• 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.

As school holidays approach, construction companies across the region are being urged to take additional precautions to keep children safe this summer.

While rare, children have tragically lost their lives, and others have been injured, after making their way on to unsecure and unsafe construction sites.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is calling on the construction industry to prevent children from accessing construction sites during the school holiday period, to stop children being injured or worse in pursuit of innocent fun and curiosity.

HSE is reminding those in control of sites that they have a duty to do everything they can to keep children out of the site and away from danger, with the following specific steps particularly relevant to child safety:

• Where necessary, to reflect the nature of the site and the surrounding area, ensure suitable perimeter fencing or hoarding is erected.
• Regularly check and review site security to ensure fencing or hoarding is maintained and kept in good order.
• Secure sites adequately when finishing work for the day.

• Barrier off or cover over excavations and pits.

• Isolate and immobilise vehicles and plant and if possible, lock them in a compound.

• Store building materials (such as pipes, manhole rings, and cement bags) so that they cannot topple or roll over.

• Remove access ladders from excavations and scaffolds.

• Lock away hazardous substances.

The school holiday period serves as a timely reminder that site security is not only a legal responsibility but a vital part of protecting local communities, especially when schools are closed and children have more free time to be outside.

HSE has a range of guidance and further information available to help manage the risks: Protecting the public

HSE’s Mike Thomas said: “Construction site managers should check their sites are secure, and in areas where children live and play, they should remain vigilant and ensure that the risks to children are properly controlled.

“Construction sites are places of work and contain numerous hazards, all of which can pose a dangerous threat to anyone entering without permission. Clients and contractors must ensure that unauthorised access onto sites is prevented, both during and outside working hours.”

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.

• Guidance referred to in this release can be found: HSG 151 – Protecting the public – your next move

• Other guidance referred to in this release can be found: CIS72 – Protecting the public: What you need to know as a busy builder

1. The relevant law in relation to unauthorised site access is set out in Regulations 13(4), 15(10) and 4(6) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
2. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available
3. 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.

• Samson Containers Ltd left welders exposed to cancer-causing fumes without ventilation or protective equipment.
• Company failed to act on two separate HSE improvement notices issued in September 2024 and February 2025.
• Company also failed to provide health surveillance to monitor the hearing of their employees exposed to high levels of noise.

A Lancashire manufacturer of skips and metal containers has been fined £30,000 after repeatedly failing to protect its workers from carcinogenic welding fumes at its site in Thornton-Cleveleys.

Despite being served with an Enforcement Notice by HSE inspectors on two occasions, Samson Containers Ltd continued to carry out mild steel welding without adequate control measures to protect their employees. Inspectors also found the company failed to meet it duty to monitor the health of workers exposed to high levels of noise – risking long-term harm.

During a visit to the site on 29 August 2024, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors identified several issues including high-intensity welding without local exhaust ventilation (LEV), inadequate welfare facilities, and a lack of assessment of noise risk, along with other health and safety issues on site. Multiple improvement notices were served.

Inspectors returned on multiple occasions to assess compliance, but found that the company had done nothing to comply with the notices relating to welding fume control and health surveillance for noise. This failure left employees exposed to carcinogenic welding fumes and at risk of becoming seriously ill. The company also failed to provide health surveillance to monitor the hearing of their employees exposed to high levels of noise throughout the shift.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer advises that exposure to mild steel welding fumes can cause lung cancer and possibly kidney cancer in humans. To control the risk, suitable ventilation must be present. Where this ventilation does not adequately control exposure, respiratory protective equipment (RPE) should be provided. Welding should not be undertaken without these control measures in place. This is applicable to welding indoors and outdoors.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Regulation 9 (1) requires employers to provide employees with health surveillance involving hearing checks where they are regularly exposed to high levels of noise or where employees are particularly at risk e.g. pre‑existing hearing loss or sensitivity to noise. Health surveillance helps employers to identify early signs of hearing damage, prevent further deterioration by prompting action, and making sure that their noise controls measures are working effectively.

The company Samson Containers Limited was found guilty at Warrington Magistrates’ Court of failing to comply with two Improvement Notices contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4571 in costs along with a victim surcharge of £2000 on 16 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Gemma Feerick said:

“This was a company that put its workers at risk of serious, long-term health conditions because it repeatedly failed to get the basics right – even when expressly served with notices to put proper controls in place.

“These fines should send a clear message that HSE takes failure to comply with enforcement notices extremely seriously and will act against companies and individuals who fail to protect the health and safety of their employees.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Julian White 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:

• Safety Bulletin 15: HSE Guidance welding fume 2019 – GOV.UK
• Welding fume control
• L108: Controlling noise at 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.

• 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.

• Scaffolder suffered a broken arm, leg and head injury after falling through skylight 

• Principal contractor failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work 

• Skylight was ‘almost invisible’ to workers  

Two construction companies have been fined £79,300 after a scaffolder broke his arm, leg and suffered head lacerations after falling through a roof skylight while installing temporary scaffolding edge protection at a warehouse in Yorkshire. 

James Cranswick, 26, was installing temporary scaffolding edge protection for Clover Access Systems Limited at a warehouse at Acre Mills in Keighley, West Yorkshire, when the incident took place. CCTV footage shows Mr Cranswick falling onto a pallet truck before landing on the warehouse floor.  

Mr Cranswick was on the roof carrying materials from one end of the unit to the other when he stepped on a skylight and subsequently fell more than 6 metres to the concrete floor beneath.  

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that both Clover Access Systems Limited and STM360 Limited failed to plan, manage and monitor the work being undertaken by the scaffolders at the unit. As such, no measures were in place to prevent the scaffolders falling from the edge of the unit, or through the fragile elements of the roof. The skylights of the unit were almost invisible to Mr Cranswick and he was unaware of any fragile elements of the roof.  

HSE guidance details a clear hierarchy for work involving fragile surfaces. Those in control of roof work should firstly avoid the need for access to fragile roofs. Further guidance can be found here: Health and safety in roof work 

Clover Access Systems Limited pleaded guilty to breaching The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulation 15. They were fined £26,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,866 at Leeds Magistrates Court on 4 June 2026. The company are now in liquidation. 

STM360 Limited pleaded guilty to breaching The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulation 13. The company was fined £53,300 and ordered to pay £3,167 in costs. 

HSE Inspector Shauna Halstead, said:  

“Mr Cranswick is lucky to be alive after this incident.  

“His fall was wholly avoidable; the risks associated with work on, or around fragile surfaces are well-known, and HSE guidance is available to assist companies in complying with the law.  

“Everyone working in construction should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action where roof work is not properly managed, as workers should not be needlessly put in harm’s way.  

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling.   

More 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 Health and safety in roof work – 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.   

• 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.

• Joiner suffered a complete spinal cord injury after falling through an unsecured skylight opening.
• Principal contractor failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work.
• Worker found by his son, the only other person present on site.

A mechanical and engineering construction company based in Manchester has been fined after a joiner suffered life-changing injuries when he fell through a skylight opening while carrying out work on a domestic property in Altrincham.

Adam Kirkpatrick had been subcontracted by JLM Solutions Limited to construct the timber frame for a new roof. On 22 November 2023, the 53-year-old was walking across a piece of plyboard that had been placed over roof light openings in the roof structure. The board had not been secured and gave way beneath him, causing him to fall from height.

Mr Kirkpatrick’s son was the only other person present on site at the time of the incident, after the rest of the workforce had left for the day. He called an ambulance, and Mr Kirkpatrick was taken to hospital, where he was found to have suffered multiple injuries including a head injury, fractured ribs, a fractured sternum and a complete spinal cord injury. He is now paralysed from the waist down.

He said: “I have worked in the construction industry since leaving school. I loved my job.

“I have always been able to provide for my family. Before the accident my wife had gone part time and we were making plans for retirement and spending more time with our grandchildren. This all changed due to the accident.

“It has gone from me being provider for the family to having to rely on other people.

“This accident has impacted my health. I have no feeling below my belly button, I suffer with severe nerve pain and have to self-catheter.

“Only for the NHS I wouldn’t be here today — they have saved my life.”

Mr Kirkpatrick’s wife Julie said: “On the day I was told that Adam would never walk again our world was turned upside down.

“Adam just loved to work. He lived for what he did and did it all for his family.

“It breaks my heart that Adam will never chase after his grandchildren again. He will never be able to play football with the boys or dance with his granddaughter. Everything my husband worked so hard for was to enjoy retirement and spend time with his grandchildren. That dream has been shattered since the accident.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that JLM Solutions Limited, acting as the principal contractor, failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work. The company did not ensure suitable measures and equipment were in place to prevent or protect against falls from height and there was a lack of adequate site supervision during the work.

HSE guidance states that good management of health and safety in construction is crucial to the successful delivery of a construction project and principal contractors have an important role in managing the risks of construction work.

Principal contractors must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase and ensure subcontractors have effective preventative and protective measures in place, alongside appropriate supervision, Guidance on health and safety management in construction can be found here: Managing health and safety in construction. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Guidance on regulations L153

HSE also has detailed guidance on how to plan and carry out work at height safely which highlights the important of using suitable work equipment and implementing effective control measures to prevent falls available here: Health and safety in roof work.

JLM Solutions Limited, of Elliott Street, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,850 and a victim surcharge of £2,000 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 26 May 2026.

HSE Inspector Karen Farley said: “Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace death and serious injury. The risks are well known throughout the construction industry.

“This prosecution highlights the importance of properly managing work at height activities. Had suitable control measures been implemented, such as a safe working platform combined with appropriate supervision, this incident would not have occurred and Mr Kirkpatrick would not have sustained these significant life-changing injuries.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer 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. 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.

• Company failed to provide hot water and suitable rest facilities.
• Failures continued despite HSE taking action.
• Provision of suitable welfare facilities is legal requirement.

A West Midlands based construction company has been fined after Britain’s workplace regulator found repeated failures at four different construction sites across the region.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection at Ling Developments Limited’s construction site at The Crest, Oldbury Park, Telford in April 2024 identified health and safety failings related to a lack of adequate welfare provision. This included the failure to provide hot or warm water in the toilets and a lack of suitable rest facilities for workers. The inspection resulted in two improvement notices being served, requiring the company to take action to comply with the law.

On three previous occasions, the company had been found to have breached the same legislation. An investigation, initiated by HSE, identified repeated failings by the company which, despite enforcement action and advice from HSE inspectors, continued to provide sub-standard facilities that contravened their legal duties.

Under The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, principal contractors have a duty to provide specific welfare facilities for construction sites. Washing facilities must include:

• A supply of clean hot and cold or warm water;
• Rest facilities must be equipped with an adequate number of tables and seating;
• Suitable arrangements to ensure meals can be prepared and eaten.

Further guidance can be found here: Welfare: Overview – HSE

Ling Developments Limited of Maypole House, Maypole Street, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 13 (4)(c) of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £15,858 and ordered to pay £3,858 in costs at a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 13 April 2026.

HSE Inspector Natalie Spurrier said:

“The provision of suitable welfare facilities such as hot running water and basic rest facilities are the minimum all workers should expect – they aren’t a luxury.

“Our investigation found that Ling Developments Limited failed in its duty to provide the minimum standard of welfare facilities at some of its construction sites.

“Failing to comply with legal obligations such as in cases like this, places workers at unnecessary risk.

“We expect these responsibilities to be taken seriously and HSE will continue to take action when standards fall short.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and supported by HSE paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.

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: Welfare: Overview.
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.

• Worker suffered multiple serious injuries after falling from ladder during refurbishment project.
• HSE investigation found there was no safe system of work for working at height.
• Company had previously been served with a Prohibition Notice for unsafe work at height.

A construction company has been fined after a worker sustained serious injuries when he fell from a ladder during renovation works in London.

On 5 August 2021, the worker was engaged on a refurbishment project in Islington for Bow Tie Construction Limited. The project involved converting an existing domestic property and a former handbag factory into a single dwelling.

As part of the works, a new concrete staircase was to be installed between the ground and first floors. Temporary timber formwork was required to construct the staircase.

The worker, along with two others, had been instructed by company director and acting site manager Rafael Delimata to build the formwork. While standing on the top of a stepladder and using a gas-powered nail gun, the worker fell approximately 1.65 metres to the floor below.

He sustained multiple serious injuries, including crush injuries to both elbows requiring several surgeries, a fractured forearm, dislocated wrists, and injuries to his right leg and left knee.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bow Tie Construction Limited had failed to implement a safe system of work for working at height during the construction of the staircase.

The investigation also identified wider failings in the management of work at height on site, including inadequate edge protection, incorrectly assembled tower scaffolds, staircases without edge protection, and uncontrolled use of ladders. These failings continued despite a previous HSE visit on 2 July 2021, during which a Prohibition Notice had been served for unsafe work at height.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death. HSE has detailed guidance on how to plan and carry out work at height safely, including the importance of selecting appropriate equipment and ensuring suitable supervision. These can be found on our website: Construction – Work at height – HSE.

Bow Tie Construction Limited, of Cliveden Office Village, Lancaster Road, High Wycombe, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay £4,101 in costs at Southwark Crown Court on 13 February 2026.

HSE Inspector Emma Bitz said:

“The risks associated with working at height are well known, and this incident could have easily been prevented.

“Employers must ensure suitable control measures are in place, safe working practices are followed, and workers are provided with appropriate supervision.

“Failure to do so can result in life-changing injuries, as this case clearly demonstrates.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz 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 Construction – 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.