Two brothers have been sentenced for failing to protect members of the public from their cattle.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Andrew and David Turnbull failed to offer and display signs of an alternative route to a public right of way in their field in the Coalsgarth Valley, North Yorkshire.

HSE prosecuted the pair following the death of former teacher David Clark, who was killed by a herd of cows while crossing the right of way on 21 September 2020.

The 59-year-old had been running with his two dogs when he was surrounded by a numbers of cows, and then struck to the ground.

Witnesses reported that one of the cows then turned back and ran towards Mr Clark, causing a fatal blow to his chest.

The father-of-three was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

HSE guidance suggests a number of reasonably practicable ways that farmers, landowners and other livestock keepers should follow to control the hazards for walkers when keeping cattle in fields where the public have access.

These all start through properly assessing the risks posed by cattle to users of public footpaths and implementing suitable protective and preventative measures to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Further guidance can be found here.

Members of the public can find out about steps to safely enjoy the countryside and respect farming activities by following Government advice in The Countryside Code – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Advice includes:

• Give livestock plenty of space. Their behaviour can be unpredictable, especially when they are with their young.
• Keep your dog under effective control to make sure it stays away from livestock. It is good practice wherever you are to keep your dog on a lead around livestock.
• Let your dog off the lead if you feel threatened by livestock. Releasing your dog will make it easier for you both to reach safety.

David and Andrew Turnbull, both of Low Gingerfield Farm, Richmond, North Yorkshire, both pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

At Teesside Crown Court on 3 March 2025:

• Andrew Turnbull, 57, was fined £1,589 and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.
• David Turnbull, 61, was fined £1,390 and ordered to pay £1,500 in costs.

HSE inspector Elliot Archer said: “Andrew and David Turnbull failed to do all that was reasonably practicable to prevent members of the public being put at risk by their cattle. Farmers, landowners and other livestock keepers need to be aware of the risk their cattle pose to members of the public and take suitable protective and preventative measures to mitigate that risk.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan and supported by HSE paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.

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. 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.

A renovation company in South Wales has been sentenced after defying enforcement notices from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Inspectors say Greenlife Property Developments Ltd failed to heed their warnings about the dangers posed to workers by a two-and-a-half metre deep excavation of the entire back garden of a house in Pit Place, Cwmbach, Aberdare.

The HSE inspection of the refurbishment works in September 2023 followed up on reports of unsafe construction work. It found that:

• Employees were observed working within the excavation, which was approximately 2.5 metres deep.
• The sides of the excavation were vertical, leaving a risk of rubble subsiding or collapsing without warning.
• The site had not been secured to prevent unauthorised access.
• There was no risk assessment for the refurbishment works and no safe system of work.
• Craig Lewis, managing director at Greenlife Property Developments Ltd, was present on site at the time.

Following the inspection HSE served Greenlife Property Developments Ltd with a Prohibition Notice, requiring the firm to stop construction work within the excavation until it had corrected defects under a safe system of work. There was an immediate risk of serious injury to employees, working inside the excavation, including of burial from falling rubble.

Two Improvement Notices were also served, one requiring the company to secure the site, preventing unauthorised access, while the other ordered the firm to obtain advice on the risks to workers inside the excavation and implement a safe system of work.

A subsequent HSE investigation found Greenlife Property Developments Ltd breached the Prohibition Notice by continuing construction work inside the excavation. The company also failed to comply with one of the Improvement Notices as it did not obtain advice on the risks to workers inside the excavation and implement a safe system of work. Mr Lewis ignored repeated attempts by HSE to contact him in relation to the notices served and the conditions on site, and attempted to deceive HSE by providing false information in relation to the actions taking by the company to comply with the notices.

HSE guidance states that excavation work must be properly planned and carried out to prevent accidents. Precautions should be taken, including against collapse of the sides, materials falling onto people working in the excavation, and undermining nearby structures. Further guidance can be found here.

Greenlife Property Developments Ltd, of Gurnos Estate, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Gwent, Wales, was found guilty of breaching Section 33(1)(c) and two breaches of Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £5,812.57 in costs at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on 20 January 2025.

HSE inspector Rachael Newman said: “Every year people are killed or seriously injured by collapsing and falling materials while working in excavations.

“Workers are not standing on solid ground when they are inside an excavation. There is almost no excavated ground that can be relied upon. One cubic metre of soil collapsing into an unsupported excavation can collapse without warning and weigh as much as one tonne.”

“Greenlife Property Developments Ltd failed to heed the warnings we evidently gave in our enforcement notices. They made no attempt to prevent the excavation from collapse. The company  failed to comply with two enforcement notices which were served to remove the risk and secure compliance with the law.

“The attempts to evade us were a deliberate breach and flagrant disregard of the law.

“The fine imposed on Greenlife Property Developments Ltd should highlight to everyone in the construction industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to comply with the law and enforcement notices extremely seriously. We will not hesitate to take action against companies which don’t  do all they should to keep people safe.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and supported by HSE paralegal officer Jason Dix.

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. 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.

• Albie Speakman, 3, died in July 2022 after being struck by a telehandler driven by his father.
• Neil Speakman was sentenced on Friday for failing to ensure Albie’s health and safety.
• Mr Speakman should have followed HSE guidance, says lead inspector.

A farmer has been jailed after he failed to ensure the health and safety of his three-year-old son.

Albie Speakman lost his life on 16 July 2022 after he was run over by a telehandler that was being driven by his father Neil Speakman.

A joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Greater Manchester Police found Mr Speakman failed to ensure Albie was kept safe from work activities on his family’s farm in Bury, Greater Manchester. The telehandler being driven by Mr Speakman was in poor condition.

Children should be kept safe from farming work activities by keeping them in a safe area, such as a farmhouse or a securely fenced play area. Further advice can be found here.

Mr Speakman, 39, was using the telehandler to move woodchip into bags while Albie was left playing in a small unfenced garden at the front of the house on Bentley Hall Farm.

The three-year-old wandered onto the farm yard and was fatally struck by the telehandler as it was being reversed.

HSE inspector Mike Lisle said: “This tragedy could easily have been avoided if our guidance was followed.

“Our guidance clearly states children should be kept away from farming activities and work traffic, remaining in a safe space, such as a securely fenced play area.

“Farms are workplaces, but often have a farm house within the grounds. This makes the provision of safe areas for children even more important.”

The HSE and Greater Manchester Police investigation identified that Mr Speakman failed to ensure there was a safe segregated area for Albie to play in so that he was kept safe from farm workplace activity. Instead, Albie was allowed to move around the farm yard while vehicles were being driven.

The investigation found Mr Speakman had borrowed the telehandler from a neighbour, and while he had previously used the vehicle, he was not appropriately trained and had not properly considered the risks involved with using it. The telehandler was missing a wing mirror on the passenger’s side, while the wing mirror on the driver’s side was dirty – reducing Mr Speakman’s visibility as he operated the vehicle.

Neil Speakman, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 after being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

He was handed a 12-month prison sentence and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on 28 February 2025. Mr Speakman must serve at least six months in prison.

Following a trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Mr Speakman was found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter in February 2025. This charge was brought by the CPS following a Greater Manchester Police investigation.

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 England and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.

• HSE programme has led to greater collaboration amongst offshore companies
• HSE inspected various North Sea production operators as they determined how PSLP was being adopted
• A report on the PSLP inspection programme was published today (Thursday 6 February 2025)

An inspection programme by Britain’s workplace regulator has led to major safety improvements in the offshore industry.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspected 13 production operators between January 2022 and May 2024 as part of its Process Safety Leadership Principles (PSLP) programme.

In addition to their inspections, HSE inspectors were also engaging with senior leaders at offshore firms and industry groups as they determined how PSLP was being embedded across the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS).

The programme was launched by HSE after it noted a stagnating safety record in the offshore industry.

A report on the PSLP programme was published today (Thursday 6 February). To view the report, click here.

Samantha Peace, director of Energy Division at HSE, said: “One of the main successes from our PSLP programme is that offshore companies are now engaging with one another on an unprecedented level. We found that firms were looking at themselves, identifying areas of improvement, engaging with other companies and above all, finding solutions.”

This has led to developments in process safety leadership, Major Accident Hazard (MAH) management and performance, workforce engagement and utilisation of the Elected Safety Representatives.

While there were successes from the programme, HSE found cumulative risk continues to be a challenge amongst offshore companies, with the regulator also noting that the industry is prepared to accept a greater degradation of MAH barriers, rather than fixing them.

The programme also identified that a reduction in headcount has consequently led to a decrease in skills, knowledge and competency in the industry.

“Although the programme has now finished, we will continue to challenge industry,” Samantha added.

“We will continue to question companies on how they are implementing PSLP and whether they are still collaborating with other firms on the same level we witnessed during the programme.

“We will also focus on the challenges we have identified in the industry, such as risk management and risk tolerance. It is not just down to HSE to develop safety standards in these areas however, companies will need to drive their own self-improvement. The PSLP programme shows that this can be done through collaboration, engagement and application – industry now needs to continue along this path.”

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. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
3. The PSLP inspection programme report can be found here

A manufacturing firm in Ipswich has been fined after two workers were struck by slabs of stone, with one of the men sustaining multiple bone fractures as a result.

Three slabs of quartz stone fell from a stillage onto Steven Constable and Struan Dunsmore while they worked at Bespoke Stone Ltd’s workshop on Dales Road.

The pair, both from Ipswich, had been preparing to lift one of the slabs onto a saw bed when all three fell onto them on 17 June 2022.

After sustaining multiple bone fractures and soft tissue damage, Mr Constable has required a number of operations and has been unable to work for over two years. The 54-year-old sustained fractures to his right femur, hip, left tibia and foot. He has spent a total of 12 weeks in hospital.

Mr Dunsmore, 31, sustained bruising to his body and required time off from work following the incident.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Bespoke Stone Ltd’s handling and storage of slabs was unsafe in that the material was not secure. The restraint system provided did not fit around larger sizes of material. The company also failed to accurately report the injuries sustained by Mr Constable and the time taken off work by Mr Dunsmore under RIDDOR regulations.

HSE guidance states slabs should always remain restrained during loading/unloading operations, whether from vehicles or from storage when any person could be in the hazard zone into which a slab might fall from its racked position or fail during lifting. Further guidance can be found at: Handling and storage of large sheet stone slabs – HSE

Bespoke Stone Ltd, of Dales Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £6,600 and ordered to pay £4,875.40 in costs at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 17 January 2025.

HSE inspector Jessica Flint said: “Bespoke Stone Ltd failed to grasp the importance of safe handling and storage of stone materials in stone masonry, with employees regularly working within the hazard zone of slabs during operations within its workshop.

“The CCTV footage makes clear how serious this incident was, with one of the employees sustaining a number of horrific injuries which have affected his ability to return to work. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and supported by HSE 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. 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.
5. CCTV footage can be found here: CCTV footage – HSE v Bespoke Stone Ltd.mp4 – Google Drive

• ‘It was a massive strain on us,’ says dad left disabled from horrific incident
• HSE subsequently prosecuted Amber Precast Ltd, with company fined £60,000

A father-of-two has revealed he was forced to move homes and unable to say goodbye to his dad after sustaining life-changing injuries following a horrific incident at work.

Wayne Hatton’s legs were crushed by an 800kg steel pallet that was being removed from a concrete cast, leading to the amputation of his lower right leg and two toes on his left foot.

His employer Amber Precast Ltd was fined £60,000 last week following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which found the company had not implemented a safe system of work to ensure the pallet could be removed safely. HSE guidance can be found at: Provide information, training and supervision: Overview – HSE

The 50-year-old, who was 46 at the time of the incident on 14 January 2021, later spent seven weeks in hospital and was bed bound for nine months after sustaining the injuries.

“I still get flashbacks about what happened,” Wayne said.

“Adapting mentally has been hard. Everyone always says you have handled it really well but they don’t see you on a day-to-day basis, just getting out of bed, putting your leg on and off and getting in and out of the shower and toilet.

“They just see me having a laugh and a joke about it, they don’t see everything else. I try and keep positive but dealing with it mentally has been hard.”

While the incident took a toll on Wayne’s mental and physical health, his relationship with his eldest son Jayden was also affected as he began to take care of his dad during his recovery.

Wayne, who lives in Doncaster, said: “He was only 17 at the time and it took a massive strain on him having to look after his dad.

“At the time it was a massive strain on us both. I was trying to deal with everything and he was trying to look after me.

“He didn’t realise what comes into running a house, washing, cleaning and everything else. And he was trying to have a social life as well, which he couldn’t do, so it was hard for both us, frustrating and we fell out a lot of times.”

As a result of his injuries, Wayne, who used to play golf and go to the gym prior to the incident, now wears a prosthetic leg and moved from his house to a bungalow which addresses his physical condition.

The biggest impact however came three months later in April 2021, with Wayne unable to be with his dad as he passed away.

He said: “The hardest part for me was my dad had only had six months to live and in the last three months, I only got to see him twice before he died. That was harder for me than losing my leg. I didn’t get to say goodbye to him, which still hurts now.”

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. 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.

A company has been fined after an employee had three fingers severed by a panel saw at work.

David Broadway, 36, had been working at Pemberton Timber Frame Limited, a company that manufactures timber frame structures for the construction industry, at its site in Evelyn Way in Ramsgate on the morning of 4 January 2023.

He was operating a panel saw and asked to cut down the thickness of a length of timber – known as a rip cut. This process involved passing a length of timber through the panel saw multiple times as the timber exceeded the depth the blade could cut in one pass.

CCTV footage shows Mr Broadway successfully completing the cut before flipping the length of timber over, but he soon found the second cut much more difficult. He can been seen attempting to feed the timber through the saw and while receiving it from the cut end, his right hand made contact with the saw blade, instantly amputating his index, middle and ring fingers, also cutting his little finger.

Mr Broadway said the accident has massively impacted in aspects of his life.

“I used to do weight lifting, ride my bike and keep active,” he said.

“I used to work a lot with my hands and I am now getting frustrated as I can’t do these things.

“Even normal activities like cooking or taking a shower are a challenge. It makes me feel stressed as I can’t do the everyday activities I used to do.”

Mr Broadway now also struggles to care for his children, including his young son, born after the accident.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Mr Broadway was asked to complete a task that was not suitable for the machine he was using. Pemberton Timber Frame Ltd had also failed to ensure he received sufficient training or instruction on how to use the panel saw safely, which would have included vital information about the limitations of the saw, guarding and other  safety features such as a riving knife and the use of a push stick. The saw riving knife was also absent at the time of the incident.

HSE has clear guidance on safe woodworking which includes how and when a rip cut is carried out – a panel saw with a circular blade must not be used unless the saw blade, at all times, projects through the upper surface of the material being cut.

The investigation also discovered that the company had appropriate machines to undertake this task safely but Mr Broadway was unaware of this due to his lack of training.

On 8 January 2025, Pemberton Timber Frame Ltd of The Strand, Walmer, Kent pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ court. The company was fined £12,000 order to pay full costs of £4,034.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE principal inspector Ross Carter said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers.

“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by Mr Broadway would not have happened.”

The HSE investigation was conducted by HM inspector Simon Asakura-Cornish and the prosecution brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Wells, support by paralegal officer David Shore.

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. 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.

A manufacturer in Sheffield has been fined after a steel pallet landed on an employee, leaving him permanently disabled.

The 800kg load crushed Wayne Hatton’s legs during a night shift at Amber Precast Ltd’s factory on 14 January 2021.

Mr Hatton, from Doncaster, had his right lower leg amputated with two toes on his left foot also being removed following the incident at Davy Business Park.

The pallet was being removed from a reinforced concrete cast when it fell onto the father-of-two, who had only recently been employed by the firm as a supervisor.

The then 46-year-old spent seven weeks in hospital and now has a prosthetic leg after his right lower leg was amputated.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the pallet had not been secured onto the lifting chains of the overhead crane before being removed from the concrete cast. This meant the pallet was not supported whilst being moved.

The investigation also found Amber Precast Ltd failed to consistently implement a system of work to ensure the pallet could be removed safely. Mr Hatton, now 50, and other members on his team had not received any information or instructions on how to remove the pallet safely.

HSE guidance can be found at: Provide information, training and supervision: Overview – HSE

Amber Precast Ltd, of Davy Business Park, Prince Of Wales Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £5,406.31 in costs at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on 9 January 2025.

HSE inspector Jane Fox said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided with the correct instruction and implementation of an agreed safe working procedure. Amber Precast Ltd left its employees to work out their own methods of completing the pallet removal task, instead of providing them with suitable training and equipment so it could be done safely every time.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Andy Siddall and supported by HSE paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.

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. 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.

Britain’s workplace safety regulator has published a helpful guide of do’s and don’ts for people installing stone worktops.

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) guidance is designed to remind dutyholders and workers about the need to ensure that suitable procedures and controls are in place to help protect against exposure to stone dust and prevent workers breathing in respirable crystalline silica (RCS).

Stone workers are at risk of exposure to airborne particles of stone dust containing RCS when processing stone, including engineered stone, by cutting, chiselling and polishing. Over time, breathing in these silica particles can cause irreversible, life-changing and often fatal respiratory conditions such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.

HSE’s guidance covers: Competent staff & effective processes, Pre-Installation, On-site Installation, and Post-installation.

Here are just some of the important steps that can be taken to minimise the risk of exposure:

• Installers should understand the risk from processing stone and how to use suitable controls;
• Worktops should be pre-fabricated so further processing on site is avoided;
• Water suppression or on-tool extraction with shroud and dust collector attached to an M-class vacuum should be used to control any dust generated;
• Respiratory protective equipment with an assigned protection factor (APF) of at least 20 (e.g. FFP3 face mask) should be worn when processing the stone
• Cleaning should be by wet methods or dust class M vacuum to prevent creation of dust

A link to the guidance is available here – Silica in Stoneworking – Work Right to keep Britain safe.

Mike Calcutt, Deputy Director at Health and Work, said: “HSE will continue to work with industry stakeholders to raise awareness of managing the risks from exposure to respirable crystalline silica.  It’s important that businesses act now to ensure they comply with the law and protect their workers from serious lung diseases.

“Great Britain has a robust and well-established regulatory framework in place to protect workers from the health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances. We want employers and workers to make sure they are aware of the risks associated with the activities they do, and that’s why we are sending this reminder.

“HSE’s inspectors have often found poor management of control measures including water suppression, dust extraction, equipment maintenance, cleaning and RPE provision. Employers should ensure suitable control measures are properly used and maintained.”

Employers have a legal duty to create suitable arrangements to manage health and safety and ensure they comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (as amended). Businesses should have in place effective control measures, including combinations of the enclosure and automation of processing equipment, use of water suppression and control of any mist generated and personal protective equipment such as RPE, to reduce workers’ exposure to the RCS.

You can sign up for regular updates from HSE on  silica here.

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 guidance on stone processing is available in the following HSE guides:
3. ST0: Advice for Managers
4. INDG463: Control of exposure to silica dust – A guide for employees
5. HSG201: Controlling exposure to stone dust
6. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

The national regulator for health and safety in Great Britain today (1 January) celebrates its 50^th Anniversary.

Created by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was officially launched on 1^st January 1975.

For the last 50 years it has played a central role in reducing workplace death and injury, helping Great Britain become one of the safest places in the world to work. In 1974, 651 employees were killed at work; HSE’s latest annual statistics for 2023/24 show that number had reduced to 138.

Sarah Albon, chief executive of HSE, has said that despite the transformation of Britain’s workplaces over the past half century, the mission of the regulator remains as relevant as ever.

Sarah said: “Over the past half century, the Health and Safety Executive has led the way in establishing Great Britain as a safe place to work. As we look ahead to the next 50 years, we recognise there is still much for HSE to take on.

“We’re proud of our successes over the last five decades, but the fact remains that any work-related death is a tragedy, and there are still far too many workers suffering ill-health brought about by work activity.

“In 2022, we launched our 10-year strategy, Protecting People and Places, to build on HSE’s strong foundations and address our current and future challenges.

“So today, HSE’s role goes beyond worker protection to include public safety assurance on a range of issues. Recent years have added new responsibilities, such as becoming the appointed Building Safety Regulator and playing an extended role in chemical regulation, post Brexit.

“It is hard to foresee what the world of work will look like in the next 50 years but as ever, our fundamental principle will continue to be to make sure that those who create risk, take responsibility for controlling risk, and those who fail to do so will be held to account.

“We will continue to work with businesses, with industry, with other regulators and with government, to enable strong economic growth, while we continue to deliver our founding principles as we work to protect people and places.”

Minister for Social Security and Disability,  Sir Stephen Timms, said: “I’m delighted to wish a very happy 50th anniversary to the Health and Safety Executive.

“Over the last half-century this organisation has been at the heart of efforts to protect people and places across Britain: I would like to thank them for this vital work.

“As we support more people to get into work through our Get Britain Working White paper, and as we move to strengthen protection for workers, their mission will be as important as ever – now and long into the future.”

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.