• Two companies with a poor health and safety record fined
• Failures included exposing workers to wood dust
• HSE inspectors found a ‘multitude of failings’ during visits

Two sister woodworking companies based in Cambridgeshire have been fined after they exposed workers to various risks including wood dust.

Dagless Limited and Nene Milling Company Limited, both based in Wisbech,  were been fined a total of £34,000 following an inspection by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

HSE carried out inspections at the two companies in July 2023 and identified a multitude of significant failings in their health and safety management systems, leaving many employees at significant risks to their health, safety and welfare.

These failings included employees being exposed to wood dust and other substances hazardous to health due to very poor control measures. Wood dust is a known respiratory sensitiser that can cause long term health effects including occupational asthma.

There was no risk assessment or work related noise survey in place and employees had not received training for the use of personal protection equipment (PPE), with the majority of employees not wearing hearing protection in areas where the noise was at very high levels.

The companies also failed to ensure vehicle movements on their sites were safety managed, putting their employees at risk of being seriously injured or killed by moving vehicles and there were numerous items of work equipment being used without appropriate guards or safety features in place.

After the visit, HSE inspectors took enforcement action against both companies. They also identified that since 2002 both Dagless Limited and Nene Milling Company Limited have been served a total of 34 enforcement notices relating to breaches of health and safety. Both companies have also been prosecuted for serious health and safety offences in the past, including incidents that have caused serious injuries to a number of their employees.

HSE guidance states that employers must take effective measures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other persons. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to put in place arrangements to control health and safety risks Managing for health and safety

Dagless Limited and Nene Milling Company Limited, both of Wisbech, entered a guilty plea to charges contrary to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The companies were fined a total of £34,000 and ordered to pay total costs of £7,809.30 at a hearing at Norwich Magistrates Court on 18 September 2026.

HSE inspector Paul Unwin said:

“These companies have been subject to significant enforcement by HSE in the past, including various enforcement notices.

“This includes both having previously been prosecuted following incidents where their employee have suffered serious life changing injuries.

“We take a failure to protect the health and safety of employees extremely seriously and we will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White 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 about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. Guidance on controlling the risks to employees can be found here: Managing for health and safety
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England can be found at Magistrates’ courts sentencing guidelines – Sentencing

• Health and Safety Executive inspectors issued Truro Sawmills Ltd with Improvement Notices after finding it failed to protect workers from health risks of wood dust and safety risks from lift trucks.
• Inspectors found employees were not trained to use rider-operated lift trucks, and protective equipment wasn’t properly fitted, and employees weren’t screened for health risks from wood dust.
• Despite several notices the company failed to act – and HSE brought a prosecution brought a prosecution
• HSE applied for the Managing Director to be disqualified as a company director following the case.

A Cornwall-based timber company and its director have been handed a £20,000 fine after failing to comply with a series of enforcement notices issued by health and safety inspectors.

Truro Sawmills Limited and its Managing Director, Alistair Wright, have been fined after failing to comply with improvement notices served by the HSE.

Truro Sawmills Limited supplies timber and manufactures gates, fencing panels and garden furniture, processed at its sawmill in Penhallow, Truro. The company was served with Improvement Notices after HSE inspectors found that employees were not being protected from the ill health risks arising from wood dust, nor the safety risks associated with the use of rider-operated lift trucks in the workplace. If not properly controlled, wood dust can cause asthma, respiratory conditions and cancer.

The HSE investigation found that employees had not been appropriately trained to use rider-operated lift trucks. Staff had also not been face fit tested for respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to protect them from wood dust and were not under suitable health surveillance.

An investigation by the HSE determined that Truro Sawmills Limited had failed to comply with its legal duty under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and had contravened the requirements of three Improvement Notices served by HSE to protect its workers.

Alistair Wright, the company’s Managing Director, also pleaded guilty to contravening the requirements of an Improvement Notice. HSE applied for Mr Wright to be disqualified from acting as a company director under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

Relevant guidance on the use of rider-operated lift trucks and the control of wood dust can be found here:

Lift-truck training – HSE

Wood dust – HSE

Fit testing basics – HSE

Health surveillance – HSE

Truro Sawmills Limited, of Penhallow, Truro, TR4 9NF, pleaded guilty to four counts, including breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and contravening the requirements imposed by three Improvement Notices, contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Act.

Alistair Wright, Managing Director of Truro Sawmills Limited, pleaded guilty to one count of contravening a requirement imposed by an Improvement Notice, contrary to Section 33(1)(g) and Section 37(1) of the Act.

The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. Mr Wright was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £2,500 in costs, at a hearing at Truro Crown Court on 20 August 2026. The court granted HSE’s application to disqualify Mr Wright from acting as a company director for a period of five years.

HSE principal inspector Melissa Lai-Hung said:

“Exposure to wood dust can cause asthma, respiratory conditions and cancer – yet this firm failed to act on legally-binding notices served by health and safety inspectors to protect their workforce.

“We also found workers hadn’t been properly trained to use lift trucks, creating very real dangers for those onsite.

“Firms should be left in no doubt that companies and individuals who do not comply with health and safety legislation will be held accountable.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Robert James and paralegal officer Mike Millman.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance on use of FLTs and control of wood dust can be found here: Lift-truck training – HSE,  Wood dust – HSE, Fit testing basics – HSE and Health surveillance – 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.

A manufacturing company has been fined £15,000 after exposing its own workers to wood dust and failing to comply with two improvement notices.

Wood dust can cause serious and often irreversible health problems, including sino-nasal cancer, asthma and dermatitis. Employers have a legal responsibility to prevent or adequately control exposure in the workplace.

After concerns were raised to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), inspectors from the workplace regulator went to Billy Davidson NV Stables Limited’s premises in Wingate, Durham on 17 June 2022. As a result, notices were served on the firm requiring it to undertake an examination of the local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system fitted to a chop saw and for failing to control exposure to wood dust from the use of a circular table saw.

Proper dust extraction can include having the right machinery, and vacuuming dust instead of sweeping is often required. HSE’s easy-to-follow guidance can be found here.

Despite the action taken by HSE, when inspectors returned to the site on 12 January 2023, the circular saw was still being used, despite the company saying it had been taken out of use. Likewise, the chop saw and LEV was also still being used, and the company had not provided HSE with confirmation it had been examined and was adequately controlling wood dust exposure.

The subsequent HSE investigation found the company had shown a disregard for health and safety due to their failure to comply with the improvement notices.

A HSE campaign to protect workers from exposure to wood dust is ongoing.

Billy Davidson NV Stables Limited was found guilty of contravening two counts of Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulations 9(2) and 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £4,500 in costs at Peterlee Magistrates Court on 24 January 2024.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Clare Maltby said: “This company showed a blatant disregard to the safety of its own workers.

“Companies are responsible for controlling the exposure to wood dust, a substance which is hazardous to health and can cause long term health effects such as occupational asthma.

“Compliance could have been achieved by simply getting a LEV fitted to the circular table saw and getting a competent person to undertake a thorough examination and test of the LEV on the chop saw.

“This case demonstrates that we will not hesitate to prosecute companies who fail to comply with the law.”

Notes to Editors:

1. 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.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

The director of a Norwich woodworking company has avoided an immediate spell behind bars after he exposed his employees to harmful wood dust.

Wood dust can cause serious and often irreversible health problems, including sino-nasal cancer, asthma and dermatitis. Employers have a legal responsibility to prevent or adequately control exposure in the workplace.

John Risby, the director of Turners and Moore Limited, was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, at Norwich Magistrates Court. The 33-year-old’s company was also fined £40,000.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an inspection at the firm’s Hurricane Way site on November 2017, which identified significant failings in its measures to control exposure of employees to wood dust. Enforcement action was taken, however a subsequent inspection in August 2022 showed the company had failed to maintain standards and further enforcement action was taken.

Dust extraction and vacuuming instead of sweeping can be some of the measures taken to control exposure to workers. Guidance on working in the woodworking industry is available and an inspection-led campaign to protect workers continues.

Turners and Moore Limited of Hurricane Way, Norwich was fined £40,000 after pleading guilty to breaches of Sections 2 (1) and 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company must also pay £2,000 in costs. Director John Risby was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for two years. He will also pay costs of £1,100 for breaching section 37 of the same Act.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Natalie Prince said: “This outcome should send a strong message out to anyone with a responsibility for protecting workers.

“Exposure to wood dust can cause serious ongoing health problems and businesses must do all that they can to protect their workers.

“This outcome should underline to those in the woodworking industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to protect the health of employees extremely seriously and will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to do so.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and paralegal officer Sarah Thomas.

Notes to Editors:

1. 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.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.