Global glass bottle maker fined £600k after worker injured
Man suffered burns after molten glass was spilled. Protective door missing from shovel loader for two years. HSE guidance is available: A global glass bottle manufacturer has been fined £600,000 after a worker was burnt by molten glass and hot water spilling into his cab. O-I Glass Limited pleaded guilty to one charge following the […]
Builder sentenced after house collapse injures three workers
Three workers injured due to failures. Homeowner left with £200k bill to rebuild home. HSE guidance on structural works available. A builder has been given a suspended prison sentence after a roof collapse destroyed a home and injured three workers in Windsor. Jack Savva, 70, was given a 13-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, […]
Sign fitting company and director fined after fatal fall from scaffolding
Mr Iftikhar Ahmed Mughal, 64, died four days after falling from unguarded platform. Fall of just six feet proved fatal due to serious head injuries. Inspector highlights work at height as leading cause of workplace deaths. HSE guidance on tower scaffold protection readily available. A shop sign making and fitting company and its director have […]
HSE launches workplace safety inspections for motor vehicle repair
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched 1,000 targeted inspections of motor vehicle repair businesses across Great Britain to tackle occupational asthma. Many skilled vehicle paint sprayers develop this life-changing and debilitating disease each year, forcing them to leave their profession permanently. This inspection campaign will focus on workplaces that use isocyanate-containing paints and […]
Building firm fined after employee killed by collapsing wall in Bath
Gary Anstey, 57, had just become a grandad Inspector slams lack of planning that is “all too common” HSE guidance on temporary structures is available A building company has been fined after an employee was crushed to death when a 1.8m high retaining wall collapsed onto him. Gary Anstey, 57, from Bristol, was working for […]
Construction company fined after child injured by falling cast iron soil pipe
A construction company and its director have been fined after being found guilty of safety breaches that resulted in a five-year-old child being injured by a falling cast iron pipe. Sage Homes Limited and its director were convicted on Monday 4 August 2025, at Southampton Crown Court, for failing to properly assess a foreseeable risk. […]
Company fined after worker run over by forklift truck
Qube Containers Limited, which operates on Ipswich docks, has been fined £30,000 after an employee was run over and dragged by a forklift causing serious injuries to his ankle. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the prosecution following its investigation of the incident involving Harvey Addison, from Ipswich, on 11 December 2023. Mr Addison […]
Getting personal hearing protection right: what really matters
Personal hearing protection is the last line of defence between your workers and permanent hearing damage. But poor management turns every pound spent on earmuffs and earplugs into wasted money. “This isn’t about blame – it’s about recognising a key challenge,” explains Chris Steel, HSE’s Principal Specialist Inspector. Personal protective equipment sits at the bottom […]
“Serious gaps” found in protecting workers from excessive noise
Three-quarters of noisy workplaces lacked essential knowledge on maintaining hearing protection equipment, inspections have found. The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) most recent inspection campaign has identified significant failings in workplace hearing protection, uncovering issues with employee training and equipment management. One in four workplaces had noise levels requiring mandatory hearing protection, placing crucial responsibilities […]
Update from HSE on Coney Beach investigation
The investigation into last month’s incident at Coney Beach Amusement Park continues, with the ride in question now being inspected by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) experts at its laboratory in Buxton. Several children were injured in the incident involving the Wacky Worm ride at the venue in Porthcawl, South Wales at around 5.30pm on […]
Update on investigation into incident at Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show
The investigation into last month’s incident involving a fairground ride at the Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show continues. An 18-year-old woman was injured on the evening of Saturday 26 July 2025 during the event in Hampshire. She was taken to hospital and sustained serious injuries. HSE inspectors and amusement device specialists have visited 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 […]
Sarah Albon Chief Executive on the Health and Safety Executive turning 50
Sarah Albon, Chief Executive This is no ordinary new years’ message. Because on 1 January, 50 years ago, the regulator I am proud to lead was formed. Over the past half century, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has led the way in establishing Great Britain as a safe place to work. As we look […]
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 […]
Monthly roundup – December 2023
The final month of the year has seen the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conclude complex prosecutions against two care settings. December also saw cases relating to two frightening offshore incidents that resulted in fines totalling more than £1million. Another prosecution came about after a member of the public captured shocking footage on their mobile […]
Company and director sentenced after worker fractures arm and leg
A company and its director have been sentenced after an employee fell from height and suffered serious injuries. Andrew Smith fractured his left femur, left elbow, left arm and pelvis after falling approximately three metres off a ladder on 28 July 2021. He had been working for Profascias Ltd at Park Lane Primary School in […]