“Everyone loved him”; Wife pays tribute to husband killed working at advertising printing company, as firm fined £400,000 for health and safety breaches
- 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:
- 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.
- More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
- Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
- Relevant guidance can be found here: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) – HSE
- 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
- 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.
- Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am y ddeddfwriaeth y cyfeirir ati yn yr achos hwn ar gael.
- Mae rhagor o fanylion am ddatganiadau newyddion diweddaraf yr HSE ar gael.
- Gellir dod o hyd i ganllawiau perthnasol yma: Rheoliadau Darparu a Defnyddio Cyfarpar Gwaith 1998 (PUWER) – HSE
- 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.
