• Trainee scaffolder died after falling five metres from a partially erected scaffold while working on a housing development in North Yorkshire.
• HSE found the company had failed to ensure scaffolding work was carried out safely and in accordance with industry guidance.
• The investigation found that safe zones had not been established and workers were not using harnesses or lanyards.

A scaffolding company has been fined after a trainee scaffolder died in a five-metre fall from a partially erected scaffold.

On 5 July 2023, Michael Swales was working for Ask Scaffolding Ltd, which had been contracted to provide scaffolding services for a residential housing development near Ripon in North Yorkshire.

Mr Swales and a colleague were erecting scaffolding at the front of a two-storey house under construction when he fell five metres after standing on an unsecured scaffolding board. There were inadequate measures in place to prevent or mitigate the risk of a fall. Emergency services attended, but Mr Swales died at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Ask Scaffolding Ltd had failed to ensure work at height was carried out in a safe manner, so far as was reasonably practicable.

The investigation found that the scaffolding work being carried out on the day of the accident was unsafe and did not follow industry guidance. Safe zones had not been established, and neither Mr Swales nor his colleague was using a harness or lanyard while working.

The investigation also found that previous scaffolding work had not been carried out in accordance with the guidance. A post-accident inspection identified that guardrails had not been installed where they should have been. Several witnesses also indicated that scaffolding work was regularly carried out by company operatives without following the guidance.

The guidance identifies the use of collective protection measures to create a ‘Scaffolder’s Safe Zone’ as the primary means of preventing falls. Personal protection, such as a harness and lanyard, should be used when a scaffolder is working without a safe zone.

All scaffolding must be erected, dismantled and altered safely. Guidance on the measures employers and scaffolding contractors should take to ensure scaffolding work is carried out safely can be found here: Scaffolds – HSE.

Ask Scaffolding Ltd, of Thornton Road Industrial Estate, Pickering, YO18 7JB, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 4 November 2026.

HSE Inspector David Beaton said:

“This tragic accident underlines the importance of those in control of scaffolding work making sure that it is being done safely and in accordance with industry guidance, and the potential consequences where this is not done.

“Our thoughts remain with Michael’s family and friends.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan and paralegal officer Zara Salman.

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. Guidance on scaffolding can be found on the HSE website.
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.

• Worker’s right hand trapped between the print rollers of machinery
• The woman had worked as a machinery operator for 11 years
• HSE investigation found that the company failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery

A manufacturer of napkins and other thin ply paper products has been fined after a worker’s hand became trapped in machinery at its site in St Helens.

The experienced worker, who had been a machine operator for 11 years was cleaning the rollers of a machine that is used to emboss logos and emblems onto tissue paper before folding the napkins into shape. As she was doing this, her right hand was drawn into the machine and was trapped for several minutes.

She sustained serious injuries to her right hand including full amputations to her little finger and ring finger and partial amputations to her index and middle finger. She also has increased sensitivity in the hand. She is unable to manage daily tasks such as cooking and cannot take part in her hobbies such as cycling, knitting, and gardening due to the injury being on her dominant hand.

An investigation by the HSE found that the machine did not have an interlocked guard to prevent access to the print rollers. Therefore the dangerous moving parts of the machine could be accessed by any employee while the machine was operating. In addition to this, the company had previously been served with enforcement for other machinery guarding issues during site inspections in 2021, 2019, 2014, and 2010.

HSE guidance states employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.  This will normally be fixed or interlocked guards which prevent persons coming into contact with those parts; this was the expected control in this instance.  Further guidance can be found here Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – HSE.

Duni Poppies Limited of Cornwall Street, St Helens pleaded guilty to breaching The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, Regulation 11(1).  The company was fined £80,000 and order to pay £4,756 in costs at Warrington Magistrates Court on 3 November 2026.

HSE inspector Gemma Feerick said:

“This avoidable incident led to an experienced employee suffering life changing injuries.

“If the company had properly assessing the risks and applied the correct control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery, it would have been avoided.

“We will not hesitate to take action against companies who fall below the expected standards and fail to keep people safe.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Ella Loveday.

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.

• Niall Fawcett died when he was struck by a truck while he was working beneath it on the M56 slip road in Cheshire.

• HSE found the company failed to properly assess risks of replacing a blown-out tyre on a low-profile truck.
• Victim was not adequately supervised or monitored despite only holding roadside licence for less than four months.

A commercial tyre service provider in Worcestershire has been fined following the death of 21-year-old employee Niall Fawcett, who was killed while carrying out a roadside repair.

On 2 August 2024, Mr Fawcett was called out to replace a blown-out tyre on a low-profile truck on the slip road at junction 7 of the M56 motorway near Bowdon. While he was positioned beneath the truck, it is understood to have slipped from the bottle jack (a compact hydraulic lifting tool designed for vehicle support) being used to raise the vehicle and landed on him, causing fatal head injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited, formerly known as Lodge Tyre Company Limited (The), had not properly assessed the risks associated with replacing a blown-out tyre on a low-profile vehicle. The company had also failed to give employees suitable work instructions, including information on when a truck should be recovered rather than repaired at the roadside.

The investigation also found that Mr Fawcett had only obtained his licence to work on commercial tyres at the roadside when he joined the company less than four months before his death. Despite this, he had not been subject to any monitoring or supervision to ensure that he was working safely.

The HSE publication Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries sets out the importance of providing safe systems of work and ensuring workers are competent to carry out their tasks.

The impact on Niall’s family

Niall’s mother, Sharon, said in her victim personal statement:

“Niall was only 21 years old when he died. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was planning to marry the following year and he and Megan were saving for a deposit on their first home together and talking about starting a family. Niall was building for a life he was excited for and this was taken from him in an instant.

“Niall went to work that day and should have been safe, supported and protected. Instead, my son never came home.”

Halford Commercial Fleet Services Limited, of Icknield Street Drive, Washford West, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0DE, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £600,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £200 and £24,203 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 3 November 2026.

HSE Principal Inspector Laura Royales said:

“This case should serve to highlight to employers the importance of properly assessing the risks to which their workers are exposed and providing the right information and instructions, supplemented by adequate monitoring and supervision arrangements, to ensure that they can and do work safely.

Our thoughts remain with Niall’s family as they continue to come to terms with their tragic loss.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart. The investigation was supported by Visiting Officer Natty Heath.

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 Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries
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.

• Work-related stress remains one of the leading causes of work-related ill health in Great Britain
• HSE is encouraging employers and managers to take practical action during Stress Awareness Week through its Working Minds campaign
• Free tools, guidance and resources are available to help employers identify and address the causes of stress

As Stress Awareness Week begins, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is encouraging employers and managers to take practical action to prevent and manage work-related stress.

Work-related stress remains one of the leading causes of work-related ill health in Great Britain. Left unaddressed, it can affect workers’ health and wellbeing, increase sickness absence and impact workplace performance.

The good news is that small actions can make a big difference. Whether it’s starting a conversation, reviewing workplace pressures or making use of available support, every workplace can take steps to reduce stress and support good mental health.

Many employers still do not realise that they must assess and manage the risks of work-related stress in the same way as other workplace health and safety risks. Identifying the causes of stress, assessing who may be affected and taking action to eliminate or control risks are important steps in protecting workers’ health and preventing harm.

Through its Working Minds campaign, HSE is encouraging employers and managers to take action using the 5Rs approach:

Reach Out – Start conversations about stress and mental wellbeing.

Recognise – Understand the signs and causes of stress.

Respond – Take action to address concerns and support workers.

Reflect – Review what is working and where improvements can be made.

Make it Routine – Embed good practice into everyday working life.

HSE is also highlighting its Management Standards approach, which helps employers identify and address six key areas of work that can contribute to stress if they are not managed effectively:

• Demands
• Control
• Support
• Relationships
• Role
• Change

By understanding these factors, engaging with workers and assessing associated risks, organisations can identify potential issues and take action before they affect health and productivity.

Kayleigh Roberts, HSE’s Work-Related Stress Policy Lead, said:

“Work-related stress is a health and safety issue. Employers should assess the risks of stress, and its impact on mental and physical ill-health, in the same way they assess other work-related health and safety risks.

By understanding the causes of stress, engaging with workers and taking action to eliminate or control risks, employers can help create workplaces where people feel supported, valued and able to perform at their best.

Stress Awareness Week is a valuable opportunity for employers and managers to review what they are doing, start conversations with workers and take practical steps to prevent work-related stress.”

HSE’s Working Minds campaign provides a range of free tools, guidance and resources, including the Talking Toolkit, Stress Indicator Tool, online learning modules and downloadable guidance materials.

During Stress Awareness Week, employers should:

• If necessary, review their stress risk assessment and ensure it reflects current workplace risks, identifying where further action may be needed to eliminate or control those risks.
• Use the Talking Toolkit to have structured conversations with workers.
• Discuss the six Management Standards areas with their teams.
• Encourage managers to access Working Minds training and resources.
• Consider how the 5Rs can be embedded into everyday workplace practices.

While Stress Awareness Week provides a valuable focus, preventing and managing work-related stress should remain a priority throughout the year. Regular conversations, meaningful engagement with workers, effective risk assessment and action to eliminate or control workplace risks can help build healthier, more productive and more resilient workplaces.

For free tools, guidance and resources, visit the Working Minds campaign.

Further information:

1. Employers have a legal duty to assess and manage risks to workers’ health, including risks to mental health.
2. The Working Minds campaign provides free resources, including the Talking Toolkit, Stress Indicator Tool, Management Standards guidance and online learning modules.
3. Stress Awareness Week takes place from 2-6 November 2026.
4. For interview requests, case studies or further information, contact the HSE Press Office at [email protected].

• Photos taken after fire on roof of apartment block show damage
• Four workers forced to flee blaze with just one ladder as their escape route
• No fire extinguishers, no means of raising the alarm and no permit for welding work
• C Watkins Plumbing Limited fined after HSE investigation finds company failed to follow its own hot works procedures

Shocking photographs taken in the aftermath of a fire on the roof of an apartment block in Surrey show how lucky four workers were to escape.

A contractor has been fined after the workers had to flee a fire that engulfed the roof of a 14-storey apartment building under construction in Surrey.

The four subcontractors were working under the control of C Watkins Plumbing Limited, installing an air source heat pump on the roof of the Old Telephone Exchange development in Staines-upon-Thames, when the incident happened on 26 June 2024.

Sparks from welding work ignited uncovered rigid foam insulation that had been laid across the roof. The self-sustaining fire developed quickly, spreading across the whole of the roof space before burning itself out when it ran out of fuel.

The men escaped through a single opening in the floor and down a ladder to Level 14. There was no other way off the roof, no means of raising the alarm, and no fire extinguishers.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to plan, manage and monitor the hot works on the roof. Despite the company having policies requiring them, there was no risk assessment or method statement in place, and a permit to work was not issued for the welding.

HSE’s guidance, HSG168 – Fire Safety in Construction, states that fire safety measures must be considered throughout all stages of design and procurement, and implemented effectively during construction. It says risk assessments must identify high-risk activities where fires can spread quickly, and situations where evacuation plans are complex, and that all risk assessments and control measures must be reviewed throughout the construction phase to make sure they remain suitable and sufficient.

C Watkins Plumbing Limited, of Watkins House, Leigh Road, Haine Industrial Park, Ramsgate, Kent, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £8,270 in costs at Staines Magistrates’ Court on 29 October 2026.

HSE inspector Stephanie Hickford-Smith said:

“Watkins failed to follow its own procedures for hot works. It did not assess the risks and so had no control measures in place.

“The four men working on the roof were lucky to escape. Had the fire started closer to their escape route, or had they not acted as quickly as they did, the outcome could have been devastatingly different.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE senior enforcement lawyers James Towey and Laura Lax and paralegal officer Farhat Basir.

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.

• Simon Pedder was crushed under a reversing recovery truck and now needs crutches, a frame and a wheelchair.
• More than 10 months on, he has been unable to return to work and says, “life will never be the same”.
• HSE found the company had no suitable traffic management system and no adequate precautions for reversing vehicles – which remain a leading cause of workplace injury.

A Swindon-based vehicle recovery business has been fined after a worker was struck by a reversing vehicle and suffered life-changing injuries.

On 13 June 2025, Simon Pedder was undertaking yard duties at Cotswold Vehicle Recovery (Swindon) Limited in Highworth when he was suddenly hit and crushed under a company-owned recovery truck.

Mr Pedder suffered fractures to both legs and an arm, a punctured lung and a fractured rib. He was airlifted to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he spent five weeks and underwent several operations to rebuild his legs, including skin grafts.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Cotswold Vehicle Recovery (Swindon) Limited had failed to implement a suitable traffic management system to make sure vehicles and pedestrians could circulate safely and had not implemented proper precautions to assist reversing drivers.

(Photographs showing before and after HSE intervention)

More than 10 months later, Mr Pedder’s recovery has not progressed as he had hoped. The extent of his injuries means that in addition to using crutches, a Zimmer frame and wheelchair, Simon now needs regular care visits and cannot carry out basic tasks like getting into the shower without help. He has been told he will most likely need walking aids for the rest of his life.

Describing the impact of the incident on his life, Mr Pedder said:

“I used to be a very sociable person, the life of the party, both in work and with friends; this has been taken away from me as now I spend my days sitting at home by myself. My mood is very low, and this is affecting not only myself but also my family, who say my personality appears to have changed completely.”

He added, “there are many basic things I can’t do, for example, I can’t cut the grass, I can’t fold the washing, I can’t go for a walk, and I am not allowed to drive. This accident took away my freedom.”

He also described the impact on his family, with his wife cutting short her working hours to support his care, and the family rearranging the living room to accommodate a hospital bed. Mr Pedder said: “I feel so bad because I am affecting those who are close to me. My life will never be the same and I feel like this accident should never have happened as I was only doing my job.”

Failure to manage reversing vehicle risks

HSE inspectors found failures by Cotswold Vehicle Recovery (Swindon) Limited to properly control the risk of reversing vehicles – despite this being one of the leading causes of workplace fatal injury. To manage workplace transport effectively, employers should consider the risks associated with their site and vehicles. Where workers are required to operate on foot in areas where there are moving vehicles, employers must ensure traffic routes are organised in a way that prevents collisions between pedestrians and vehicles.

HSE guidance advises implementing a one-way system for vehicle circulation to eliminate the need for reversing. Where this isn’t possible, the site should be organised to include safety measures such as protective barriers, clear markings and pedestrian crossing points. To aid a driver’s field of vision and alert pedestrians to reversing vehicles, precautionary measures such as rear-view cameras and warning alarms should also be fitted to vehicles.

Guidance on workplace transport safety is freely available on the HSE website: Workplace transport – HSE.

Cotswold Vehicle Recovery (Swindon) Limited, based at Blackworth Industrial Estate, Highworth, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £28,000 and ordered to pay £7,276 in costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 29 October 2026.

HSE Inspector Laura Artosi said:

“Almost 25 per cent of fatal workplace transport accidents in Great Britain occur while a vehicle is reversing – a stark reminder to employers to properly assess and manage this fundamental risk.

“Cotswold Vehicle Recovery (Swindon) Limited lacked a suitable traffic management system, including adequate arrangements to ensure vehicles could reverse without risks to those on foot. These failings led to an incident that has robbed Simon Pedder of much of his freedom and will likely have a lasting impact on his life.

“Had Cotswold Vehicle Recovery (Swindon) Limited implemented robust measures to allow pedestrians and vehicles to move safely across its site, this incident would not have occurred.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park and paralegal officer Michael Millman.

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: A guide to workplace transport safety – HSE and Safe manoeuvring – 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: Health and safety offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety and hygiene offences

• Worker suffered fractured jaw and chest and arm trauma when he was pulled into a conveyor mechanism
• A section of fixed guarding had been removed two weeks earlier and not replaced
• Company’s guarding checks did not include non-electrical fixed guards

A Peterhead fish processing company has been fined £245,000 after a worker was dragged into a machine through a gap where a safety guard should have been.

The man, then aged 30, was working as a chargehand on a production line at Lunar Freezing and Cold Storage Company Limited’s premises in Peterhead on 19 August 2025 when the incident happened.

What happened

The worker had stopped to deal with a box that had jammed too high in a rack loader cage to be reached from the ground. He entered the production line through a gap in the guarding without isolating the power, then climbed onto the conveyor and pressed down on the lid to release the jam. The machine restarted, and his right arm was pulled into the pusher section of the rack loader. Unable to free himself, he was drawn further into the mechanism until his head made contact with moving parts.

A colleague who heard the worker’s shouts for help isolated the power and stopped the machine. The man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he was found to have a fractured jaw and trauma to his chest and right arm. He needed surgery to insert metal plates in his jaw and spent three days in hospital. He returned to work on 29 September 2025 and has made a full recovery.

HSE investigation

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a section of fixed guarding next to the production line had been removed during maintenance around two weeks before the incident and had not been put back. Without the guard, the gap gave access to the machine without the power being isolated. The correct route in, through an interlocked gate, would have switched off the machinery as soon as the gate was opened.

HSE found that, while the guard was missing, staff had used the gap to reach the machinery on various occasions when boxes jammed, rather than the interlocked gate. Maintenance staff told HSE they had seen the guard missing and had seen employees using the gap, but it was not reinstated. The weekly inspection checklist used by the in-house maintenance team did not include checking the integrity of non-electrical fixed guarding.

Had the guarding been in place, the only way into the machine would have been through the interlocked gate, and the incident would not have happened.

HSE guidance highlights the importance of following safe isolation and lock-off procedures before any maintenance or cleaning work is carried out. Employers must ensure all machinery is properly isolated from power sources, and that systems are regularly monitored and reviewed to prevent inadvertent start-up. Further guidance is available here: The safe isolation of plant and equipment – HSE.

Lunar Freezing and Cold Storage Company Ltd, of East Quay, The Harbour, Peterhead, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) and (2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £245,000 and ordered to pay a with a victim surcharge of £18,375, at Peterhead Sheriff Court on 28 October 2026.

HSE inspector Nicky Smith said:

“This was a wholly preventable incident which left a worker seriously injured.

“A missing guard and an unchecked gap left the way open for a worker to be dragged into a machine.

“Guards must be kept in place, and checks must cover every guard, not just the electrical ones.”

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.

• Worker suffered a partial finger amputation when he reached into an inadequately guarded saw.
• HSE investigation found the company had failed to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous moving parts.
• Company fined after pleading guilty to breaching PUWER 1998.

An engineering company has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 in compensation after a worker suffered a partial finger amputation when he reached into an inadequately guarded automatic saw.

Thomas Davies, 21, was working for Dlinexsign Ltd when the incident occurred. Having reached into the machine to retrieve a cut piece of material, his hand came into contact with the moving saw blade, resulting in him losing part of his finger.

The incident occurred at the company’s premises at Buckingham Road Industrial Estate, Brackley. The machine was used to cut lengths of material, and Mr Davies was able to reach into the machine and access the dangerous moving parts while it was operating.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Dlinexsign Ltd had failed to take effective measures to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery.

HSE guidance states that employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. This will normally be achieved using fixed guarding, but where access is required, other protective measures such as interlocked guards may be necessary to ensure dangerous movement has stopped before a person can reach the danger zone.

Further guidance can be found on HSE’s website on the safe use of work equipment: Introduction to machinery safety – HSE.

Dlinexsign Ltd, of Shires Road, Brackley, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £15,000 in compensation to Mr Davies, and £9,064.34 in prosecution costs at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on 23 October 2026.

HSE Inspector Dulanjala Kandana-Arachchige said:
“This incident demonstrates the serious consequences that can result when access to dangerous parts of machinery is not effectively prevented.

“Employers must ensure that machinery is properly guarded and that effective measures are in place to prevent workers from reaching dangerous moving parts.

“This was a preventable incident. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that work equipment can be used safely and that workers are protected from dangerous machinery.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Tom Ledden-Rocks and paralegal officer Natalie Ellis.

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 machinery safety can be found here: Introduction to machinery safety – 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.

• Gary Taylor, suffered multiple injuries when he was hit on the head by a one- tonne metal hopper
• He spent three weeks in hospital and had to take seven months off work
• E H Hassell & Sons Limited fined £300,000 for failing to properly plan for work

A Staffordshire-based manufacturing company has been fined £300,000 after a family man was left with injuries so serious he became ‘a shadow of his former self’.

Gary Taylor, who was 63 at the time, spent three weeks in hospital and needed seven months off work, following the incident on 24 March 2025.

The grandfather had been working for E H Hassell & Sons Limited at its site on Newstead Ind Estate in Trentham. He was one of several workers involved in the unloading of a lorry trailer containing various steel components for a large filtration system.

The workers had improvised a system to unload the metal hopper with a forklift truck, placing the forks underneath the unsecured load to lift it from the trailer bed. However, as it slid from the forks, it struck Mr Taylor in the head as he was stood alongside it. His injuries included fractures to his skull, neck and spine, two broken ribs and a severe laceration to his forehead which required 17 staples and 14 stitches.

Mr Taylor described how the incident has had a lasting impact on his life.

“During my time off recuperating from my injuries, the seven months I was off work, I had no interest in anything,” he said.

“I know my wife thinks that I won’t be around with her in my eighties, she has constant worry that something is going to happen to me.

“She never thought like that before my accident.

“For me, I have no idea what the future holds.

“I can only hope that I will get better as time goes on and I become more like the old man I used to be – a supportive husband, father and grandfather to my grandchildren.

“I want to be a person that hopefully will become more of a person than a shadow of my former self.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the lifting operation had not been properly planned by a competent person. The characteristics of the load, including its weight, size, centre of gravity and lifting points, had not been adequately assessed, and no safe system of work had been put in place.

Moving an object of this size and weight was not a regular task at the site and there was no established system of work for it.

HSE guidance on Planning and organising lifting operations – HSE states that it is important to properly resource, plan and organise lifting operations so they are carried out in a safe manner.

E H Hassell & Sons Limited of Alderflat Drive, Trentham, Staffordshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and were fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,690 at a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 23 October 2026.

HSE inspector Claire Whitehurst said:

“The failures here resulted in an experienced worker suffering life-changing injuries.

“The company failed to properly plan the lifting operation or implement a safe system of work.

“Mr Taylor suffered serious injuries which could easily have resulted in his death. He has been left with facial scarring, and both he and his family have been deeply affected by this traumatic experience.

“Employers must ensure that lifting operations are properly planned by a competent person and carried out safely. This is especially important for non-routine tasks involving heavy or awkward loads.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer, Julian White and supported by HSE paralegal officer, Stephen Grabe. The investigation was supported by visiting officer, Natalka Heath.

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: Planning and organising lifting operations – 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.

• CCTV captures moment a ride-on pallet truck collides with fork lift truck inside busy warehouse in Barnsley
• 20-year-old worker suffered several fractures to his foot and nerve damage
• Leggett & Platt Components Europe Limited had failed to consider impact of changes it had made to workplace transport routes

CCTV has captured the moment a young worker was injured when the ride-on pallet truck he was using collided with a fork lift truck in a warehouse in Yorkshire.

Bed spring manufacturer Leggett & Platt Components Europe Limited has been fined after Charlie O’Dowd was injured in the incident at its Long Royd warehouse in Barnsley on 14 November 2024.

The then 20-year-old had been using a ride-on pallet truck during the installation of new automated machinery within the warehouse. However, his truck, which was unguarded, collided with a fork lift truck being driven by another employee, resulting in multiple fractures to his foot, as well as longer term nerve damage.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had made changes to its workplace transport routes to accommodate the installation works taking place. However, these changes meant that both ride-on pallet trucks and fork lift trucks were required to use the same routes, within what was a busy stock loading area. Visibility was limited and vehicle movements had increased.

The HSE investigation concluded that the company had focused on the installation of the new machinery but had failed to adequately consider the impact that significant changes to workplace transport arrangements would have on worker safety. The changes to vehicle routes had not been properly risk assessed before being implemented.

Every year, there are accidents involving transport in the workplace, some of which result in people being killed. HSE guidance explains what should be done to keep workers safe – Introduction to workplace transport safety – HSE.

Leggett & Platt Components Europe Limited, pleaded guilty to a breach of  Section 2(1) of the Health & Safey at Work etc. Act 1974 in relation to the safe use of workplace transport within the warehouse. The company was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £3,374 at Leeds Magistrates Court on 20 October 2026.

HSE Inspector Chris Parker said:

“This case highlights the importance of carefully assessing the wider safety implications of any changes made within a workplace, even where those changes may be temporary.

“When workplace transport routes are altered, employers must ensure that the risks created by those changes are properly assessed and controlled before they are introduced.

“Had suitable planning and risk assessment been carried out, this incident could have been prevented.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Zara Salman and advocacy undertaken by enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi.

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 guidance on managing workplace transport safely 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.