Wood supplier hit with £40,000 for failing to protect workers from dust
Workshop caked in dust when HSE inspected Guidance is available to prevent excessive exposure A wood supplier has been fined £40,000 for failing to protect its workers from exposure to wood dust. Fakenham-based Nat Pal Limited was visited by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in April 2023. Dust was found scattered across the floor, […]
Fine for manufacturing firm after man loses finger in machinery
A manufacturing company has been fined £20,000 after a worker lost part of his finger in machinery at its site in St Helens. The man was injured at Film & Foil Solutions Ltd, which makes flexible film used in the food industry, on 4 December 2023. He was using a machine that converts and folds […]
British Airways fined more than £3million following worker injuries at Heathrow
Both workers “fortunate to be alive”, says HSE lawyer HSE guidance available on working from height and safe handling of baggage Specific guidance on airside safety management available from Civil Aviation Authority British Airways has been fined more than £3million after two employees fell from height and sustained serious injuries. The airline was prosecuted by […]
Farm fined after worker’s leg trapped in machine
“Safe stop” procedure must be followed when using potato harvesters, says regulator A farming partnership has been fined £20,000 after an employee trapped his leg in a potato harvester machine whilst working on a farm in Cheshire. The employee, who was 20-years-old at the time, was working for LP Ollier & Son on its potato […]
Car dealership fined after employees exposed to risks from vibrating tools
Two employees diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) following repeated exposure. One worker says he had symptoms of HAVS for around eight years. Guidance to keep staff safe is available. A car dealership franchise in Devon and Cornwall has been fined more than £200,000 after two of its workers were diagnosed with Hand Arm […]
Construction boss avoids jail after worker died during house extension
Stephen Pywell fell while walking on roof beams HSE guidance on working at height is available The director of a Leicester-based construction company has been given a suspended prison sentence after a man fell from height while working on a house extension and died in hospital several weeks later. Stephen Pywell was working under the […]
School trust fined after member of public hit by falling tree branch
A school academy trust has been fined and a man given a suspended prison sentence after a member of the public was hit by a falling tree branch. Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust and gardening services provider Nicolas Thépot (trading as ‘The Green Yem’) both pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches following the incident, […]
Firm fined more than £500,000 after shift worker fell to his death
HSE guidance on working at height and safe use of machinery is available A North Yorkshire company has been fined more than half a million pounds after a night shift worker fell to his death. Mark Pinder, 51, was working for East Riding Sacks Ltd, a manufacturer of paper sacks, at its site in Stamford […]
April 2025 – A roundup of HSE’s top stories
April saw a number of significant stories from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with multiple major prosecutions, including the workplace regulator bringing one of its most complex and lengthy investigations to a conclusion resulting in a £6million fine. We also prosecuted a health board in Wales, a large chemical manufacturing company, as well as […]
Company fined after worker suffers serious injuries
A haulage distribution company has been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries to his shoulder when a wrought iron gate fell on him. Kevin Simcox, 60-years-old, was working for Stan Robinson Distribution Ltd in Stafford when the incident occurred on 28 February 2020. He arrived at the site for his morning shift and was […]
Fine for company and director after employee dies from fall through roof
HSE guidance says all work at height must be properly planned A cladding company and its director have been fined following the death of a worker who fell through a fragile roof whilst replacing cladding panels. The 61-year-old was working for Camclad Contractors Limited, replacing cladding panels on a former abattoir that had been damaged […]
Company fined after death of man whose life was ‘unjustly cut short’
A construction company has been fined after a kitchen fitter was crushed to death by a pack of concrete blocks at a site in the Cotswolds. Martin Dunford, who was 33, was ‘very much loved’ by his family who say they miss him ‘every day’ since the incident on 23 January 2020. Martin, from Pocklington […]
Farmer fined following death of worker
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
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 […]
Council fined after man falls while installing town’s Christmas tree
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 […]
Manufacturing company fined £15,000 for wood dust failures
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 […]
Company director avoids prison over wood dust failures
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, […]
Company fined after 21-year-old worker dies
A company in Peterborough has been fined £67,000 after a young employee lost his life. George Setchfield was found unconscious over the side of a large container while working for Electrostatic Magic Limited at the firm’s site in Peterborough. George’s mum says his passing has affected “every aspect” of her life. The 21-year-old had entered […]
NHS trust fined after employee found unconscious in manhole
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been fined £480,000 after an employee suffered a brain injury after he was found unconscious in a manhole. The man had been unblocking a drain at the hospital on 1 February 2022 when he was discovered by other members of staff. He was rescued from the manhole by […]
Arriva and cleaning firm fined after worker killed at bus depot
A national bus company and a commercial cleaning firm have been fined after a “much loved young man” was killed at a depot in Hemel Hempstead. Albin Trstena, from Tottenham, was working for Cordant Cleaning Limited, when he was hit by a reversing bus being driven by a colleague on 5 November 2019. The 25-year-old […]