• 74-year-old Grace Mecaley killed after being struck by a bus while using a pedestrian crossing
• TfL failed to properly manage risks to pedestrians at Walthamstow Bus Station
• Similar collision in 2022 and five near misses recorded in the two days before Grace’s death

Transport for London (TfL) has been convicted and fined £2 million after a 74-year-old woman was struck by a bus and killed while using a pedestrian crossing at Walthamstow Bus Station.

Mrs Grace Mecaley was walking home after shopping on Walthamstow High Street on 15 December 2023 when she was struck by a double-decker bus.

At around 5pm, Mrs Mecaley was crossing the road from Rose Bank Villas at an authorised pedestrian crossing. She was around two-thirds of the way across when a number 212 bus rounded the corner and struck her.

Mrs Mecaley suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that TfL had failed to ensure pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely at the bus station.

The crossing was positioned at the apex of a bend, where buses turned into the station. Its position and the angle at which buses approached meant drivers could turn towards the crossing without a clear view of its full length.

The ‘red carpet’ crossing was intended to give pedestrians priority. However, the layout created ambiguity over right of way and increased the risk of a collision.

TfL’s failure to manage the risks at the crossing persisted for years. Despite a pedestrian being struck by a bus in similar circumstances in April 2022, TfL failed to risk assess the crossing. CCTV footage also captured five near misses in the two days before Mrs Mecaley was killed.

HSE’s investigation also found TfL had failed to adequately monitor bus drivers operating at the station.

The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 provides guidance on keeping pedestrians and vehicles safe, including clearly marking traffic routes and avoiding sharp or blind bends where possible.

Transport for London (TfL) of 5 Endeavour Square, London, E20 1JN, pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace Health, Safety, and Welfare Regulations 1992.

TfL was fined £2 million and ordered to pay £5081 in costs at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 25 September 2026.

Speaking at Westminster Magistrates’ Court HSE Inspector Laurence Goodacre said:

“Our deepest sympathies remain with Grace’s family who are represented here today by her son. Grace was a vibrant member of her community and her loss will be deeply felt.

“Grace was simply walking home after shopping when she was struck and killed while using an authorised pedestrian crossing.

“TfL had a responsibility to keep pedestrians safe, but its failings meant Grace never made it home.

“Grace died just days before Christmas and her family will continue to feel that loss particularly deeply at what should be a happy time of year.

“I hope today’s sentence provides them with some measure of comfort, knowing that those responsible for her death have been held to account.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement Lawyers Rebecca Schwartz and Jon Mack 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 here. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3004/regulation/17
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases are available.
4. Guidance on the organisation of traffic, including vehicles and pedestrians, as well as crossings where these road users would intersect can be found here:
   Workplace health, safety and welfare. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Approved Code of Practice and guidance L24
   Workplace transport safety HSG136
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect fines. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

• Father-of-one Joseph Tuck sustained serious spinal injuries that prevented him returning to a physical job.

• Simple measures to prevent a fall, including securing the stairwell cover or installing edge protection, were not in place.

• HSE identified multiple failures in the management of work at height.

A domestic house builder in Sowerby Bridge was fined after a labourer sustained serious spinal injuries when he fell one storey onto concrete through a stairwell opening.

It was only his second week on the job when Mr Joseph Tuck, 24, a father of one, stepped backwards and fell through an opening intended for a staircase that had not yet been installed. He was working as a temporary labourer for a scaffolding company in January 2024 at a site of four new domestic dwellings being constructed by Hillbeck Homes (Sowerby Bridge) Ltd.

The stairwell opening had not been securely covered (previous loose scaffold boards had been removed) and the open edges were not protected. There were no alternative means of accessing the sub-floor and West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and the HART team had to rescue Mr. Tuck who had fallen unconscious. He sustained serious spinal injuries which prevented him from working for months after the incident and has not returned to a physical job since.

An HSE investigation found that Hillbeck Homes (Sowerby Bridge) Ltd had failed to put adequate measures in place to prevent falls from height, resulting in Mr Tuck falling through an unprotected stairwell opening and suffering life-changing injuries.

HSE guidance states that employers must take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent and mitigate 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, including where there is a risk of falling through openings in floors, roofs or other work platforms. Further guidance can be found here: Work at Height – HSE.

HSE Inspector Louise Redgrove said:

“Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry, accounting for around a quarter of all fatal injuries to workers each year.

“This was a wholly avoidable incident caused by basic failures in planning and supervision. The stairwell opening was not adequately protected, and simple measures such as securing the scaffold boards or installing edge protection would have prevented Mr Tuck from falling and sustaining serious spinal injuries.

“This fine should serve as a clear reminder to the construction industry that both the courts and HSE take breaches of health and safety law extremely seriously.

“HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action where employers fail to take the necessary steps to protect workers from harm.”

Hillbeck Homes (Sowerby Bridge) Ltd formerly of 1 Bretton Place, Otley Road, Guiseley, Leeds LS20 8FL was found guilty on three charges.  They failed to properly plan and appropriately supervise work at height and to take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent a fall.  The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £9,284.05 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 16 September 2026.

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer Henrietta Ruthven.

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 working at height safely – HSE; The Work at Height Regulations 2005
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.

• Maintenance engineer suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries after his arm was pulled into an unguarded conveyor
• Working alone, he waved at a CCTV camera for help after becoming trapped in the machinery
• Factory Services UK Limited fined £160,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches

A Merseyside animal‑feed manufacturer has been sentenced after a maintenance engineer suffered severe, life‑changing injuries when his arm was drawn into an unguarded conveyor.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Factory Services UK Limited allowed workers access to dangerous parts of machinery for many years at its site on Moorgate Road, Deacon Park, Knowsley Industrial Park, L33 7RX.

On 18 March 2025, maintenance engineer Daniel Slinger was working a nightshift when he was asked to look at an issue on a conveyor. While the conveyor was still running, Mr Slinger reached through a hole in the side of the conveyor casing to clear away some material. His arm was pulled into the moving machinery. There was no guard in place and no emergency stop button in the area.

Working alone at the time, there was nobody nearby to see or hear what had happened. In an effort to raise the alarm, he repeatedly waved at a CCTV camera in the hope that someone monitoring the system would spot him and come to his aid, nobody did. Eventually, after 40 seconds, he was able to free his arm. This was despite the company’s own safe systems of work requiring machinery to be guarded and isolated before any maintenance or cleaning activity was carried out.

Mr Slinger suffered catastrophic injuries to his forearm and hand, including a fracture and extensive degloving. He required multiple operations, blood transfusions and continues to receive ongoing specialist treatment. He remains unable to return to work.

HSE’s investigation established that the hole had been cut into the conveyor years earlier to allow workers to clear blockages while the machine remained in operation. A second conveyor on site was also found to have a similar unauthorised access point. Despite routine inspections, management walkarounds and audits, the dangerous modifications had not been identified or rectified.

Following the incident, the company fitted a fixed mesh guard and installed an emergency stop button at the location.

Factory Services UK Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 8 September 2026. They were fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4728.

Following the hearing, HSE Inspector, Ian Betley, said:

“Mr Slinger suffered devastating and life-altering injuries as a result of this preventable incident. Had the correct protections been in place he would not have been exposed to the dangerous parts of a running conveyor through a hole cut into the machine.

“Factory Services UK Limited had risk assessments and safe systems of work, but they were not followed or enforced. Employers must ensure guarding is properly maintained, safe systems are implemented, and workers are protected from foreseeable risks.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes and paralegal officer Henrietta Ruthven.

Further Information

1. Guidance on the safe use of work equipment, including guarding requirements, can be found here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l22.htm
2. Further details on the latest HSE news releases are available at: https://press.hse.gov.uk/
3. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect fines. Sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found at: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/sentencing-and-the-council/about-sentencing-guidelines/about-published-guidelines/health-and-safety-offences-corporate-manslaughter-and-food-safety-and-hygiene-offences/

• Gheorghita Arsene, 33, died after being buried under around two tonnes of soil when the trench collapsed at a site in Banstead on 24 June 2020.
• A joint investigation found that the trench had no supports to prevent it from collapsing and soil had been piled right next to the edge.
• The collapse happened during work to replace a damaged pipe at the bottom of a deep excavation.

Two companies and a self-employed contracts manager have been sentenced after a worker was crushed to death when an unsupported trench collapsed at a site in Surrey.

Gheorghita Arsene, 33, who was known as Geo, was working at a site on Park Road, Banstead, Surrey on 24 June 2020. He had been working to replace a damaged pipe at the bottom of the deep trench, which had been dug with a three-tonne digger. He had been clearing soil with a shovel and a pickaxe when, without warning, the trench walls collapsed. Although rescue attempts were made, he was buried in approximately 2 tonnes of soil and sadly died at the scene.

A joint investigation by Surrey Police and the Health and Safety Executive over five years found there were no supports in the trench and excavated soil had been deposited immediately next to it. The investigation also found that, earlier that day, Anthony O’Connor a self-employed contracts manager working for T Vaughan Limited, had observed another worker in the same unsupported excavation earlier that day. Despite being aware of the measures required to prevent a trench collapse, he failed to ensure they were in place.

Earlier that day, O’Connor had observed another worker carrying out work in the same unsupported excavation. As an experienced contracts manager, he knew suitable measures were required to prevent a trench collapse but failed to ensure they were implemented.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey on 9 September 2026, principal contractor Appledorn Developments Limited and subcontractor T Vaughan Limited were convicted of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

T Vaughan Limited was fined £650,000 and ordered to pay costs of £40,000.

Appledorn Developments Limited was fined £500,000.

Anthony O’Connor, a self-employed contracts manager working for T Vaughan Limited, pleaded guilty on 22 May 2026 to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of others who may have been affected by his acts or omissions at work.

He was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

A Health and Safety Executive spokesperson said:

“Gheorghita Arsene’s death was as horrifying as it was preventable. He lost his life because basic precautions were not in place to protect workers from the well-known risks that come with excavation work. Anthony O’Connor had observed workers in the trench without adequate protection and was aware of the measures required to prevent a collapse.

“This case is a stark reminder that when basic safety standards are ignored, the consequences can be fatal. Companies and individuals alike have legal duties to protect workers and where they fail to do so, and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action.

“Our thoughts today are with Mr Arsene’s loved ones, as they mourn their loss.”

This prosecution was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service.

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. 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.   

• Worker suffered multiple fractures after arm was caught in unguarded conveyor machinery.
• HSE investigation found the company failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.
• HSE guidance explains employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous machinery.

A baked goods manufacturer has been fined £333,333 after a worker suffered multiple fractures, including a broken arm when it became entangled in a sausage roll conveyor line.

Ribeca Jesuthasan was working for David Wood Baking Limited at the company’s food manufacturing factory in Sheerness, Kent, on 1 December 2023.

Ms Jesuthasan was cleaning a sausage roll production line when she passed her hand through an unguarded conveyor roller. Although the conveyor line had initially been switched off, it began to operate while she was cleaning it.

Her arm was pulled into the rotating roller, causing multiple fractures.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that David Wood Baking Limited had failed to prevent access to the rotating parts of the sausage roll conveyor line.

Employers have a legal duty to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. This will normally involve the use of fixed guarding. Where routine access is required, interlocked guards may be necessary to prevent dangerous parts moving before a person can reach the danger zone.

HSE guidance, A recipe for safety: Health and safety in food and drink manufacture (HSG252), covers the main health and safety hazards in the food and drink industries and provides practical advice on how to manage the associated risks.

David Wood Baking Limited of Calverley Road, Leeds, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £333,333 and ordered to pay £7644 in costs at Medway Court on 1 September 2026.

HSE inspector Delcina Burden said:

“Too many workers are seriously injured every year as a result of contact with dangerous parts of machinery due to inadequate or absent guarding.

“If simple measures had been taken, this incident could have been avoided.

“The sentence handed down by the court in this case should demonstrate that the courts and HSE take breaches of health and safety law seriously. We will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to do all they can to keep people safe.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan, paralegal officer Anushka Lulith, and prosecution advocate Ruksana Begum.

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.

• Father and son were injured when a large pile of scrap metal collapsed onto them.
• HSE found members of the public were not adequately segregated from workplace transport and machinery.
• Incident followed an earlier near miss involving the same excavator.

A scrap metal recycling company has been fined after two members of the public were injured when a large pile of scrap metal collapsed onto them at its site in Scunthorpe.

PPS Metal Recycling Ltd pleaded guilty after failing to protect members of the public from risks at its site.

On 6 February 2025, a father and son were unloading scrap metal when a 360-degree excavator fitted with a grab attachment was operating nearby. As the machine removed material from a large stockpile of scrap metal a part of the pile collapsed, causing heavy pieces of scrap to fall onto the two. Both were taken to hospital following the incident and one sustained a broken leg.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the excavator had been operating in close proximity to members of the public for around 20 minutes before the incident. The company had failed to put suitable controls in place to prevent members of the public from being exposed to the risks created by moving machinery and unstable stockpiles.

HSE also identified that this incident followed an earlier near miss on 27 January 2025, when the rotating cab of the same excavator struck the side of a member of the public’s vehicle as they unloaded scrap. Although no one was harmed during the earlier incident, the underlying failures were the same.

HSE guidance, HSG136: A guide to workplace transport safety, states that pedestrians and vehicles should be segregated so far as is reasonably practicable. Waste and recycling sites should ensure suitable traffic management arrangements are in place to protect workers and members of the public from moving vehicles and machinery.

Following the incident, HSE served a Prohibition Notice preventing the excavator from operating close to pedestrians. The company subsequently introduced a separate area for public unloading, installed signage, implemented a supervised unloading system and developed a traffic management plan incorporating barriered walkways.

HSE Inspector Joe Fitzgerald, who led the investigation, said:

“These two members of the public were fortunate not to have been even more seriously injured or killed.

“This incident was entirely avoidable. Members of the public should not have been exposed to the risks created by heavy machinery and unstable stockpiles.

“Employers must ensure effective arrangements are in place to segregate pedestrians from workplace transport and mobile plant. Had suitable controls been implemented, this incident and the earlier near miss would not have occurred.”

At Grimsby Magistrates’ Court on 1 September 2026, PPS Metal Recycling Ltd was sentenced after previously pleading guilty at a hearing on 30 July 2026 to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £40,000 and must pay costs of £6,181.

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan, paralegal officer Henrietta Ruthven, and advocacy was 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 are available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in Scotland can be found here.

• Food manufacturer has been fined £120,000
• Workers exposed to serious health and safety risks
• Prosecution follows HSE inspections at large bakeries across Great Britain

A food manufacturer has been fined after employees were at risk of developing occupational asthma a factory in Buckingham.

Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court heard how workers at Puratos Limited were at risk after HSE found the levels of inhalable dust at the site could cause illnesses such as occupational asthma.

A HSE inspection carried out on 03 December 2024 identified a number of unsafe practices, including dust escaping from machinery due to leaks, the use of compressed airlines to blow down dust deposits and dry sweeping using brushes and brooms.

A workplace dust monitoring report from18 December 2024 confirmed that employees were exposed to inhalable dust concentrations above the workplace exposure limits set by HSE during the testing undertaken.

HSE has been carrying out a series of inspections at large bakeries across Great Britain from January 2026. Inspectors have been checking that employers are properly protecting workers from the dangers of dusty ingredients including flour dust.

The investigation also found that workers were required to manually lift 25kg sacks of ingredients on a daily basis. Repeated manual handling of heavy loads can lead to musculoskeletal injuries and should be avoided where reasonably practicable.

The site had also previously been inspected in 2021 with enforcement action being taken in relation to employees’ exposure to dust as well as manual handling risks arising from its food manufacturing activities.

Puratos Limited, of Buckingham Industrial Park, Buckingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6270 at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on 17 July 2026.

Following the hearing, HSE inspector Emma Page said:

“Too many workers in bakeries are suffering from unnecessary exposure to dusty ingredients, including flour. When employers prevent exposure, the risk of occupational asthma is removed.

“In the food and drink industries, around one-third of reportable injuries are acute injuries caused by handling and lifting. Employers must ensure they are properly protecting workers from the dangers of dusty ingredients and the manual handling of heavy materials.”

Notes to Editors

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

• A 12-year-old girl was injured by falling glass at Christmas lights event in Hanley in 2024.
• A snow machine fell from a window above the gift shop where members of the public were gathered.
• Emma Bridgewater Ltd was found to have failed to secure snow machine installed above public area.

Ceramics manufacturer Emma Bridgewater has been handed a £266,666 fine after a young girl was injured by falling broken glass during a Christmas lights switch-on event at its premises in Hanley.

The sentence was imposed after a Health & Safety Executive investigation found the company had failed to properly secure a snow machine which fell from a window above.

On 23 November 2024, the 12-year-old victim attended an annual Christmas lights switch-on event with her family at the Emma Bridgewater gift shop in Hanley. During the event, an artificial snow machine, which was in a window opening above the gift shop, fell out of the building and to the ground below. The machine hit a light on the way, sending a shard of broken glass towards the girl’s head, she suffered a deep cut which required hospital treatment.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Emma Bridgewater Limited had not properly assessed the risks associated with the use of the snow machine and had failed to ensure that it was properly secured to prevent it from falling out of the window, despite the manufacturer’s instructions demonstrating clearly how to safely install it.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require employers to ensure that suitable steps are taken to prevent the fall of any material or objects where there is a risk of injury to employees or members of the public.

At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 6th July 2026, Emma Bridgewater Limited of Lichfield Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 10(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £266,666 and ordered to pay costs of £4931 along with a victim surcharge of £2000.

Health & Safety Executive Inspector Rob Gidman said:

“What should have been a festive event was marred by haphazard planning which left a young girl needing hospital treatment.

“Had the positioning of the snow machine been properly planned and the machine itself been properly secured, this incident could have been avoided entirely – and it’s fortunate the victim did not sustain more serious injuries.

“Christmas gatherings are a happy occasion, but it’s vital organisers thoroughly assess the risks and put in place measures to minimise the risk of harm to the public.”

The HSE investigation was supported by Visiting Officer, Sarah Ough, and the prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger.

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.

• Samson Containers Ltd left welders exposed to cancer-causing fumes without ventilation or protective equipment.
• Company failed to act on two separate HSE improvement notices issued in September 2024 and February 2025.
• Company also failed to provide health surveillance to monitor the hearing of their employees exposed to high levels of noise.

A Lancashire manufacturer of skips and metal containers has been fined £30,000 after repeatedly failing to protect its workers from carcinogenic welding fumes at its site in Thornton-Cleveleys.

Despite being served with an Enforcement Notice by HSE inspectors on two occasions, Samson Containers Ltd continued to carry out mild steel welding without adequate control measures to protect their employees. Inspectors also found the company failed to meet it duty to monitor the health of workers exposed to high levels of noise – risking long-term harm.

During a visit to the site on 29 August 2024, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors identified several issues including high-intensity welding without local exhaust ventilation (LEV), inadequate welfare facilities, and a lack of assessment of noise risk, along with other health and safety issues on site. Multiple improvement notices were served.

Inspectors returned on multiple occasions to assess compliance, but found that the company had done nothing to comply with the notices relating to welding fume control and health surveillance for noise. This failure left employees exposed to carcinogenic welding fumes and at risk of becoming seriously ill. The company also failed to provide health surveillance to monitor the hearing of their employees exposed to high levels of noise throughout the shift.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer advises that exposure to mild steel welding fumes can cause lung cancer and possibly kidney cancer in humans. To control the risk, suitable ventilation must be present. Where this ventilation does not adequately control exposure, respiratory protective equipment (RPE) should be provided. Welding should not be undertaken without these control measures in place. This is applicable to welding indoors and outdoors.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Regulation 9 (1) requires employers to provide employees with health surveillance involving hearing checks where they are regularly exposed to high levels of noise or where employees are particularly at risk e.g. pre‑existing hearing loss or sensitivity to noise. Health surveillance helps employers to identify early signs of hearing damage, prevent further deterioration by prompting action, and making sure that their noise controls measures are working effectively.

The company Samson Containers Limited was found guilty at Warrington Magistrates’ Court of failing to comply with two Improvement Notices contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4571 in costs along with a victim surcharge of £2000 on 16 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Gemma Feerick said:

“This was a company that put its workers at risk of serious, long-term health conditions because it repeatedly failed to get the basics right – even when expressly served with notices to put proper controls in place.

“These fines should send a clear message that HSE takes failure to comply with enforcement notices extremely seriously and will act against companies and individuals who fail to protect the health and safety of their employees.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Julian White 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:

• Safety Bulletin 15: HSE Guidance welding fume 2019 – GOV.UK
• Welding fume control
• L108: Controlling noise at work

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.

• 18-year-old’s foot slipped into unguarded conveyor
• HSE investigation found no suitable risk assessment in place
• SRCL Limited fined £300,150

A company providing clinical waste management services has been fined after an 18-year-old employee sustained serious injuries while loading a bin conveyor.

The young man was working for SRCL Limited at its site in Oldham on 21 November 2024, when his foot slipped into an unguarded conveyor channel. He sustained several serious fractures to his right leg.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and failed to provide suitable guarding on the bin conveyor.

HSE guidance states employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery or to stop the movement of any dangerous parts of it before any part of a person enters a danger zone. This will normally be by fixed guarding, but where routine access is needed, other measures may be needed to stop the movement of dangerous parts, for example by having interlocked guards or pressure mats. Further detailed guidance on safe working with machinery is available.

SRCL Limited, of Indigo House, Sussex Avenue, Leeds, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £300,150, a victim surcharge of £2000 and ordered to pay £3931.85 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 16 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Sam Eves, said:

“A young man at the beginning of his working life was failed by this company.

“This incident could have so easily been avoided by properly assessing the risks and applying the correct control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.

“Companies should know that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and supported by Paralegal Officer Stephen Grabe.

More 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 Safe use of work equipment. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Approved Code of Practice and guidance L22 
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.