the dangers to safety from inadequate management of workplace transport.

“A man suffered very serious injuries due to the failure to put suitable control measures in place.

“These measures ensure people are kept safe at work and specifically prevent them being struck by a moving vehicle.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Andy Siddall and paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.

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 Workplace transport – 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.

A waste and recycling company has been fined £400,000 after a council worker was crushed at a waste facility in London.

Paul McDaid, an Enfield Council employee, was working at the London Energy Ltd transfer station in Edmonton, London, on 13^th May 2022 when a shovel loader reversed into him. The 58-year-old had been closing the tailgate on his tractor after tipping waste into a nearby bay, when the vehicle reversed without realizing he was there and crushed him between both vehicles. He sustained very serious injuries.

The company was undergoing major construction work and the area where the incident occurred was a temporary unit. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the work was not suitably risk assessed and appropriate control measures were not implemented.

The investigation also found the company had also failed to implement suitable controls to segregate pedestrians and vehicles for which detailed guidance is available. Where vehicles and pedestrians share a traffic route there must be enough separation between them. This can normally be achieved through the use of physical barriers and safe systems of work. Relevant guidance can be found here Workplace transport – HSE.

London Energy Ltd of Ecopark, Advent Way, Edmonton, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay £5,573 in costs at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 27 June 2025.

HSE inspector Pippa Knott said: “Due to the failings of this company a man has been left with very serious injuries.

“They failed to segregate pedestrians and vehicles, putting both employees and council workers at risk.

“Too many workers are injured every year as a result of being struck by moving vehicles which could be avoided by implementing suitable control measures.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and paralegal officer Helen Hugo.

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 Workplace transport – 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.

A manufacturing company has been fined £15,000 after exposing its own workers to wood dust and failing to comply with two improvement notices.

Wood dust can cause serious and often irreversible health problems, including sino-nasal cancer, asthma and dermatitis. Employers have a legal responsibility to prevent or adequately control exposure in the workplace.

After concerns were raised to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), inspectors from the workplace regulator went to Billy Davidson NV Stables Limited’s premises in Wingate, Durham on 17 June 2022. As a result, notices were served on the firm requiring it to undertake an examination of the local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system fitted to a chop saw and for failing to control exposure to wood dust from the use of a circular table saw.

Proper dust extraction can include having the right machinery, and vacuuming dust instead of sweeping is often required. HSE’s easy-to-follow guidance can be found here.

Despite the action taken by HSE, when inspectors returned to the site on 12 January 2023, the circular saw was still being used, despite the company saying it had been taken out of use. Likewise, the chop saw and LEV was also still being used, and the company had not provided HSE with confirmation it had been examined and was adequately controlling wood dust exposure.

The subsequent HSE investigation found the company had shown a disregard for health and safety due to their failure to comply with the improvement notices.

A HSE campaign to protect workers from exposure to wood dust is ongoing.

Billy Davidson NV Stables Limited was found guilty of contravening two counts of Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulations 9(2) and 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £4,500 in costs at Peterlee Magistrates Court on 24 January 2024.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Clare Maltby said: “This company showed a blatant disregard to the safety of its own workers.

“Companies are responsible for controlling the exposure to wood dust, a substance which is hazardous to health and can cause long term health effects such as occupational asthma.

“Compliance could have been achieved by simply getting a LEV fitted to the circular table saw and getting a competent person to undertake a thorough examination and test of the LEV on the chop saw.

“This case demonstrates that we will not hesitate to prosecute companies who fail to comply with the law.”

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. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

The director of a Norwich woodworking company has avoided an immediate spell behind bars after he exposed his employees to harmful wood dust.

Wood dust can cause serious and often irreversible health problems, including sino-nasal cancer, asthma and dermatitis. Employers have a legal responsibility to prevent or adequately control exposure in the workplace.

John Risby, the director of Turners and Moore Limited, was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, at Norwich Magistrates Court. The 33-year-old’s company was also fined £40,000.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an inspection at the firm’s Hurricane Way site on November 2017, which identified significant failings in its measures to control exposure of employees to wood dust. Enforcement action was taken, however a subsequent inspection in August 2022 showed the company had failed to maintain standards and further enforcement action was taken.

Dust extraction and vacuuming instead of sweeping can be some of the measures taken to control exposure to workers. Guidance on working in the woodworking industry is available and an inspection-led campaign to protect workers continues.

Turners and Moore Limited of Hurricane Way, Norwich was fined £40,000 after pleading guilty to breaches of Sections 2 (1) and 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company must also pay £2,000 in costs. Director John Risby was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for two years. He will also pay costs of £1,100 for breaching section 37 of the same Act.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Natalie Prince said: “This outcome should send a strong message out to anyone with a responsibility for protecting workers.

“Exposure to wood dust can cause serious ongoing health problems and businesses must do all that they can to protect their workers.

“This outcome should underline to those in the woodworking industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to protect the health of employees extremely seriously and will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to do so.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski 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 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. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.