The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has authorised a Crown Censure of the Ministry of Defence, and the prosecution of defence contractor Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land Ltd.

This action follows an investigation into a fatal tank explosion in Pembrokeshire in 2017 which killed two soldiers and left a third seriously injured.

Corporal Darren Neilson, 31, and Corporal Matthew Hatfield, 27, died when an L30 gun exploded on a Challenger 2 tank at Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire on 14 June 2017 and injured two other soldiers, leaving one with life changing injuries.

Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land Ltd was responsible for producing the Safety Case for the tank and gun, while the Ministry of Defence held ultimate responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of its soldiers, and for the suitability and sufficiency of the Safety Case.

Following an investigation by HSE inspectors, a file was passed to HSE’s legal services division for review, which in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors has authorised:

1. A Crown Censure against the Ministry of Defence for failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of soldiers, under Section 2 of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act (1974)
2. A charge against Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land Ltd (formerly BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Ltd) for failing to ensure the health and safety of persons not in its employment, under Section 3 of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act (1974)

Neither the authorisation of criminal charges nor a Crown Censure represents a finding of guilt. No other organisations or individuals have been charged in connection with this incident.

 

Further information:

Crown Censure 

A Crown Censure is the maximum sanction available to HSE against a Crown body. A decision to authorise a Crown Censure is not a formal finding of guilt – it is equivalent to a decision to authorise criminal charges, in line with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

Following the decision to issue a Crown Censure, a formal hearing will take place to confirm the censure.

If a censure is confirmed at a hearing, it acts as an official reprimand and provides a lasting, public record of a Crown body’s failure to comply with the law. There is no financial penalty.

A record of Crown Censures issued by HSE is available at: Crown Censures taken by HSE since 1 April 1999

Timelines

The Crown Censure of MoD and criminal charges against Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land Ltd are separate proceedings and run on different timelines.

Media are encouraged to seek legal advice before publishing any story which could prejudice any future trial of Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land Ltd.

The Contempt of Court Act 1981 strict liability rule applies.

• 126 workers died in work-related incidents in 2025/26

• New analysis comparing rates of fatal injury in workers from a wide range of countries from around the world supports Great Britain’s position as one of the safest places in the world to work

• 2,146 mesothelioma deaths in 2024 through past exposure to asbestos

Great Britain continues to be one of the safest places in the world to work, according to new analysis published today (1 July) by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The analysis comes alongside the annual release of HSE’s statistics for work-related fatalities for 2025/26, which show that 126 workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain (GB).

HSE has this year developed new analysis comparing the level and trend of fatal injuries to workers in GB with a selection of 35 other countries from around the world, meaning for the first time the results can be compared with countries outside Europe. This analysis provides further supporting evidence that GB is maintaining its position as one of the safest places to work.

Excluding the years affected by the coronavirus pandemic (2019/20-2021/22), the number of worker deaths in 2025/26 is provisionally the lowest number recorded in a single year, comparing to 217 fatalities twenty years ago (2005/06) and 495 in 1981.

The industries with the highest number of deaths continue to be construction (25) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (22). Of all main industry sectors, agriculture, forestry and fishing continues to have the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000  workers (8.09) followed by waste and recycling (5.47). This compares to an average 0.37 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers across all industries combined.

The most common cause of fatal injuries continues to be falls from a height (31), representing around a quarter of worker deaths in 2025/26.

Workers aged 60 and over accounted for around a third of all fatalities during the year (40) despite that age group accounting for just 12 per cent of the workforce.

A further 104 people who were not at work were killed as a result of work-related incidents in 2025/26. This refers to members of the public who were not directly working themselves at the time of the incident.

HSE’s Chief Executive Sarah Albon said:

“Every one of these numbers represents a loved one lost; serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of the work we do.

“We can be proud that Great Britain remains one of the safest places in the world to work, and the new analysis we have developed this year, for the first time, allows us to compare our safety record with a wide range of other advanced economies.”

The figures relate to work-related accidents and do not include deaths arising from occupational diseases or diseases which arise from certain occupational exposures.

The HSE has also published the annual figures for mesothelioma, a cancer caused by past exposure to asbestos. These show that 2,146 people died from the disease in Great Britain in 2024, representing a fall of 109 compared with 2023 and substantially lower than the average of 2,508 deaths per year over the ten-year period 2011-2020.

Many current mesothelioma deaths still reflect exposure to asbestos that often occurred before the 1980s and annual deaths are expected to continue declining during the next decade.

 

Further information:

• 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.

• Prior to 1981 only fatal injury numbers to employees were reported to enforcing authorities.

• The international comparisons report findings show how other countries’ work-related fatal injury rates compare to Great Britain, and whether those relative rates are going up or down over time. They are based on statistical models, not direct comparisons, so should be treated as estimates rather than definitive figures.

• These findings should not be used to rank countries or compare non-GB countries against each other — only against Great Britain.

•  For additional information:

• the statistics webpage – Health and safety statistics – HSE

• the latest published fatal injury statistics – Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain – HSE

• the report ‘international comparisons of rate of fatal injury to workers Comparisons of work-related fatal injuries between Great Britain and other countries

• the latest report on mesothelioma statistics Mesothelioma in Great Britain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(photos from the scene)

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

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

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

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

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

HSE Inspector Zach Morris said:

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

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

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

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

 

Further information:

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

• 20-tonne tipper truck fell off edge of excavation ramp
• The driver of the truck suffered multiple injuries
• The joint HS2 venture set up by Skanska Construction UK Limited, Costain Limited and Strabag AG

A joint venture working on the HS2 rail project has been fined after the driver of a 20-tonne tipper truck was injured when his vehicle fell off the edge of an excavation ramp.

The incident happened on 27 July 2021, at a site in Copthall North near Uxbridge, West London. The site was being run by SCS Railways, a venture set up by three major construction companies – Skanska Construction UK Limited, Costain Limited and Strabag AG.

The tipper truck fell approximately two metres and landed on the driver’s side. The man behind the wheel suffered a broken nose, cut hand, and a shoulder injury.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited the site after the incident and found that there were no signs on the haulage routes being used. They also identified that there was no edge protection in place to prevent vehicles going over the edge of the ramp, and that excavations adjacent to some of the vehicle routes had unsupported, vertical faces which were at risk of collapse.

The incident occurred in an area where SCS Railways was building a ‘cut and cover tunnel’. These are shallow tunnels built on the surface before being buried, with trees, plants, and shrubs planted on top. Material from the excavation was to be reused, removing the need for it to be taken off site.

SCS Railways had contracted another company – ACE Grab Hire and Haulage Limited (ACE) – to transport excavation material via 20-tonne tipper trucks to an area under the control of another joint venture working on HS2, Align JV.  ACE drivers had been operating at the site for about two weeks by the time the incident occurred.

The subsequent HSE investigation found that on the morning of the incident, the SCS earthworks team changed their working area after an Align JV representative found the original material could not be used. This meant moving the excavator’s loading position and creating a new traffic route – but the change inadvertently left an unprotected edge on the bank above.

When the first ACE tipper truck driver used the higher-level bank instead of the intended new route, his vehicle slipped on the ramp. The next ACE driver followed the same path – and his vehicle veered off the edge of the bank.

HSE guidance on the management of vehicle movements on construction sites can be found in the HSE publication HSG 144, The safe use of vehicles on construction sites. This states that physical barriers, such as safety banks, should be provided at the edges of excavations. Guidance on excavations can also be found at Excavations – HSE. Haul roads on construction sites are also classed as temporary works and guidance can be found at Temporary Works – HSE.

SCS Railways, of 1 Hercules Way, Leavesden, Watford, pleaded guilty to contravening section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,974 at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 16 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Gordon Carson said:

“SCS had detailed procedures in place for much of the work at the site, including temporary works schemes for excavations.

“However, its failure to properly plan and promptly communicate changes in vehicle routes created unsafe conditions for the drivers of tipper trucks.

“The consequences of this could have been even more serious than they were for the driver involved in this incident.”

The investigation was carried out by HM inspectors Saif Deen and Gordon Carson, and the prosecution brought by HSE lawyer Andrew Siddall and paralegal 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. Guidance on the management of vehicle movements on construction sites can be found in the HSE publication HSG 144, The safe use of vehicles on construction sites. Guidance on excavations can be found at Excavations – 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 and Wales can be found here and for those in Scotland here.

• Antonio Rodrigues, 55, fell from a scaffold platform through an unglazed window
• Lima Construction Limited was principal contactor at a redevelopment site in south west London
• Falls from height remain leading cause of workplace injury and death

A construction company has been fined after one of its employees was killed when he fell through an unglazed window opening.

Antonio Rodrigues, 55, had been working for Lima Construction Limited, the principal contractor on a project to redevelop a former department store on the High Street in New Malden, into a mixture of commercial and residential units.

On 27 July 2022, Mr Rodrigues, who was working as a labourer on the site, fell from an external scaffolding platform through an unglazed window void, landing on an internal concrete ground floor more than three metres below.  Although he was taken to hospital Mr Rodrigues died from his injuries several days later on 1 August.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that in one wall, window voids had been created to install glazed ‘Juliet’ doors. However, when the doors were delivered it was found some had damaged glazing panels so were not installed. Although the company recognised that the four unglazed window voids created a risk to workers on the scaffolding platform – falling from height through the voids – it was only in the hours after Mr Rodrigues fell that protective boarding was installed.

 

The HSE investigation identified it was reasonably practicable for boarding or additional inside scaffolding guard rails to have been installed over the window voids to prevent falls from height as soon as they had been created.

The company had also not ensured that legally required weekly scaffolding inspections had been carried out after 5 July 2022, so the opportunity for identification of the risks posed by the unglazed window voids by a competent scaffolding inspector was lost.

Lima Construction Limited, of Apsley Road, New Malden, pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 13(1) of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. It was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,347 at Westminster Magistrates Court on 18 June 2026.

HSE inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said: 

“This is a case where a company who generally tried to have good standards of health and safety, failed to react effectively to an unusual situation and there were tragic consequences.

“Falls from height are one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries in the UK.  Employers and those in control of any work at height activity should ensure a sensible, pragmatic approach when considering precautions for work at height.

“As there was no CCTV and nobody witnessed the incident, we will never know exactly what caused Mr Rodrigues to fall. But if the boards added shortly afterwards had been in place, then there would have been no opening for him to fall through in the first place.”

The HSE’s investigation was carried out by HM inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers, and the prosecution was brought by HSE lawyers Iain Jordan and Tom Ledden-Rocks, and paralegal Anushka Lulith.

 

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.

1. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.

1. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

1. Guidance on working at height is available at Working at height – HSE and further guidance on construction can be found at Get started – HSE.

1. 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.

 

• HSE serves first Prohibition Notices as part of nationwide health and safety inspection campaign
• Enforcement action taken to protect workers from deadly silica dust
• Four companies ordered to stop work after visits from HSE inspectors
• It comes after guidance issued telling industry to stop dry-cutting engineered stone

Four companies have been ordered to stop working with engineered stone as part of a crackdown to protect workers from deadly dust.

The companies received prohibition notices (PNs) following visits by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors. The notices are enforcement actions that require the businesses to stop the work immediately and take steps to improve safety.  Each of the firms was found to have had a lack of control measures in place to keep employees safe while working with engineered stone.

HSE launched a package of measures last month to protect workers from the dangers of engineered stone dust. It followed concern about the deaths of young workers from silicosis – a deadly-but-preventable lung disease caused by breathing in respirable crystalline silica (RCS). A nationwide inspection campaign was launched to run through 2026, and inspections have resulted in these four enforcement notices being served as of the end of May.

HSE enforcement notices are published approximately five weeks after they are served to account for the appeals process and internal quality assurance.

Publication of new guidance from HSE made it clear that dry cutting of engineered stone is unacceptable, and the regulator plans to conduct more than 1,000 visits at which enforcement action to be taken against those failing to meet the required standards.

Harvey Wild, Head of Operations at the Health and Safety Executive, said: “Our inspectors are visiting businesses across Great Britain to ensure that employers have implemented the correct controls to keep their employees safe.

“We have stopped dangerous work with engineered stone in four workplaces due to serious failures in providing the correct controls.

“Silicosis is incurable, but it is entirely preventable. No worker should lose their life to a lung disease caused by their job, and that is why we have taken this action. If businesses ensure the right controls are being used correctly, then the risks of engineered stone and silicosis can be safely managed. Where these are not in place, workers will be at risk.”

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said:

“Every worker deserves to come home safe, without fear of losing their life to a preventable, deadly lung disease caused by their job.

“The enforcement action taken by HSE sends a clear message that putting workers at risk of silicosis – an entirely preventable but devastating disease – is completely unacceptable and there will be consequences.

“I urge all businesses working with engineered stone to follow HSE’s guidance now. There is no excuse for exposing workers to unnecessary risk.”

The dangers of engineered stone include silicosis, a deadly-but-preventable lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust that is released when stone is being processed. HSE’s research found that dry fabrication typically results in exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) five to ten times higher than wet methods for processing products. It also found that lower-content silica engineered stone is available at the same quality, meaning businesses can switch to less dangerous products.

This evidence led to HSE acting decisively to ensure those controls become universal across the industry, and to provide clarity to businesses and workers, HSE has published its first-ever COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) guidance sheet specifically for engineered stone.

HSE’s guidance sets out in plain English what employers must do: switch to engineered stone with a low silica content; use on-tool water suppression, control mist; provide appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE); and carry out regular health surveillance.

​HSE’s first instances of enforcement action also addressed a range of other failures including Health Surveillance; provision of suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE); provision of suitable local exhaust ventilation; and machinery guarding.

To support dutyholders HSE provides a range of advice and information for fabricators, installers, and distributors of engineered stone – including managers and supervisors. Visit Working engineered stone: Control silica risk – HSE

Further Information:

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety.

• HSE’s new guidance for engineered stone outlines the controls that should be in place when working with the material, which effectively rules out dry-cutting, grinding and polishing, unless businesses can demonstrate an equally effective or better control is in place. This is not a new law, or a formal prohibition as would be achieved with changes to legislation.

• The new COSHH guidance for engineered stone is available at hse.gov.uk

• Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust is invisible to the naked eye and can penetrate deep into the lungs, causing silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.

• HSE’s 1,000+ inspection programme will run through the 2026/27 period.
• HSE is also working with manufacturers, suppliers and importers to encourage the supply of lower-silica engineered stone products, which research indicates are a viable alternative to high-silica materials. Manufacturers have a legal duty under Section 6 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to provide adequate information about the risks associated with their products and the controls required to work with them safely.
• Further details on the latest HSE news releases are available at hse.gov.uk.

• Further details on the latest HSE notices are available at Public register of enforcement notices.
• To account for the appeals process and internal quality assurance, enforcement notices are published approximately 5 weeks after they are served.

• Employee sustained life-changing injuries when struck by a reversing vehicle.
• HSE investigation found the workplace did not have proper measures to separate vehicles and pedestrians.
• Nearly one in four workplace vehicle incidents involving reversing – HSE guidance advises setting up one-systems to remove the need for reversing.

A landscaping and civil engineering company has been fined £125,000 after a man was seriously injured when struck by a reversing vehicle in Wolverhampton.

The 58-year-old employee of Jack Moody Landscaping and Civil Engineering Limited suffered life-changing injuries after a visiting flatbed truck reversed into him as he walked across the company’s site at Hollybush Farm on Warstone Road on 22 September 2017. The worker sustained serious head injuries, damage to his eyesight, and significant mental and psychological trauma.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the workplace had not been organised to allow pedestrians and vehicles to circulate safely. There were no clearly demarcated pedestrian routes, no instructions for drivers on safe vehicle manoeuvring, and inadequate arrangements to ensure vehicles could reverse without risk to those on foot.

Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport occur during reversing. Many other reversing accidents do not result in injury but cause costly damage to vehicles, equipment and premises.

HSE guidance on reversing advises to remove the need for reversing altogether by setting up one-way systems, for example drive-through loading and unloading positions. Where reversing is unavoidable, routes should be organised to minimise the need for reversing.

Jack Moody Landscaping and Civil Engineering Limited, of Hollybush Farm, Warstone Road, Shareshill, Wolverhampton, was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court in November 2025. The company was fined £125,000 and ordered to pay £150,000 in costs at a sentencing hearing at the same court on 15 June 2026.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector Laura Royales said:

“This was a completely avoidable incident, caused by the company’s failure to put in place very straightforward measures to separate vehicles and pedestrians.

“Workplace transport incidents remain one of the most common causes of fatal injuries in this sector, and it is fortunate that this incident did not prove fatal.

“Employers must ensure their workplaces are properly organised to keep workers safe.”

Further information:

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

• Heat health alert issued until Thursday 25 June
• Employers have legal duties to protect workers from extreme heat
• Workers should talk to their employer if the temperature isn’t comfortable

Employers need to act now to make sure their workers are protected as a heat health alert has been issued for parts of the country until Thursday 25 June.

That’s the message from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the country’s workplace regulator, as summer arrives in the UK.

The regulator sees a surge in people seeking advice in periods of hot weather and, following the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing the alert, is calling on employers to plan for and support those working in extreme heat. The regulator says doing so will keep workers healthy and safe while also maintaining productivity.

Employers must assess risks to the health and safety of their workers by law, including risks from extreme weather such as heatwaves. While there is no legal maximum temperature for workplaces, heat is classed as a hazard and should be treated like other hazards.

HSE says everyone – whether working indoors or outdoors – is at risk and employers should discuss with workers changes to manage the risk.

John Rowe, Deputy Director for Technical Support and Engagement for the Health and Safety Executive, said: “Last summer should have been a wake-up call for all employers. If we continue to experience hotter summers this could have a big impact on the workforce of this country, affecting everything from health of workers to productivity on construction sites.

“The risks to workers from extreme heat must be properly assessed. Practical steps can include providing adequate ventilation and shade and allowing enough breaks for workers to cool down. We provide detailed guidance on our website hse.gov.uk.

“We know all employers are under pressure and we don’t want to add to their burden but it’s vital they think hard now about simple and cheap measures they can put in place to support workers should we see extreme heat again this summer.”

Simple measures to consider include:

• Making sure workplace windows can be opened or closed to prevent hot air from circulating or building up.
• Using blinds or reflective film on workplace windows to shade workers from the sun.
• Placing workstations away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
• Putting insulation around hot pipes and machinery.
• Offering flexible working patterns so workers can work at cooler times of the day.
• Providing free access to drinking water.
• Relaxing dress codes if possible.
• Providing weather-appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Encouraging workers to remove personal protective equipment when resting (ideally in shaded areas) to cool off.
• Sharing information about the symptoms of heat stress and what to do if someone is affected.

Ends

Further information:

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
• HSE news releases are available at: http://press.hse.gov.uk
• HSE guidance can be found at: Temperature (hse.gov.uk)
• The UKHSA has issued a heat health alert for parts of the country until Tuesday 23 June 2026. Further information is available at ukhsa.gov.uk
• HSE is progressing the review of guidance and associated code of practice (ACOP) for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, ensuring our guidance reflects a modern workplace.
• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 place an obligation on employers to provide a ‘reasonable’ temperature in indoor workplaces. Detailed guidance is available on HSE’s website including information on measures that can be taken to improve thermal comfort.
• There is a legal obligation under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for all employers to make a suitable assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their workers and take action where necessary to minimise those risks as far as reasonably practicable. This would include the risks from extreme weather events, such as heatwaves.

• Maintenance worker killed while attempting to repair an industrial overhead door.
• HSE found company failed to maintain doors – despite two previous incidents – and lack of regular inspection had led to deterioration
• Employee killed found not to have been given suitable training to carry out high-risk repairs
• Company fined £400,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety offences.

An advertising printing company in Cardiff has been fined £400,000 after a maintenance worker suffered fatal injuries while attempting to repair an industrial overhead door.

On 5 September 2022, 59-year-old Anthony (“Tony”) Webb, an employee of GNW 2023 Realisations Limited, was carrying out maintenance work on an electrically operated sectional overhead door at the company’s manufacturing facility in Cardiff.

Mr Webb was attempting to re-tension the door springs using an industrial wrench when the tool slipped. The spring unwound in an uncontrolled manner, causing the wrench to be ejected and strike him. He suffered catastrophic injuries and died the following day.

In a victim personal statement, Tony’s wife Ewelina said:

“It is still very raw, and I feel like I am on a roller coaster. I still find it difficult to talk about Tony without breaking down crying.

“Tony and I were together 24/7. Tony liked fixing and repairing things for friends and neighbours. He was a cheeky chap, everyone loved him.

“I still meet up with Tony’s friends who are my friends also. I find it difficult when we talk about things and Tony isn’t there to experience it.

“Every day when I wake up it is like a cloud hanging over me. Some days I just cry without knowing I am going to.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to adequately maintain the electrically operated sectional overhead doors at the site despite two previous incidents involving failing doors that had injured employees.

The investigation found the company had not implemented a programme of routine inspection or preventative maintenance, allowing the doors to deteriorate into a poor condition.

HSE also found that Mr Webb had repeatedly been permitted to carry out repairs to the doors despite not being suitably trained to undertake the work. The company had failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment, establish a safe system of work, or provide appropriate tools and equipment.

HSE guidance states that powered sectional overhead doors are classed as work equipment and must comply with the requirements of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). Equipment must be suitable for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected by a competent person to ensure it remains safe.

Further guidance can be found here: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – HSE.

GNW 2023 Realisations Limited, of Avenue Industrial Estate, Croescadarn Close, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay £17,854 in costs at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on 17 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Georgina Bennett said:

“This incident was entirely avoidable. The maintenance of industrial doors is a high-risk activity involving stored energy within door springs;  it requires  specialist equipment and should only be carried out by people who are properly trained.

“This company failed to recognise those risks, and despite two previous incidents involving overhead doors, had not carried out regular maintenance to detect and deal with the deterioration in their condition.

“Were it not for these failures, Tony Webb’s death could have been prevented. Our thoughts remain with his loved ones as they mourn his loss.

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes.

 

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: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – 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.

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“Roedd pawb yn ei garu”; Mae gwraig yn talu teyrnged i’w gŵr a laddwyd wrth weithio mewn cwmni argraffu hysbysebu, wrth i’r cwmni gael dirwy o £400,000 am dorri rheolau iechyd a diogelwch breaches

• Gweithiwr cynnal a chadw wedi’i ladd wrth geisio atgyweirio drws uwchben diwydiannol.
• Canfu’r HSE fod y cwmni wedi methu â chynnal a chadw drysau – er gwaethaf dau ddigwyddiad blaenorol – a bod diffyg archwilio rheolaidd wedi arwain at ddirywiad.
• Canfuwyd nad oedd y gweithiwr a oedd wedi’i ladd wedi cael hyfforddiant addas i gynnal atgyweiriadau risg uchel.
• Cafodd y cwmni ddirwy o £400,000 ar ôl pledio’n euog i droseddau iechyd a diogelwch.

Mae cwmni argraffu hysbysebu yng Nghaerdydd wedi cael dirwy o £400,000 ar ôl i weithiwr cynnal a chadw ddioddef anafiadau angheuol wrth geisio atgyweirio drws uwchben diwydiannol.

Ar 5 Medi 2022, roedd Anthony (“Tony”) Webb, 59 oed, gweithiwr i GNW 2023 Realisations Limited, yn gwneud gwaith cynnal a chadw ar ddrws uwchben adrannol a weithredir yn drydanol yng nghyfleuster gweithgynhyrchu’r cwmni yng Nghaerdydd.

Roedd Mr Webb yn ceisio ail-densiynu sbringiau’r drws gan ddefnyddio tyndro diwydiannol pan lithrodd yr offeryn. Datododd y sbring mewn modd afreolus, gan achosi i’r tyndro gael ei daflu allan a’i daro. Dioddefodd anafiadau trychinebus a bu farw’r diwrnod canlynol.

Mewn datganiad personol dioddefwr, dywedodd gwraig Tony, Ewelina:

“Mae’n dal yn amrwd iawn, ac rwy’n teimlo fel fy mod i ar ffigar-êt. Rwy’n dal yn ei chael hi’n anodd siarad am Tony heb dorri i lawr yn crio.

“Roedd Tony a minnau gyda’n gilydd 24/7. Roedd Tony yn hoffi trwsio ac atgyweirio pethau i ffrindiau a chymdogion. Roedd yn ddyn chwareus, roedd pawb yn ei garu.

“Rwy’n dal i gyfarfod â ffrindiau Tony sydd hefyd yn ffrindiau i mi. Rwy’n ei chael hi’n anodd pan rydyn ni’n siarad am bethau ac nad yw Tony yno i’w brofi.

“Bob dydd pan fyddaf yn deffro mae fel cwmwl yn hongian drosof. Rhai dyddiau rwy’n crio heb wybod fy mod i’n mynd i wneud hynny.”

Canfu ymchwiliad gan yr Awdurdod Gweithredol Iechyd a Diogelwch (HSE) fod y cwmni wedi methu â chynnal a chadw’r drysau uwchben adrannol trydanol ar y safle yn ddigonol er gwaethaf dau ddigwyddiad blaenorol yn ymwneud â drysau’n methu a oedd wedi anafu cyflogeion.

Canfu’r ymchwiliad nad oedd y cwmni wedi gweithredu rhaglen o archwilio rheolaidd na chynnal a chadw ataliol, gan ganiatáu i’r drysau ddirywio i gyflwr gwael.

Canfu’r HSE hefyd fod Mr Webb wedi cael caniatâd dro ar ôl tro i wneud atgyweiriadau i’r drysau er nad oedd wedi’i hyfforddi’n addas i wneud y gwaith. Roedd y cwmni wedi methu â chynnal asesiad risg addas, sefydlu system waith ddiogel, na darparu offer a chyfarpar priodol.

Mae canllawiau’r HSE yn nodi bod drysau uwchben adrannol â phŵer yn cael eu dosbarthu fel cyfarpar gwaith a rhaid iddynt gydymffurfio â gofynion Rheoliadau Darparu a Defnyddio Cyfarpar Gwaith 1998 (PUWER). Rhaid i gyfarpar fod yn addas i’w ddefnyddio, wedi’i gynnal mewn cyflwr diogel a’i archwilio gan berson cymwys i sicrhau ei fod yn parhau i fod yn ddiogel.

Gellir dod o hyd i ganllawiau pellach yma:  Rheoliadau Darparu a Defnyddio Cyfarpar Gwaith 1998 (PUWER) – HSE.

Plediodd GNW 2023 Realisations Limited, o Ystad Ddiwydiannol Avenue, Clos Croescadarn, Caerdydd, yn euog i dorri Adran 2(1) o Ddeddf Iechyd a Diogelwch yn y Gwaith ac ati 1974 a Rheoliad 5(1) o Reoliadau Darparu a Defnyddio Cyfarpar Gwaith 1998.

Cafodd y cwmni ddirwy o £400,000 a gorchymyn i dalu £17,854 mewn costau yn Llys Ynadon Merthyr Tudful ar 17 Mehefin 2026.

Dywedodd Arolygydd yr HSE Georgina Bennett:

“Roedd modd osgoi’r digwyddiad hwn yn llwyr. Mae cynnal a chadw drysau diwydiannol yn weithgaredd risg uchel sy’n cynnwys ynni wedi’i storio mewn sbringiau drysau; mae angen offer arbenigol arno a dim ond pobl sydd wedi’u hyfforddi’n iawn ddylai ei wneud.

“Methodd y cwmni hwn â nodi’r risgiau hynny, ac er gwaethaf dau ddigwyddiad blaenorol yn ymwneud â drysau uwchben, nid oeddent wedi cynnal gwaith cynnal a chadw rheolaidd i ganfod a delio â’r dirywiad yn eu cyflwr.

“Oni bai am y methiannau hyn, gellid bod wedi atal marwolaeth Tony Webb. Mae ein meddyliau’n parhau gyda’i anwyliaid wrth iddynt alaru am ei golled.

Dygwyd yr erlyniad HSE hwn gan y cyfreithiwr gorfodi HSE Alan Hughes.

 

Nodiadau i Olygyddion

 

1. Yr Awdurdod Gweithredol Iechyd a Diogelwch (HSE) yw rheoleiddiwr cenedlaethol Prydain ar gyfer iechyd a diogelwch yn y gweithle. Rydym wedi ymrwymo i amddiffyn pobl a lleoedd, a helpu pawb i fyw bywydau mwy diogel ac iachach.
2. Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am y ddeddfwriaeth y cyfeirir ati yn yr achos hwn ar gael.
3. Mae rhagor o fanylion am ddatganiadau newyddion diweddaraf yr HSE ar gael.
4. Gellir dod o hyd i ganllawiau perthnasol yma: Rheoliadau Darparu a Defnyddio Cyfarpar Gwaith 1998 (PUWER) – HSE
5. Nid yw HSE yn rhoi dedfrydau, yn gosod canllawiau nac yn casglu unrhyw ddirwyon a osodir. Rhaid dilyn canllawiau dedfrydu perthnasol oni bai bod y llys yn fodlon y byddai’n groes i fuddiannau cyfiawnder gwneud hynny. Gellir dod o hyd i’r canllawiau dedfrydu ar gyfer troseddau iechyd a diogelwch yma.

• Gary Saville instructed man to carry out roof work but wasn’t insured in the event of injury.
• Jacob Black, 31, fell through skylight and was taken to hospital by air ambulance.
• The roof work was carried out without any control measures in place.

An uninsured business owner from Lancashire has been given a suspended prison sentence after an employee suffered life changing injuries falling through a roof.

Gary Saville, 54, (trading as Bespoke Landscapes and Buildings) of Park Lane in Preesall, Poulton-Le-Fylde, was given an 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and told to complete 260 hours of unpaid work.

He had employed 31-year-old Jacob Black to replace skylights on a farm outbuilding in Pilling, Preston, on the 17 June 2024, but he fell through a fragile roof to the floor below while carrying out the job.

Mr Black, also from Preesall, was taken by air ambulance to Preston Hospital and as a result of the incident, required two lung operations, collarbone surgery as well as sustaining multiple bone fractures.

In a victim personal statement, Jacob Black said:

“I have always been an active person and prior to the accident I cycled and used to enjoy walking with the family.

“Now I am unable to walk long distances and it has to be flat as I become very breathless.

“I also have restricted movement due to the communal fractures of the shoulder, which has caused poor movement in my right arm and makes everyday things, such as using a knife and fork and carrying items much more difficult.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Saville had instructed Mr Black to walk across the fragile roof surface without any control measures, such as crawling boards and netting, in place to prevent or protect against a fall, ultimately leading to him falling through a fragile roof light.

Falls from height remain a leading cause of workplace death and injury and HSE has detailed guidance eon working at height and it can be read at hse.gov.uk.

Gary Saville of Park Lane, Preesall, Poulton Le Fylde, Lancashire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and told to complete 260 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £700 costs at Warrington Magistrates Court on 16 June 2026.

At an earlier hearing on 10 February 2025, Saville also pleaded guilty to not having Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) at the time of the incident. Most employers are required by law to provide ELCI cover to ensure successful civil claims can be met. Further guidance can be found on the HSE website at Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 – HSE.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Paul Taylor said:

“Falls from height remain the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in UK workplaces and Mr Black is lucky to be alive.

“No control measures were in place to ensure the work could be carried out safely.

“To make matters worse, the man who employed him to do the job didn’t even have insurance in place should anything have happened.

“Nobody should be put at risk through the failures of those in charge.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger and 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. 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.