• Worker suffered life-changing injuries after falling through an unprotected roof light during refurbishment work.
• HSE investigation found the company failed to put suitable measures in place to prevent a fall from height.
• Falls from height accounted for around a quarter of all worker deaths in Great Britain during 2025/26.

A construction company in London has been fined £60,000 after a worker suffered life-changing injuries when he fell through an unprotected roof light while carrying out refurbishment work at a domestic property in Fulham.

On 10 November 2023, a male worker was carrying out roof refurbishment work at a domestic property on Langthorne Street, Fulham. He was working for Lowndes Lumb Construction Limited, passing   materials through an open, unprotected roof light during a property renovation. He fell through the opening onto the concrete floor below, sustaining serious injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to take suitable measures to protect workers from the risk of falling from height. Measures to prevent falls, such as scaffolding, guard rails, an internal crash deck or harness systems, had not been used.

HSE guidance states that work at height must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out safely by competent people. Work at height means work in any place where, if precautions were not in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury.

Relevant guidance can be found here: Working at height: A brief guide.

Lowndes Lumb Construction Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £6,070 in costs at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 3 August 2026.

HSE Inspector Lydia Edwards said:

“Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace death and serious injury. The latest HSE statistics show they accounted for around a quarter of all worker deaths in Great Britain during 2025/26.

“This was a wholly avoidable incident that resulted in a worker suffering life-changing injuries. Had suitable measures been in place to prevent a fall, this incident could have been prevented.

“If you are working at height and think there is a risk that someone or something could fall, you must take action to control that risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here Working at height: A brief guide.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Bradley Willis-Chambers carried out gas work at two properties despite not being registered with Gas Safe
• Dangerous defects found at both properties and one home without hot water for an extended period
• Rogue trader had previously faced HSE enforcement for illegal gas work in 2012 and was later struck off the Gas Safe register in 2016

An unregistered gas fitter has been sentenced after carrying out illegal gas work at two houses in Hampshire, leaving the properties in a condition that could have endangered lives.

Bradley Willis-Chambers, 47, removed boilers at homes in Southsea and Tipner between 2021 and 2022, leaving a single parent with a young daughter without a working hot water appliance for an extended period, while a young couple in their first home were left facing costly repairs.

Following the removal of the old boilers and installation of new ones at both properties, concerns were raised with the Gas Safe Register about the installations and non-working parts.

An HSE investigation found that Bradley Willis-Chambers was unregistered – making the work illegal –  and had previously faced HSE enforcement action in 2012 for carrying out illegal, unregistered gas work. Although he later became a member of the Gas Safe Register, he was struck off in 2016 due to a failure to demonstrate competence, rectify defects and comply with registration rules. He had not been registered to undertake any gas work since 25 May 2016.

The property owners described the effects of the illegal gas work as being “misled at every stage”. They said the whole experience was “an ordeal” which “impacted not just… personal life, but also … work and relationships”, leaving them in an unfinished home and “still working to manage the debt” incurred, with the “emotional and financial toll” affecting them every day.

Alongside the HSE investigation, a Portsmouth City Council Trading Standards investigation found Bradley Willis-Chambers guilty of fraudulent trading against four victims during the same period. He is now subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order. Details can be found on the Portsmouth City Council website.

Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and can have fatal consequences; unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Members of the public should always check those carried out work on the Gas Safe register – anyone can check whether an engineer is registered by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or calling 0800 408 5500.

HSE Inspector Francesca Arnold said:

“Bradley Willis-Chambers carried out illegal and dangerous gas work which he knew he was not registered to do.

“His failures could have led to catastrophic and tragic consequences for the homeowners, putting the lives of the homeowners and their children at risk.

“All gas work must be undertaken by Gas Safe registered engineers. The public should always ask to see the gas engineer’s identification and check the registration number online to ensure it is valid – it only takes a few minutes to check and could prevent disaster.”

Bradley Willis-Chambers, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty on the morning of trial to four counts of breaching Regulation 3(3) and Regulation 5(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court and was committed for sentence to Portsmouth Crown Court.

Finding there had been a “flagrant disregard for the law”, on 23 July 2026, His Honour Judge Newton-Price KC sentenced him to eighteen months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and imposed a requirement to complete 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £600 compensation to each of the victims in this case, along with the victim surcharge.

Bradley Willis-Chambers is currently prohibited by HSE from undertaking gas work without being registered.

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

Gas Safe Register Phone – Consumers: 0800 408 5500; Engineers: 0800 408 5577 Email – [email protected]

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a rogue trader incident, or you suspect a business has broken the law or acted unfairly, you can report this to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133, or report fraud at 0300 123 2040.

This prosecution was brought by HSE Senior Enforcement Lawyer Jon Mack, enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer Helen Jacob. The investigation was supported by David Wilcox, HSE Visiting Officer, and Muriel Woolford, HSE Gas Safety Officer.

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: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) as amended. Approved Code of Practice and guidance – 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.

• An event structure company and its director have been fined after a worker suffered life-changing injuries.
• The worker sustained multiple back fractures, a punctured lung and a broken leg.
• An HSE investigation found the dismantling work had not been properly planned or carried out safely.

An event structure company and its director have been fined after an employee suffered severe, life-changing injuries while dismantling an internal steel frame.

iSkate Limited employee, Natalie McCreith, 38, a former outdoor sports instructor, had worked for the company for 14 years when she was seriously injured while working at Beaverbrook Hotel & Golf Course Leatherhead, Surrey, on 26 June 2024.

Ms McCreith underwent an 11-hour operation, spent three months in hospital and she is still recovering following the incident.

During the dismantling of a steel beam temporary structure, a ratchet strap was being used to lower a steel beam weighing over 100kg. The ratchet strap was not designed for lifting or lowering loads and failed, causing the beam to fall onto Ms McCreith. She sustained multiple fractures to her back, a punctured lung and a broken leg.

Neil Munn, director of iSkate Limited, was on site at the time and made the decision to use the ratchet strap, instructing workers where to stand. He continued with the method even after Ms McCreith raised concerns about whether it was safe.

In a victim personal statement, Ms McCreith said:

“Since the accident, my life has been completely turned upside down it’s now the polar opposite of what it once was.

“I will never live the life I once had or be in a body that isn’t screaming at me all day, I wish I could turn back time.

“My family spent the journey from Liverpool to London thinking I was dead, they have had to watch someone they love go through agonising pain and continue to do so.

“I am not the person I once was, I can’t be everything I once was and for them this Journey also continues.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that iSkate Limited had failed to ensure that the dismantling of the internal steel frame was properly planned and carried out safely.

HSE provides guidance on structural stability during alteration, demolition and dismantling which states that demolition or dismantling arrangements should be written down before the work begins. This safe system of work may be in the form of a safety method statement identifying the sequence required to prevent accidental collapse of the structure.

iSkate Limited, of Norfolk House, Station Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 16(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, by virtue of Regulation 20(1). The company was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £6,949 in costs at a hearing at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on 28 July 2026.

Neil Munn, director of iSkate Limited, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, by virtue of Regulation 16(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Regulation 20(1). He received a community order with 75 hours of unpaid work to be completed.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Russell Beckett said: “Demolition and dismantling is a high-hazard work activity, but if the work is properly planned it can be carried out safely. This accident has had a devastating effect on Ms McCreith and could easily have been prevented had the right work equipment been used.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Will Bodiam and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling.

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 are 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.

• Wayne Culliss got his son teenage Kazys to carry out boiler-replacement work despite the fact he wasn’t qualified to do so
• The work carried out was dangerous and resulted in a gas leak
• The lives of tenants – including a baby – were put at risk

A father and son have been sentenced after illegal gas work in a home in Stoke-on-Trent caused a leak that put the lives of those living there – including a baby – at risk.

Wayne Culliss, 55, had subcontracted boiler replacement work to his then 18-year-old son Kazys, despite the fact he wasn’t qualified or registered with Gas Safe to do so. The pair, of Boot Street in Whittington, pleaded guilty to offences after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The investigation by the HSE found that a British Gas engineer had attended a rental property in Hanley on 1 December 2023. This followed a report made by the tenant that the gas boiler was hissing and leaking cold water. The boiler was found to be dangerous and taken out of use, prompting the landlord to contact Wayne Culliss. He was a landlord himself, who also helped with the management of the property and he arranged for a new one to be installed.

Culliss Snr subcontracted the job to his son, Kazys, now 21, who carried out the illegal work on 9 January 2024. However, when another British Gas engineer inspected the boiler two weeks later as part of a Gas Safety Check, he could smell gas so immediately isolated the supply. After completing a gas tightness test, he identified a leak in the system, prompting him to cap off the supply. Gas leaks can have deadly consequences and the lives of the tenants, who also had a young baby, had been put at risk by the dangerous work carried out by Culliss.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require those undertaking gas work to be Gas Safe Registered, and to hold qualifications to demonstrate their competency to undertake gas work.

Kazys Culliss of Boot Street, Whittington, pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and must complete 140 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £500 in costs at a hearing at Wrexham Magistrates Court on 21 July 2026.

Wayne Culliss, also of Boot Street, Whittington, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £2,500 in costs.

HSE Inspector Rob Gidman said:

“The work carried out by Kazys Culliss, under the instruction of his father, Wayne, was reckless and put people at risk of serious harm.

“Gas work must only ever be undertaken by Gas Safe Registered engineers and HSE will not hesitate to prosecute those who disregard this and put people at risk.

“I would appeal to anyone who is getting gas work done on their home to always ask to see the identification of who come out to do it. They should also check their registration number online to ensure it is valid.

“It only takes a couple of minutes but can keep you and your loved ones safe.”

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

• Gas Safe Register
• Phone – Consumers: 0800 408 5500; Engineers: 0800 408 5577
• Email – [email protected]

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas. The investigation was supported by Sarah Ough and Natalka Heath, HSE Visiting Officers.

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: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) as amended. Approved Code of Practice and guidance – 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.

• Aaron Back, 41, fell from tipping bucket while dismantling pipework
• No suitable arrangements were in place to manage their contractors and ensure safety on their construction site
• Falls from height remain leading cause of death and injury.

A principal contractor has been fined after a man was left ‘physically ruined’ after falling from a tipping bucket on a fork lift truck in Kent.

Aaron Back, 41, a father of four, spent months in hospital after the incident at the EMIR site on Wotton Road in Ashford on 28 March 2023. The then 38-year-old had been contracted by South East Refurbishment Limited to carry out work dismantling pipework. He was in a raised tipping bucket on a fork lift truck at the time when he fell out of it to the concrete floor below.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that a scissor lift had been ordered to undertake the work but was too tall to enter the area where it was taking place – so the fork lift truck was used instead.

In a victim personal statement, Aaron Back said:

“Since the incident I am physically ruined.

“My left hand side doesn’t work properly. I can’t push off from my toes on my left so I struggle to get up and walk around.  My back also causes me excruciating pain.

“This accident has destroyed me as a person it has taken away my identity. I miss taking my kids to football.

“I have worked hard to improve and get better I want to be that person again.

“I worked hard for the company and I have been given a lifetime sentence.  I would give anything to be normal again to be back to being me.”

The HSE investigation found that no suitable arrangements were in place to manage the company’s contractors and ensure safety on the site. No actions had taken by the company either to ensure a different safe system of working was undertaken.

Although the company provided equipment to its labour-only subcontractor there was no training in place for relating to the fork lift truck or scissor lift for Mr Back or his sub-contractor. There was no instruction or procedure in place to ensure only trained operatives could get access to these and no adequate supervision on site.

HSE found significant failings by the company relating to unsafe work at height over a prolonged period of time, relevant advice and enforcement was given to them from 2013 regarding control of contractors and unsafe working at height.

Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury with the latest statistics from HSE showing that they account for over a quarter of all work related deaths in 2025/26.

HSE guidance states what an employer must do to protect their employees from falls from height including making sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.

South East Refurbishment Limited of Unit 5 Aja Business Centre Laker Road, Rochester, Kent, pleaded guilty to Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, section 3(1).  The company was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £27,241 at Margate Magistrates Court on 7 July 2026.

HSE inspector Joanne Williams said:

“Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, with 31 people losing their lives in the past year.

“The construction industry remains the sector that accounts for the greatest number of workers killed each year.

“These figures do not include those individuals that have sustained serious, life changing injuries, resulting from a fall from height.

“In this case Aaron and his family have had their lives changed forever following what was a completely avoidable incident.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and assisted by paralegal Jason Dix.

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.

• Driver of dumper truck was instructed not to wear seatbelt
• Incident happened on housing construction site near Wigan in 2022
• Excavations on the site were not adequately protected

A groundworks company based in Warrington has been fined after a worker was seriously injured when a dumper truck overturned.

The incident happened on 10 October 2022 on a construction site in Ince. The driver had been reversing the one-tonne truck when it entered an unprotected excavation and overturned. The man, 27 at the time, was thrown from the vehicle as he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time. He sustained crushing injuries to his leg, resulting in a broken foot and ankle.

An investigation into the incident by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the man had not been wearing a seatbelt – despite HSE guidance and the dumper truck’s manufacturer’s instructions to do so.

Investigators discovered Jim Yates Limited had instructed workers not to wear seat belts while operating one-tonne dumper trucks. Instead, operators routinely fastened the seat belt behind them before sitting on top of it. This disabled the vehicle’s seat belt warning system and gave the false impression that the restraint was being worn correctly.

The investigation also found that open excavations on the site were not adequately protected to prevent vehicles from entering them

HSE guidance highlights that one-tonne dumper trucks are particularly vulnerable to overturning. Employers should ensure excavations are suitably protected to prevent vehicle access and operators should always wear seat belts so they remain within the protection provided by the vehicle’s rollover protection structure if an overturn occurs. Guidance on dumpers is available at hse.gov.uk.

Jim Yates & Sons Limited of Warrington Road, Risley, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £4,824 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 14 July 2026.

HSE Inspector Seve Gomez-Aspron MBE said:

“Incidents involving workplace transport continue to cause death and life-changing injuries every year, and overturning remains one of the biggest risks when using dumper trucks.

“This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been prevented. Suitable protection should have been in place to stop vehicles entering the excavation, and operators should never be instructed not to wear a seat belt.

“Seat belts are a vital safety feature. They keep operators inside the protective zone created by the vehicle’s rollover protection structure if a dumper overturns, significantly reducing the risk of serious injury or death.

“Had suitable edge protection also been installed around the excavation and the operator been wearing the seat belt, these serious injuries could have been avoided.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Mathew Reynolds and paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: Dumpers – 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) continues to support Farm Safety Week, with new figures for 2025/26 revealing that children and older workers remain disproportionately at risk on Britain’s farms. Agriculture remains the industry with the highest rate of work-related fatalities.

Provisional data for 2025/26 shows that 29 people were killed in agriculture, forestry and fishing, including seven members of the public, three of whom were children. Over the last five years, nine children have lost their lives on Britain’s farms, representing 6% of all work-related fatal injuries in the sector. At the other end of the age spectrum, over 65s accounted for half of all worker fatalities in 2025/26 — a stark reminder that older farmers face particular risks in what remains a challenging working environment.

Over the last five years, the sector has averaged 28 work-related deaths per year. Measured per 100,000 workers, the fatal injury rate is five times higher than construction and 21 times higher than the all-industry average. Vehicles, falling objects, falls from height, animals and machinery continue to be the main causes of death, with moving or overturning vehicles alone claiming eight lives in 2025/26.

Wayne Owen, HSE inspector for agriculture said:

“The continued loss of life, particularly the deaths of nine children on Britain’s farms over the last five years, is both tragic and unacceptable.

“These are not inevitable accidents; many result from risks that could and should be controlled.

“Children, particularly young children, should not be in the farm workplace — they should be in a safe, fenced area such as a farmhouse garden.

“We are also deeply concerned about the number of older workers losing their lives. Over 65s account for half of all worker fatalities

“Meaningful and lasting improvement will only come through a significant cultural change across the industry — one that starts on every farm and with every farmer.

“HSE will continue to work with industry partners, including Britain’s Farm Safety Partnerships, to drive the cultural change that is so desperately needed.”

Free guidance, including , including What a good farm looks like and Farmwise (also available in Welsh), with both available at Agriculture – HSE.

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. Guidance for the agriculture industry is available – Agriculture – HSE.

• Peter Hutchinson, 60, fell 1.5m from the ramp onto a concrete floor.
• Bertschi UK Ltd failed to properly plan the loading activity which used the ramp
• Also failed to install a handrail on the mobile loading ramp, despite manufacturer’s instructions clearly requiring this
• Fined £425,000.

Bertschi UK Limited has been fined £425,000 after a warehouse supervisor suffered fatal injuries following a fall from a mobile loading ramp during a container loading operation at its Middlesbrough site.

Peter Hutchinson, 60, was employed as a Warehouse Supervisor by Bertschi UK Limited and had worked for the company since around 2009.

On 4 November 2021, Mr Hutchinson was helping to load plastic waste bales into a shipping container at the company’s site in Middlesbrough.

As Mr Hutchinson accessed the ramp, a plastic bale slipped from the forklift truck which was loading them into the container. This caused Mr Hutchinson to step backwards and fall approximately 1.5 metres onto the concrete surface below.

Mr Hutchinson suffered serious injuries and died in hospital on 23 November 2021.

Peter’s wife Karen Hutchinson, said:

“My husband Peter was the family man and everything we did revolved around him.

“Everyone is struggling to come to terms with their dad, uncle and friend not being here. He did so much for so many people.

“To explain my feelings of loss is to try and explain the unthinkable – there are just simply no words.

“Peter was my husband and very best friend. He was my always and forever and he is my forever always.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bertschi UK Limited failed to properly assess the risks associated with the loading operation and failed to adequately consider and control the risks arising from pedestrian use of mobile loading ramps.

The investigation found that employees were permitted to access the ramps without handrails. In spite of the fact that the manufacturer of the ramp had specifically advised that pedestrians should not use the ramp unless handrails were fitted.

HSE also found that the company had not sufficiently considered reasonably practicable alternatives that would have avoided work at height altogether, including using existing loading bays or placing containers on the ground before loading.

Employers must properly plan and assess work at height and ensure that it is avoided where it is reasonably practicable to do so. Where work at height cannot be avoided, suitable measures must be in place to prevent falls and protect workers from injury.

Bertschi UK Limited, was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Regulation 6(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Regulation 4(1)(a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

Following a trial at Teesside Crown Court in April 2026 Bertschi UK was fined £425,000 and ordered to pay costs of £119,258 at a hearing at Teesside Crown Court on Friday 17 July 2026.

HSE inspector Cain Mitchell said:

“Peter Hutchinson lost his life in an incident that was entirely preventable. The manufacturers instructions were clear: no pedestrian should have been using the ramp without handrails being fitted.

“Employers should carefully assess work at height activities and always consider whether the task can be carried out without exposing workers to fall risks.

“This was a new activity – changes to established working practices can introduce new risks and employers must ensure those risks are identified and controlled before work begins.

“This prosecution should remind dutyholders that HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action when workers are unnecessarily placed at risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Jonathan Bambro and Paralegal Officer Rebecca Forman.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: Work at Height
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Alexander Robson advertised his services on social media and with flyers faking the Gas Safe logo, despite not being on the Gas Safe Register
• Illegal gas work carried out on five properties, with one putting lives in danger
• All gas work must be carried out by people on the Gas Safe Register.

An illegal gas fitter who advertised his services on Facebook despite not being on the Gas Safe Register has been given a suspended prison sentence after carrying out dangerous work on homes across the North East.

Alexander Robson, 38, of Bavington Drive in Fenham, advertised his services on the social media platform and used flyers with the Gas Safe logo on them – despite the fact he wasn’t registered. Robson traded under names including GasnHeat Plumberz and North East Renocationz and undertook gas work on boilers and gas fires at five homes in Blyth, Ryton, Hexham, Winlaton and Newcastle.

However, not only was the work he carried out illegal, it was also sub-standard and endangered the lives of those living in the properties. Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and potentially dangerous, as unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Robson had previously been on the Gas Safe Register aligned to various businesses up until 1 February 2024, but continued carrying out work for several months after that was no longer the case.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Robson had carried out work in five homes between June and September 2024. This included a number of boiler replacements as well as installing gas pipework, undertaking gas work on boilers and gas fires, and disconnecting gas appliances.

Alexander Robson, of Bavington Drive, Fenham, pleaded guilty to ten breaches under the Gas Safe (Installation and Use) Regulations 1999. On 14 July 2026 at South Tyneside Magistrates Court, Robson was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for a period of two years. Robson must also complete a six month mental health treatment requirement and complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity with the probation service. He was also ordered to pay £450 compensation and £200 towards prosecution costs.

HSE inspector Darian Dundas said:

“These breaches were carried out brazenly and in the open using social media and faking the Gas Safe logo to tout for business.

“Little did people know what they were signing up for when they asked him for help; a rogue trader who was not competent to safely carry out the work.

“All gas work must be carried out by registered Gas Safe Register engineers to ensure the highest standards are met.

“When they are not, the consequences can be deadly.

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

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

• Gas Safe Register
• Phone – Consumers: 0800 408 5500; Engineers: 0800 408 5577
• Email – [email protected]

This Prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Iain Jordan and supported by Paralegal Officer Stephen Grabe.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Guidance on domestic gas health and safety is available.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.

• Two members of the public suffered serious injuries when a scaffold tower toppled onto Putney high street.
• HSE found the tower had been assembled incorrectly and covered with sheeting which acted ‘as a sail’ in windy conditions
• Company had previously been served a prohibition notice for unsafe scaffolding at another site

A London construction company and its sole director have been fined after a tower scaffold fell onto two members of the public on a busy high street in south-west London.

On 19 July 2023, operatives working for Add Prop Limited assembled a mobile tower scaffold on Putney High Street while under the supervision of the company’s sole director, Atif Riaz. The scaffold tower, which had been assembled incorrectly with inadequate measures to separate it from members of the public, was subsequently covered in sheeting.

The sheeting acted as a sail in windy conditions, causing the tower scaffold to overturn. The structure struck and trapped two members of the public, resulting in serious injuries.

Add Prop Limited was acting as principal contractor on a project to convert a commercial building into residential flats. Mr Riaz was both the project manager and site supervisor and was present overseeing the work on the day of the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Add Prop Limited had failed to ensure the temporary structure was designed, installed and maintained so that it could withstand foreseeable loads, including those created by wind acting on the sheeting. The company had previously been served with a Prohibition Notice in relation to unsafe work involving a tower scaffold at another site.

The investigation also found that the tower scaffold had neither been assembled nor inspected by adequately trained and competent persons. It had not been erected in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or established industry guidance.

HSE further found that Atif Riaz had been negligent in his role as both sole director and project manager. Despite the well-known risks associated with wind loading on scaffold structures, neither the company nor Mr Riaz took adequate account of those risks before deciding to sheet the scaffold.

HSE guidance states that tower scaffolds must be erected by trained and competent persons and in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions. Dutyholders must also ensure temporary structures are stable and capable of withstanding foreseeable environmental conditions, including wind loading. Further guidance can be found at: Tower scaffolds – HSE.

Following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Add Prop Limited was found guilty of breaching Regulation 19(2)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £7,000 in costs.

Atif Riaz, the company’s sole director, was found guilty of an offence under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £1,730 and ordered to pay £1,730 in costs.

HSE Inspector Daniel Burton said:

“The public have a right to expect scaffolding they pass by is safe and has been properly installed – yet every year people are injured when scaffold towers overturn.

“In this case, two members of the public suffered serious injuries when a scaffold tower overturned on a busy high street. The risks associated with scaffold towers and wind loading are well known within the construction industry – this kind of incident simply should not happen.

“The fines imposed on Add Prop Limited and Atif Riaz should underline to everyone in the construction industry that the courts, and HSE, take failures to follow health and safety requirements extremely seriously.

“HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies and, where appropriate, directors who fail to do all that they should to keep workers and members of the public safe.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here Tower scaffolds – 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.