Farmer fined following death of worker[1]
A Gloucestershire farmer has been fined after the shepherdess he employed was killed in a quad bike crash. Laura Simmons, was working alone on 2nd June 2023, spraying weed killer along fence lines, using the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at a farm in Charlton Abbots near Cheltenham. The overloaded quad bike overturned. The 22-year-old was found by […]
Window manufacturing company fined after worker seriously injures hand[4]
A window manufacturer has been fined £100,000 after a teenage worker had two fingers severed by a cross-cutting saw. The 19-year-old was working for Ford Windows Limited at the company’s site in Sheffield when the incident occurred. He had loaded a cross-cut saw with a length of windowsill, which had been stored outside in the […]
Paddleboard tour leader jailed over deaths of four people[8]
A paddleboard business owner has been jailed for 10 years and six months for gross negligence manslaughter following the deaths of four people in 2021. Nerys Lloyd, 39, from Aberavon, who was the owner and sole director of Salty Dog Co Ltd, was charged with the gross negligence manslaughter of Paul O’Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, […]
Council fined for multiple failures on Guided Busway[11]
• Major transport system operated for almost a decade without basic safety measures • Council “chose to appeal enforcement action instead of acting on concerns”, says regulator • Families pay tribute to loved ones Cambridgeshire County Council has been fined £6 million after pleading guilty to serious safety failings on its Guided Busway that led […]
Company fined after load falls and kills cyclist[15]
A road haulage company in Nuneaton has been fined £90,000 after a metal heat exchanger fell from its lorry killing a cyclist. A Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), operated by JW Morley Transport Ltd, was driving down College Street, Nuneaton, on 18 June 2021 carrying four heat exchangers weighing over 10,000kg, when as it went round […]
Social housing provider fined after men exposed to risks from vibrating tools[17]
Two employees diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) in July 2023, following repeated exposure to vibration. One estimated he used vibrating equipment for 90% of his working day. A social housing provider has been fined £140,000 following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Stonewater Limited employed two men as estate assistants […]
Truffles Bakery fined after employee loses part of finger[20]
A Sussex bakery firm has been fined £12,000, for failing to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery, after an employee lost part of his left index finger. Kevin Norman was working at the company’s production site in Henfield, West Sussex, on 20 December 2023, when he reached into the dough divider to remove a […]
Builder sentenced for unlicensed asbestos removal[24]
A builder has been fined after carrying out unlicensed asbestos removal work at a house in Cheadle, Manchester. Gavin Mutch, trading as G Mutch Developments, had been contracted to carry out renovations at the property including roofing work. Despite being warned by the customer that asbestos was potentially present in the fascia boards, Mr Mutch […]
Engineering firm fined after worker suffers multiple injuries[27]
A engineering firm in Greater Manchester has been fined £100,000 after an employee’s arms, legs and feet were crushed when he became trapped under a large metal frame. Richard Jones was welding a large ‘A frame’ for Oldham Engineering Limited at its factory in Oldham when the incident occurred on 27 September 2023. The A […]
Defence company fined £800,000 after man shot on MoD range[31]
A defence technology company has been fined £800,000 after an employee was shot during testing of ammunition at a Ministry of Defence (MoD) range in South Wales. The father-of-two was left paralysed below the shoulders after being shot by a 5.56mm bullet fired from a gun, 570 metres away. The incident happened on 25 March […]
Company fined £2.5m following uncontrolled acid releases[34]
Schools were closed following hydrochloric acid release Joint investigation and prosecution by HSE and the Environment Agency Guidance is available on maintaining equipment in large chemical plants A chemical manufacturing company has been fined £2.5m following two incidents of uncontrolled releases of highly corrosive acids at its site in West Thurrock, Essex. Industrial Chemicals Ltd […]
Council fined after man falls while installing town’s Christmas tree[37]
20-foot tree toppled during Bury Market installation HSE has well-established guidance on safely working at height Bury Metropolitan Borough Council has been fined £200,000 after a man was injured while installing the town’s Christmas tree. The council employee was using a scissor lift to straighten the 20-foot tall Christmas tree when it toppled over […]
April is Stress Awareness Month: tackle stress in the workplace with five steps in five weeks[40]
This April, Britain’s bosses are being invited to follow five simple steps to prevent and reduce stress in their workplace. The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Working Minds campaign has called on employers to support workers mental health during Stress Awareness Month. Over the course of the month, employers are encouraged to focus on one […]
Fine for waste firm after man run over on his first day of work[44]
Worker “lucky to be alive” after being hit from behind by moving shovel loader HSE guidance says pedestrians and moving vehicles must be segregated A waste and recycling company in Oldham has been fined £250,000 after a man was run over on his first day on the job. The then 40-year-old was hand […]
Health Board fined for failing to manage patients risk of falling[48]
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been fined £250,000 following failures relating to patient falls in its hospitals. Three elderly patients sustained falls in 2022 and 2023 and they all sadly died. The cause of death of two of them was identified as being as a direct result of falling. Richard Hughes, 84 and Gwilym […]
Community order for builder after man fell through barn roof[51]
Thirteen foot fall caused brain haemorrhage and multiple fractures Barn roof also contained asbestos HSE guidance is available for working at height A self-employed builder has been told to complete 200 hours unpaid work after a man fell more than 13 feet through a barn roof in Lancashire. James Dargan-Cole, 25, of Todmorden, had failed […]
Contractor sentenced after uncontrolled spread of asbestos[54]
A self-employed roofing contractor has been ordered to undertake unpaid work after the uncontrolled spread of asbestos in a back garden, putting two young workers and local residents at risk. Doorbell-cam footage shows parts of an old garage roof being disposed of with a lack of control measures. The footage has been released by the […]
Annual Science Review 2025[57]
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its 2025 Annual Science Review, showcasing the work it has delivered in support of the five strategic objectives outlined in the HSE’s 10-year strategy Protecting People and Places. The 2025 review features more than 20 case studies from HSE’s science division with demonstrating how its extensive expertise, […]
Fines for company and director after man injured during excavation work[60]
A company and its director have been fined a combined £18,000 after a man was injured during excavation work in West Sussex. JHE Construction and Jordan Hay-Ellis pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws following the incident on 23 February 2023. The company had been contracted to complete a full barn conversion, which included […]
Wales: New partner joins HSE campaign to tackle stress in workplaces across Wales[63]
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) campaign aimed at preventing or combatting stress in the workplace has welcomed a new partner ahead of stress awareness month in April. Healthy Working Wales has become the 36th organisation to join Working Minds as part of its mission to improve the health of employees across Wales. In 2023/24, […]