• A 12-year-old girl was injured by falling glass at Christmas lights event in Hanley in 2024.
• A snow machine fell from a window above the gift shop where members of the public were gathered.
• Emma Bridgewater Ltd was found to have failed to secure snow machine installed above public area.

Ceramics manufacturer Emma Bridgewater has been handed a £266,666 fine after a young girl was injured by falling broken glass during a Christmas lights switch-on event at its premises in Hanley.

The sentence was imposed after a Health & Safety Executive investigation found the company had failed to properly secure a snow machine which fell from a window above.

On 23 November 2024, the 12-year-old victim attended an annual Christmas lights switch-on event with her family at the Emma Bridgewater gift shop in Hanley. During the event, an artificial snow machine, which was in a window opening above the gift shop, fell out of the building and to the ground below. The machine hit a light on the way, sending a shard of broken glass towards the girl’s head, she suffered a deep cut which required hospital treatment.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Emma Bridgewater Limited had not properly assessed the risks associated with the use of the snow machine and had failed to ensure that it was properly secured to prevent it from falling out of the window, despite the manufacturer’s instructions demonstrating clearly how to safely install it.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to ensure that suitable steps are taken to prevent the fall of any material or objects where there is a risk of injury to employees or members of the public.

At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 6th July 2026, Emma Bridgewater Limited of Lichfield Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 10(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £266,666 and ordered to pay costs of £4931 along with a victim surcharge of £2000.

Health & Safety Executive Inspector Rob Gidman said:

“What should have been a festive event was marred by haphazard planning which left a young girl needing hospital treatment.

“Had the positioning of the snow machine been properly planned and the machine itself been properly secured, this incident could have been avoided entirely – and it’s fortunate the victim did not sustain more serious injuries.

“Christmas gatherings are a happy occasion, but it’s vital organisers thoroughly assess the risks and put in place measures to minimise the risk of harm to the public.”

The HSE investigation was supported by Visiting Officer, Sarah Ough, and the prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger.

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 Working at height: A brief guide.
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.

• Bricklayer fell more than two metres through an unguarded gap in a balustrade into a basement lightwell.
• No scaffolding or other protective measures were in place before employees began work.
• HSE found company failed to carry out a task-specific risk assessment or method statement for the work.

A construction company has been fined after a worker sustained life-changing injuries when he fell more than two metres while replacing steps at a residential property in Leamington Spa.

On 16 July 2024, 65-year-old Nicholas Crow, a bricklayer employed by Sibbasbridge Limited, was working at a domestic property on Binswood Avenue in Leamington Spa when he fell through a gap in a balustrade into a basement lightwell approximately 2.6 metres below.

The gap had been created the previous day when railings were removed to allow the old steps to be taken out. While helping to install new steps, Mr Crow fell through the opening and landed on the floor below.

Mr Crow suffered serious injuries, including head trauma and a stroke. He now experiences difficulty writing and holding objects, has mobility issues requiring the occasional use of a wheelchair, and has been left with speech and memory impairments.

In a victim personal statement, Nick’s wife Sarah said:

“My children feel that his best years have been taken away from him – what he worked for, for nearly 50 years of his working life. To have these taken away at such a late stage is deeply regrettable, especially as he deserves more.

“Nick was quiet, reliable, and the heart of our very close, extended family. The loss of his steadfast, constant love and support for all of us just cannot be measured.

“I experience living grief for the loss of my Nick every single day and I always will. I know Nick is grieving too – he suffers the same desolation and despair that engulf and overwhelm me on bad days. It is deeply painful to both experience and witness.”

(photos from the scene)

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Sibbasbridge Limited failed to put in place suitable and sufficient measures to prevent a fall from height. The company did not produce a task-specific risk assessment or method statement for the work, and failed to ensure that scaffolding or other protective measures were in place before employees began replacing the steps at the property.

HSE guidance states that employers must take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent falls when working at height. This includes properly planning the work, carrying out task-specific risk assessments, and putting in place physical safeguards such as scaffolding, guardrails or coverings to prevent falls.

Further guidance can be found here: Work at Height – HSE.

Sibbasbridge Limited, of 175a Evesham Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £7,638 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 29 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Zach Morris said:

“This incident was entirely preventable. Sibbasbridge failed to properly plan the works and put suitable measures in place to prevent a fall.

“Falls from height are one of the leading causes of workplace injury, and companies must ensure that all work at height is properly planned, risk-assessed and carried out using appropriate control measures to protect workers. HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action against duty holders which fail to protect their employees while working at height.

“My thoughts remain with Mr Crow and his family, as he continues to live with the lasting effects of the serious injuries he sustained that day.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Thomas Smith.

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: https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/
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 fell through unprotected stairwell opening during construction of an apartment block.
• HSE investigation found work at height was not properly planned or controlled.
• Company and director sentenced after allowing unsafe working practices.

A Staffordshire-based construction company and its director have been sentenced after a worker sustained serious injuries when he fell through a stairwell opening during the construction of an apartment block in Staffordshire.

The injured worker, who was 26 at the time of the incident, had been appointed by BHG (Stone) Limited, the principal contractor, as a labourer. On 5 December 2023, he was assisting with the installation of wall insulation on the first floor of the building.

To reach the top corner of the wall, the worker placed a ladder across the stairwell opening. While carrying out the task, he fell from the ladder through the opening to the ground below.

The fall resulted in serious injuries, including fractures to his skull and back.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that BHG (Stone) Limited failed to properly plan the work and did not put in place suitable measures to prevent or protect against a fall from height.

The investigation also found that company director Alistair Howells was working in close proximity to the injured worker and had allowed the work to be carried out in an unsafe manner.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work at height to be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner. HSE guidance highlights the importance of using suitable work equipment and implementing effective control measures to prevent falls.

BHG (Stone) Limited, of Michaelmas Barn, Aston Lane, Aston-by-Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0BW, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 in costs at Telford Magistrates Court on 1 April 2026.

Alistair Howells, 58, of Michaelmas Barn, Aston Lane, Aston-by-Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0BW, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,386 in costs at Telford Magistrates Court on 1 April 2026.

HSE Inspector Sara Andrews said:

“This incident highlights the importance of undertaking a thorough assessment of the risks associated with all work at height activities and ensuring suitable control measures are in place.

“Had the work been properly planned and sequenced, and suitable work equipment provided, this incident would not have happened.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds 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. Guidance on working at height 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 in England can be found here and those for Scotland here.

• 19-year-old labourer died after falling six floors from a ventilation shaft
• HSE investigation found that the ventilation shaft had been covered only by a sheet of plasterboard and roofing foam
• Jerram Falkus Construction Limited fined £40,200

A construction firm has been fined £40,200 after a teenage labourer died falling down a ventilation shaft on a London building site.

Renols Lleshi, 19, was helping to dismantle scaffolding on the 12th floor roof garden of a block of flats being built at the Ark Soane Academy site, Mill Hill Road, London W3 on 5 July 2023. As he stepped onto a ventilation shaft the covering gave way, and he fell six floors to his death.

Renols father said “My family and I are devastated by the loss of Renols. To know that his death was caused by an accident which was entirely avoidable only makes our loss even harder to cope with.

“We are grateful to the Health & Safety Executive for their efforts to investigate the accident and prosecute one of those responsible for Renols’s death.  However, nothing anybody can do can bring our loved one back or lessen our grief in any way.”

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the ventilation shaft had been covered only by a sheet of plasterboard and roofing foam. Routine inspections of the building did not include the roof garden area, meaning the inadequate covering went undetected and no warning was given to the scaffolding team.

HSE guidance on working at height states that employers should carry out as much work as possible from the ground and ensure workers can safely access and leave areas where work at height is required. Equipment used for working at height must be suitable, stable and strong enough for the task and properly maintained.

Employers and those in control of work at height must ensure activities are properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people, including the use of appropriate equipment.

Jerram Falkus Construction Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £42,200, a surcharge of £2000 and ordered to pay £5000 in costs at City of London Magistrates Court on 18 March 2026.

HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said: “Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to the death of a young man.

My thoughts are with Renols family and friends.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Arfaq Nabi and Senior Paralegal Manager 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 are 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.

– Employee fractured their hip after falling from a large plastic pallet box while disposing of food waste into a skip 

– The company failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment for loading skips and did not provide appropriate equipment for safe working at height 

– HSE guidance is available 

A Bolton bakery company has been fined £16,667 after an employee fractured their hip falling from a large plastic pallet box while working at height. 

The incident occurred on 15 April 2024 at Greenhalgh’s Craft Bakery Limited’s site in Lostock, Bolton. The employee had been standing on a pallet box to dispose of food waste into the top of a skip when they fell.  

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Greenhalgh’s Craft Bakery Limited had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for loading skips and had not provided appropriate equipment to ensure safe access. The investigation also found that inadequate supervision and monitoring had allowed unsafe working at height practices to become commonplace. 

Greenhalgh’s Craft Bakery Limited, of Crescent Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £16,667 and ordered to pay costs of £4,333.66, plus a victim surcharge of £2,000, at Tameside Magistrates’ Court on 13 March 2026. 

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death. HSE guidance on working at height explains how to plan and carry out work at height safely, including the importance of selecting appropriate equipment and ensuring suitable supervision. 

HSE Inspector Leanne Ratcliffe said: “Every employer has a duty to conduct a risk assessment. Employers should identify work-at-height activities and ensure that safe access is available and used. They should also ensure systems are in place for supervision and monitoring so that unsafe practices are identified and prevented.” 

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

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 Managing risks and risk assessment at work: Overview – 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 cut corners to speed up roof repair work.
• Man fell through fragile skylight.
• Despite incident, company carried on with the job the day after.

A construction company in Hampshire has been fined £80,000 after a man fell more than 15 feet through a fragile skylight during roof repair work.

The 29-year-old sub-contractor sustained multiple fractures as a result of his fall at The Tanneries Industrial Estate in January 2024.  As a result, he was unable to work for months, and has not regained full use of one leg.

J Smith Construction Services Limited had started the roof repairs at the site in Titchfield in December 2023, but the work had been progressing slowly.  In an attempt to speed up the project, the company planned to work over the weekend of 13-14 January 2024 and took on extra workers to help, including the sub-contractor.

The company did not arrange for scaffolding to be erected at the open edges of the roof, nor make adequate arrangements to prevent or mitigate falls through fragile areas of the roof.  As there was nothing to prevent or reduce his fall through the skylight, the man fell from the height of the roof to the solid floor below.

Despite this serious incident, J Smith Construction Services and the remaining sub-contractors returned to complete the work the following day, with no additional safety measures in place.

Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height, working safely at height including roof work. Health and safety in roof work

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of the workers on the roof.

J Smith Construction Services Limited of Southampton, pleaded guilty to breaching The Work at Height Regulations 2005, Regulation 6(3).  The company was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,630 at a hearing at Southampton Magistrates Court on 4 December 2025.

Company director, Mr Joseph Smith, who had been present throughout the works, pleaded guilty to Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, s.37(1). At the same court hearing, he was given a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay costs of £2,630.

After the hearing, a HSE spokesperson said: “These sentences should send a clear message to employers that HSE and the courts take a failure to comply with health and safety legislation extremely seriously.

“Too many workers are injured or killed every year as a result of falls from height during construction work. These incidents can be prevented if reasonably practicable measures such as scaffolding or netting are put in place to protect workers.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park and paralegal 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 Scotland can be found here.