• Man fell through fragile roof light.
• He had to be rescued by firefighters after becoming impaled.
• HSE guidance about working at height is available.

Two companies have been fined after a man fell through a fragile rooflight at a factory in Keighley, impaling his leg on machinery below.

A.T. Lee Properties Limited and LJH Property Limited were fined a combined total of more than £95,000 following a prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Directors for each firm were also given conditional discharges and ordered to pay prosecution costs.

The man suffered leg injuries after falling at Cirteq Ltd, Hayfield Mills, Colne Road, Glusburn in Keighley, on 8 July 2022.

He had been over-cladding an existing asbestos cement roof with two other operatives when he stepped onto a fragile rooflight, causing him to fall through and narrowly miss a machine operator working below. Firefighters were called to assist in rescuing the worker, who had landed on machinery, impaling his leg. Despite the horrific circumstances, he sustained relatively minor injuries.

The HSE investigation found that principal contractor A.T. Lee Properties Limited failed to ensure the works were properly planned, and that neither they nor their sub-contractor, LJH Property Limited, had effective preventative and protective measures in place to control the risks associated with roof work. They also failed to ensure that the correct equipment and tools were in place to undertake the work safely.

Sub-contractor LJH Property Limited failed to properly plan, supervise, or ensure the work was carried out safely, and its assessment of the risks arising from the work was both unsuitable and insufficient.

HSE has guidance for those planning work at height and how it can be carried out safely, including the preventative measures required is available. Introduction to working at height safely – HSE.

Further guidance is available for those undertaking the role of a Principal Contractor – Principal contractors: roles and responsibilities – HSE.

A.T. Lee Properties Limited, of Leardene House, Draughton, Skipton, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £47,783 and ordered to pay £2,386 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 1 October 2025.

Company director Neil Cryer pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the same Act. He received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £2,369 in costs.

LJH Property Limited, of  Moorfield Drive, Baildon, Shipley pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Act. The company was fined £47,818 and ordered to pay £2,518 in costs.

Company director Luke Hudson pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the same Act. He received a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £2,369 in costs.

HSE principal inspector Paul Thompson, who investigated the incident, said:

“People working on the roof and those working below within the factory were placed at serious risk. Had the man just a short distance either side of where he was impaled, this could have been a wholly different outcome.

“Work at height continues to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities, and had this work been planned, managed, and monitored to a sufficient standard by all parties involved, then this incident should not have occurred.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Jonathan Bambro, supported by HSE Paralegal Officer 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 can be found here.

A Middlesbrough man has been given a suspended prison sentence after carrying out illegal gas work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Neil Burton carried out boiler services in a home in Stockton-on-Tees on two occasions, in May 2021 and April 2022. Although Burton had previously been on the Gas Safe Register, he had allowed his membership and qualifications to lapse. A subsequent review of the boiler identified defects which meant it was classed as a risk and a danger.

Burton, 41, also carried out work at a house in Middlesbrough in September 2022 and October 2023. These works included disconnecting a gas hob and installing a new one, as well as disconnecting a gas fire. As he had done previously, he carried out this work while not registered to do so. He had also been subject of previous action taken by HSE, when carrying out illegal gas work in 2015.

Neil Burton, of Harrogate Crescent, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(1) and 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 7 October 2025.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Darian Dundas said:

“All gas work must be carried out by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met and to prevent injury or loss of life.

“The public should always ask to see a gas engineer’s identification and check their registration number online.”

Gas engineers and consumers can contact the Gas Safe Register in any of these ways:

• Website: Gas Safe Register
• Phone: Consumers – 0800 408 5500; Engineers – 0800 408 5577
• Email: enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk

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 can be found here.

• Workers put at risk of serious injury.
• Inspector slams contractor for showing “complete contempt” for workers’ safety
• HSE guidance is available on safe working from height and demolition.

A London contractor has been given a suspended prison sentence after risking the lives of workers and ignoring action taken by Britain’s workplace regulator.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ordered Mohammed Mehdi Ali to stop working at a construction site in Willesden on 7 September 2018. Inspectors visited the Willesden Lane site and found unplanned, unsupervised and unsafe work was putting people at serious risk of injury.

Workers had been identified working on the roof area where they were at serious risk of falling from a height as no measures to protect them were in place. Unplanned and unsafe demolition work had also left the building structure at risk of collapse.

Despite the prohibition notice being served against him, Mr Ali ignored it and the work continued as before, putting the lives of those working on the site at risk. Mr Ali, of Barn Hill in Wembley, also failed to turn up at court to face justice in 2021 and as a result a warrant was issued for his arrest. It was only thanks to intelligence from the local community that the police arrested him and the court proceedings could finally resume. He has now been given a suspended 20-week custodial sentence and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Not only did the HSE investigation find that Mr Ali disregarded the prohibition notice, but also that he failed to put in place measures to ensure the health and safety of people at his construction site.

The law requires employers to carry out their legal duty to protect persons’ health and safety at the workplace by ensuring that construction work is adequately planned, managed, and monitored and appropriately supervised.

Falls from height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death and HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height. In law, demolition work is treated the same as any other construction work. Workers must be supervised and follow safe working practices. HSE guidance on demolition is available.

Mr Ali pleaded guilty to committing an offence under s33(1)(g) of HSWA by breaching a prohibition notice and continuing to carry on the work without suitable and sufficient measures in place thereby exposing his workers to serious risk of personal injury. He was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work as well as 10 days of rehabilitation. He was also ordered to pay £12,151 in costs at a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 7 October 2025.

HSE inspector Saif Deen said: “Mr Ali not only ignored HSE and the criminal justice system, he showed complete contempt for the safety of workers.

“The law requires employees to ensure the health and safety of persons at their workplace. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that everyone on a building site is safe.

“We will not hesitate to take action against those who fail to comply with HSE enforcement and continue to put their workers at risk.

“Working at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace death and injury.

“We would like to thank the local community for ensuring justice was done, which helps to keep people safe.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes and paralegal officer David Shore.

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 can be found here and those for Scotland here.

• Several failings identified during investigation.
• Man described as ‘my everything’ by his daughter.
• HSE guidance is available.

A manufacturing company has been fined £240,000 after a grandfather was killed by a reversing HGV in Birmingham.

David Saint – described as ‘my everything’ by his daughter – worked as an engineering manager at Northwood Consumer Limited, at its site in Electra Park, Electric Avenue.

The 61-year-old, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, was walking across the service road on the shared industrial estate on 19 October 2023, when the reversing HGV collided with him.

Mr Saint leaves behind his wife, Cassandra, his children Samantha and Adam, his grandchildren, Jake and Ava, as well as his father, Terry, and siblings, Paul, Kim and Michael.

His daughter, Samantha, said: “He was my everything, there was nothing he wasn’t involved in.

“My life now consists of ‘what would dad do?’

“I think of him and miss him every day.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Northwood Consumer Limited failed to:

• Undertake a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks associated with workplace transport.
• Address the movement of HGVs in its site rules;
• Eliminate, as far as possible, the need for HGVs to reverse;
• Provide any aids or assistance to HGVs that had to be reversed;
• Display any signage to warn of the hazards arising from the movement of HGVs; and
• Control when HGVs would access the site.

HSE guidance provides advice for employers on what they need to do to comply with the law and reduce risk. The guide is also useful for managers, supervisors, employees and their safety representatives, as well as contractors, vehicle operators and other organisations concerned with workplace transport safety.

Mr Saint’s son Adam added: “I just miss my dad being there.

“I miss the conversations that we used to have and his guidance.

“I just miss everything about him.”

Northwood Consumer Limited of  Northwood House, Stafford Park 10, Telford, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £240,000 and ordered to pay £6,917 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 6 October 2025.

Lead HSE inspector Charlie Rowe said: “This is a tragic and shocking case that has devastated Mr Saint’s family, friends and loved ones.

“Pedestrians being struck by moving vehicles remains a leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain.

“Many of these incidents involve the reversal of vehicles with poor visibility, such as HGVs.

“The HSE will continue to take appropriate enforcement action where employers fail to implement reasonably practicable measures to keep people safe.

“My thoughts remain with all of David’s family and friends.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and supported by senior paralegal manager Sarah 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 at Workplace transport – 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.

The partner of a man critically injured by an exploding jet hose waited until after Christmas to agree to switch off life support.

Estefania Fonseca, who planned to marry Miguel Galvao the following year, was placed in this impossible position following failures by Lanes Group Limited, who have been fined £800,000 following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

She made the decision for the sake of the three children she had with Miguel. The 51-year-old died on 27 December 2022.

Two-and-half-weeks earlier, on 10 December Miguel was working as a drainage engineer for the utility and infrastructure company. When priming the jetting hose, a loud explosion was heard and the end of the hose whipped up at high speed, striking him. Miguel was rushed to hospital but placed in an induced coma.

The morning of the incident was very cold, with witnesses describing temperatures dropping to around -3 to -4 degrees. Water was being filled into the jetting system (hose, pumps and filters) prior to jetting. The end of the hose was suspended in an inspection chamber when a large pressure release, thought to be due to a build-up of ice in the system, caused the end of the hose to strike Mr Galvao in the face.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its employees. The major failings identified during the investigation were:

• There was no safe system of work detailing how priming of the jetting system should be done safely.
• There was a failure to maintain work equipment in an efficient state, as a number of other jetting vehicles were seen with defective vices.
• There was a failure to monitor use of physical control measures in place.
• Employees were not provided with sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision.

During the investigation, the Water Jetting Association, a trade association representing those carrying out high pressure water jetting, released a safety alert reminding operators of the importance of restraining or anchoring the end of the jetting hose.

WJA Safety Alert – Water Jetting Safely in Cold Weather – Water Jetting Association

The end of the hose should have been mechanically secured in a system such as the vice provided on the vehicle, like the one shown below.

“It felt like the floor had been taken from under me”

After two weeks in hospital, doctors told Estefania there was nothing more they could do for Miguel.

“They asked me if they could switch off the machine and then explained to me that Miguel could pass instantly or breathe by himself between five to seven days.

“Five days would have been Christmas day so I told them they could not do that because of the kids but they could do it afterwards. This was on 27 December.

“Since Miguel passed, I have PTSD – it has affected everything. Miguel was my everything, he was my rock. When Miguel died, it felt like the floor had been taken from under me.

“We lived together for 15 years and had planned to marry at Christmas 2023. We have three children – Angelica, Michael and Jose. It has been so difficult for them to cope without their dad.

“Michael screamed ‘my dad is dead’ when he saw him in hospital, and he still struggles with anger and grief. Angelica was a real daddy’s girl – she has trouble sleeping and misbehaves because she feels no one cares about what happened to her dad. Jose, our eldest, has tried to be strong, but it has affected him deeply too.

“I have good days and bad days, but everything has changed. We used to go out as a family every two weeks – to the cinema, to London, or even just to the park late at night – Miguel loved making memories with the children. We can’t do that now. The kids often ask why life is so different without daddy.

“Financially it has also been a real struggle. We relied on Miguel’s wages, and I now find myself on benefits, unable to give the children the life we had before. We don’t have a car anymore, I can’t always afford the heating, and I have to choose which child I can buy something for each month. It is heartbreaking.

“Miguel’s dream was to buy a house and retire in Portugal. When my father died, he said he would be happy living in my mum’s house there, and that is where we buried him. It is what he would have wanted.

“He worked for this company for nearly 10 years, and it hurts that he never came home from work. They came to his funeral but never spoke to me or the children. That lack of respect has been so painful.

“Miguel was a wonderful father and partner. He went to work that day and never came home. Our lives will never be the same without him.”

Lanes Group Limited of C/O Elements Ring Rd, Lower Wortley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS12 6AB pleaded guilty to breaches under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £800,000, reduced from £1.2 million due to the early guilty plea, and ordered to pay £8,680 in full costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge at City of London Magistrates’ Court on 2 October 2025.

HSE inspector Marcus Pope said:

“This absolutely tragic incident further demonstrates the need for companies to ensure there are suitable safe systems of work for non-routine work, such as work in freezing temperatures where machines are at risk of freezing.

“This investigation and the input from the Water Jetting Association should help demonstrate to the industry the importance of restraining or anchoring the end of jetting hoses when priming systems.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski 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 are 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 can be found here.
5. Health and safety information for the high-pressure water jetting industry can be found via the Water Jetting Association website: Health Safety and Medical – Water Jetting Association.

A marina based in the Norfolk Broads has been fined after a man was injured during a boat lift at the site.

The incident happened at St Olaves Marina Limited on 17 May 2023, which resulted in the amputation of the man’s finger.

The man, who was employed by Northern Divers (Engineering) Limited, was injured while assisting with a work boat being lifted by a telehandler operated by St Olaves Marina staff. As the boat was being raised, the man’s hand was crushed by the telehandler forks which resulted in the fourth finger on his right hand being amputated.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) determined that St Olaves Marina Limited had failed to implement suitable measures to control the risks involved in lifting operations and that staff had not received appropriate training for such tasks.

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that employers must take effective measures to safeguard their employees and persons not employed by them from the risks created by their work activities.

St Olaves Marina Limited, of Beccles Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £5,700 in costs at Norwich Magistrates Court on the 3 October 2025.

HSE inspector Christopher Booker said: “Every year, a significant proportion of accidents, many of them serious and sometimes fatal, occur as a result of poorly planned and managed work activities.

“In this case, a wholly avoidable incident was caused by the failure to conduct and carry out a simple lift plan. Had the company suitably planned the lifting of the boat, this life-changing injury would not have occurred.”

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

• Man suffered burns after molten glass was spilled.
• Protective door missing from shovel loader for two years.
• HSE guidance is available:

A global glass bottle manufacturer has been fined £600,000 after a worker was burnt by molten glass and hot water spilling into his cab.

O-I Glass Limited pleaded guilty to one charge following the incident at its Glasshouse Loan site in Alloa on 3 February 2024.

A 32-year-old man suffered scald burns to 8 percent of his body but has since been able to make a full recovery.

The company, which employs around 500 people at the site, continually operates furnaces that are used to smelt raw materials, from which glass bottles are manufactured. The furnaces and production lines are located on the floor above two glass reject basements, which house a number of large, moveable skips. It is into these skips that molten or formed glass is rejected, via chutes, during the production process. Coolant water runs down each chute with the rejected molten or formed glass, which in turn generates very hot water and large amounts of steam.

Due to the continuous nature of the operation, the skips would quickly fill and sometimes reject material and water would spill from the skips onto the basement floors. Employees working in these basements used shovel loaders to clear this spilled material from the floors, which was then emptied into other skips.

On the day in question, the worker had been operating a shovel loader, clearing the waste molten glass and hot water from the basement floor. However, there was no protective door on the cab of the vehicle, so some of that material spilled from the bucket onto him.

When it was first provided for use, the loader was fitted with a protective door incorporating a glass window, in front of the cab. However, an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) established that the protective door had been missing since March 2022. It had been removed from the vehicle after being damaged, and although this was reported to the site engineer at the time, no action was taken to replace it. In the almost two years that went by, other operatives had reported being struck or having footwear burnt by molten glass falling into the cab.

HSE guidance, specifically the publication “A guide to workplace transport safety – HSE (HSG136) paragraph 219 & 220: states that ‘vehicles should be fitted with additional protection for those working ….in an inhospitable working environment…. where there is a risk of being struck by falling objects, the vehicle should be fitted with a falling-object protective structure (FOPS)’ and Safe use of work equipment – HSE (Approved Code of Practice to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER))

Following the incident, the company removed the vehicle from service, and it didn’t return until June 2024, after being fitted with a steel front door, incorporating a glass window with protective wire mesh.

O-I Glass Limited, of Edinburgh Way, Harlow, Essex, pleaded guilty to Regulation 5 (1) of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and section 33(1) of Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to maintain the vehicle in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. The company was fined £600,000 at Stirling Sheriff Court on 23 September 2025.

HSE inspector Kathy Gostick said: “This was an avoidable ordeal for a young worker. It is sheer luck he has been able to recover from his serious injuries.

“This company’s employees worked in this environment with a safety critical part of the loader missing for a period of almost two years.

“Although the protective front door had been removed and reported to the on-site engineer, drivers had continued to work and operate the loader with it missing.

“Some operatives even described being struck or having footwear burnt by molten glass falling into the cab as a result.

“When work equipment is being selected, its suitability for the environment it is going to be used in must be risk assessed. In this case the protective door was not suitable to protect against impacts from hot and molten glass and therefore was often broken and in the end never replaced. Had an appropriate door been selected and maintained in place this accident would not have occurred.”

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 Scotland can be found here.

• Three workers injured due to failures.
• Homeowner left with £200k bill to rebuild home.
• HSE guidance on structural works available.

A builder has been given a suspended prison sentence after a roof collapse destroyed a home and injured three workers in Windsor.

Jack Savva, 70, was given a 13-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, following the incident on 6 August 2020. Savva, of Wraysbury in Surrey, was carrying out a loft conversion on the property in Springfield Road, when the gable wall fell into the building after the roof was removed.

Two days before the incident, Savva had informed the home owner about work that was required on the chimney breast. He had told them it was incomplete as it had previously been removed from the first floor bathroom and would need to be propped. However, on the day itself, he instructed his workers to remove key supporting timbers and steels, resulting in the collapse of the brick gable wall which struck the workers and destroyed the first floor of the home, which was occupied at the time.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)  found Savva had failed to ensure the structure did not collapse while it was in a state of temporary weakness. He had not taken steps to address the unsupported chimney breast before dismantling the roof, which caused the brick gable to collapse into the work area. He also failed to take all practicable steps to prevent danger to any person while the building was in a temporary state of weakness.

One of the injured workers said: “I still suffer from nightmares of the day of the accident.

“I haven’t slept more than two hours a night over the last four years.”

HSE guidance about managing structural stability during alteration or dismantling advises about temporary bracing and propping being required – particularly if it is known or suspected of being weak. You can read more here: Structural stability during alteration, demolition and dismantling – HSE.

Jack Savva, of Friary Road, Wraysbury, Surrey, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 19(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. He was given a 13-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years and was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation to the home owner, at a hearing before Reading Crown Court on 17 September 2025.

HSE inspector Dominic Goacher said: “Although three men were seriously injured, it was lucky nobody was killed. In addition, the householder faced a bill of £200k to rebuild their house due to Jack Savva’s public liability insurance being invalid.

“This was a completely avoidable incident had he acted on his findings regarding the unsupported chimney breast and taken steps to support the gable wall before removing the roof components.

“Jack Savva should have taken precautions to protect people from the risk of collapse.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes 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. Relevant guidance can be found here – Structural stability during alteration, demolition and dismantling – 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.

• Mr Iftikhar Ahmed Mughal, 64, died four days after falling from unguarded platform.
• Fall of just six feet proved fatal due to serious head injuries.
• Inspector highlights work at height as leading cause of workplace deaths.
• HSE guidance on tower scaffold protection readily available.

A shop sign making and fitting company and its director have been fined after an employee fell from an unguarded scaffolding tower and later died from his injuries.

Mr Mughal, 64, was working for WH Metals Limited installing a metal sign to the front of the shop in Darwen, Lancashire on 22 November 2022. He was standing on the platform of a scaffolding tower without any edge protection in place, when he fell to the pavement below.

Although the height he fell from was only six feet, it was enough for him to suffer serious head injuries which resulted in him being taken to hospital by ambulance. Sadly, he died from his injuries four days later.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that WH Metals Limited and its director, who was on site at the time of the incident, failed to prevent the risk of a fall from a distance liable to cause personal injury.

HSE guidance on working at height is available on the HSE website: Work at height – HSE. The preferred method of fall prevention on tower scaffolds is the fitting of suitable guardrails around the platform. This is a well-known and long-established control measure. If this had been in place at the time of the incident, it is highly unlikely that the worker in this case would have died.

Mr Asad Iftikar, Mr Mughal’s son, said: “My father was like a roof to the family, and since his death, I and my siblings have felt alone. He always supported us in everything we did; he would help us make all the important decisions in our lives.”

WH Metals Limited of Navigation Way, Preston, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £45,000. At Bolton Magistrates Court on 23 September 2025, the company was also ordered to pay costs of £4,826.

Mr Waqas Hanif, the company’s director, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was given a 26-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay costs of £4,846.

HSE inspector David Hobbs said: “Work at height remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death. In this case, a fall of six feet was enough to cause a death, highlighting the dangers.

“This incident highlights the importance of suitable control measures, such as edge protection, to minimise the risk of serious personal injury.”

This HSE Prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Samantha Wells 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. 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.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched 1,000 targeted inspections of motor vehicle repair businesses across Great Britain to tackle occupational asthma. Many skilled vehicle paint sprayers develop this life-changing and debilitating disease each year, forcing them to leave their profession permanently.

This inspection campaign will focus on workplaces that use isocyanate-containing paints and coatings – the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK. Once asthma develops, even small amounts of isocyanate exposure can trigger severe attacks, making continued work in the industry impossible for affected workers.

Legal requirements under COSHH

The inspections will assess compliance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations. Under COSHH, employers must prevent or control worker exposure to isocyanates using effective control measures and safe working procedures. They must also verify these measures are working by arranging regular health surveillance and biological monitoring. Both are legally required for workers exposed to isocyanates.

Health surveillance is required when there is risk of inhalation exposure and skin contact during paint spraying activities. COSHH also requires that exposure is monitored using a suitable procedure. Biological monitoring (urine testing) is the most practicable and cost-effective method to assess exposure levels and ensure control measures are effective.

Protecting workers through health checks and testing

Health surveillance involves regular medical screening by competent occupational health professionals to detect early signs of health conditions like occupational asthma or dermatitis.

Biological monitoring involves laboratory analysis of samples taken from workers to detect chemical isocyanate exposure before health problems develop. This provides an early warning for employers to investigate and correct control failures. HSE recommends urine testing as the most practical and cost-effective method for measuring isocyanate exposure.

Kate Jones, HSE’s biological monitoring team lead, said: “Biological monitoring, a simple urine test, is a quick and cost-effective way to check that control measures are working and being used properly, giving sprayers, dutyholders and HSE confidence that spraying is being done safely.”

Isocyanate-containing materials, commonly known as two-pack (2k) paints, coatings and lacquers, are widely used for their durability and finish quality. However, when sprayed, these paints release invisible mist that spreads rapidly and can reach dangerous levels within minutes.

Three essential protection measures

Businesses must implement three critical safety measures during spray painting operations:

1. Proper spray booth ventilation – Maintain spray booths or rooms with adequate extraction systems that create negative pressure. This prevents paint vapours escaping into workshop areas and contaminating the wider workplace.
2. Correct respiratory protection equipment – Workers must use air-fed breathing apparatus certified to the appropriate standard. Filtering respirators do not provide enough protection against paint mist and vapours during spray operations. Breathing apparatus should ideally be full-visor type, but half-mask type with appropriate eye protection is acceptable with more frequent biological monitoring.
3. Safe clearance procedures – Display measurable clearance times clearly for all workers to see. Workers must not remove respiratory protection until they are safely outside the spray area, or the required clearance time has fully elapsed.

Consequences of non-compliance

Businesses found to be breaching the COSHH Regulations may face improvement notices, prohibition notices, or prosecution leading to unlimited fines.

Motor vehicle repair businesses can access comprehensive information and materials through HSE’s campaign pages to ensure compliance and protect their skilled workforce from preventable occupational disease.