• Director’s family left with ‘mixed emotions’.
• No risk assessment or safe system of work in place at time.
• HSE guidance on safe use of transport is available

A textile manufacturer has been fined £220,000 after one of its directors was killed by a reversing HGV in Rochdale.

Daniel Ames was a director of The British Millerain Company Limited and had offered to stay behind at the company warehouse to wait for the return of the vehicle on 22 June 2023.

The truck arrived at around 5.30pm. Mr Ames spoke to the driver and confirmed he would act as banksman to help the vehicle reverse into the warehouse.

During the manoeuvre, the driver lost sight of Mr Ames and when he got out to check, he found him trapped between the vehicle and some steel storage racks in the warehouse. The driver called paramedics, but Mr Ames died in hospital from his injuries.

Speaking after the company was fined, Mr Ames’ family said the outcome left them with ‘mixed emotions’.

“Daniel went to work and never came home again and we have a massive hole in our lives that will never be filled,” they said in a statement.

“We are glad the company have admitted being responsible for his death and been handed a fine.

“But we remain devastated that we no longer have Daniel in our lives. Today we have still lost a much-loved dad, husband, uncle, son and brother, and we are devastated that his life ended in this way.

“He got on well with all his colleagues at work and had a great career. He was a respected professional who loved his job and was well known in the industry and was excited for his future. But that was taken away from us all in an instant.

“He was a real family man with a great sense of humour who was always making people smile and laugh and he enjoyed life to the full. We all miss him so much.”

The incident was reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who carried out an investigation into what happened. That identified a number of failings exposing employees to various risks, including having no safe system in place for reversing HGVs. Employees confirmed they had been doing the task for several years but had never received any training. This included one employee who said he had on occasion reversed HGVs into the warehouse with someone else acting as banksman – despite neither being trained to do so.

The HSE investigation also found the company had no risk assessment in place in relation to this work, with the regulator serving it with an improvement notice. Following the incident the company carried out a risk assessment that resulted in a safe system of work being implemented, which meant vehicles were no longer reversed using a banksman. Relevant guidance can be found here: Workplace transport – HSE.

The British Millerain Company Limited, of Unit 1 Park Mill, Buckley Road, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to breaching section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £220,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,634 at Manchester Magistrates Court on 10 July 2025.

HSE inspector Jane Carroll said: “This is a tragic case.

“Daniel was clearly popular and respected, but his leadership and dedication to his colleagues was not properly protected by the defendant.

“A safe system of work was not in place.

“We will always take action against those who fail to protect people in work.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski 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 Workplace transport – 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.

• CCTV stills show the scene moments before the incident.
• Company failed to property managed vehicle movements on site.
• HSE guidance is available.

A company in the West Midlands that reclaims and processes textiles has been fined £300,000 after one of its workers was hit by a telehandler.

The man, now 42, suffered serious injuries to his legs in the incident that happened on 23 March 2023 at a factory belonging to JMP Wilcox & Company Limited at Beldtray Works in Bilston.

Stills from CCTV footage captured the scene moments before the 39-year-old man was struck. He had been using a ride-on electric pallet truck inside the factory building. The pallet trucks are used for transporting goods of clothing to sorting lines and other areas around the factory.

The man and his supervisor had been finding stock in the ‘goods-in’ area. He was using his pallet truck to return an empty cage when he was hit by a telescopic handler that was being driven by another employee.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to properly manage vehicle movements on site. This included organising the workplace in such a way as to ensure the safety of its employees, both pedestrians and those using vehicles.

HSE provides guidance – Workplace transport – HSE – about what workplace transport arrangements can be put in place to prevent incidents. These include:

• The importance of risk assessment considering the risks associated with impact from other vehicles in the area such as telescopic handlers, forklift trucks and other trucks such as heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and what separation is required from those vehicles; and
• What separation would be required from other pedestrians and that these controls are implemented.

JMP Wilcox & Co Limited of Beldray Road, Bilston pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and have been fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,732 at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on 20 June 2025.

HSE inspector Gail Bell said: “This incident highlights the dangers to safety from inadequate management of workplace transport.

“A man suffered very serious injuries due to the failure to put suitable control measures in place.

“These measures ensure people are kept safe at work and specifically prevent them being struck by a moving vehicle.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Andy Siddall and paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.

Further information:

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

• Traffic light system had broken down several weeks before incident, investigation finds.
• HSE guidance is available on safe use of transport.

A Norfolk-based food wholesaler has been fined £66,000 after an employee’s leg had to be amputated after he was injured while loading a lorry.

The worker was loading an HGV using a pallet truck at Osprey Foods Limited, in Holt, Norfolk on 5 July 2023.

The HGV pulled away while the man was still inside the trailer, causing both him and the pallet truck to fall between the loading dock and the rear of the vehicle. The injuries he sustained were so severe his leg had to be amputated.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Osprey Foods had not taken appropriate measures to control vehicle movements on their site. The traffic light system used to tell the HGV drivers when it was safe to move their vehicles had broken several weeks prior to the incident and had not been repaired. The traffic light remained green during the loading process, meaning that the driver pulled away thinking it was safe to do so and unaware that the man was still in the back of the vehicle.

Osprey Foods Limited, of Holt, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2 (1) and 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £66,000 and ordered to pay £5,850 in costs at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 20 June 2025.

HSE inspector Natalie Prince said “Every year, a significant number of incidents, many of them serious and sometimes fatal, occur as a result of failure to manage vehicles moving around safely.

“In this case, a simple repair to a traffic light system has resulted in a worker suffering life-changing injuries.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Helen Hugo.

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 Workplace transport safety HSG136.
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 plastics manufacturer in Kent has been fined £400,000 after an employee was seriously injured by a forklift truck.

The man was struck by the vehicle while walking to collect materials at FloPlast Limited’s site at Eurolink Business Park on 4 July 2023.

The driver of the forklift truck failed to see the worker, who sustained multiple leg fractures and a dislocated ankle, requiring him to have a metal plate fitted in his left leg.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found a number of measures lacking at the site in Sittingbourne:

• FloPlast Limited had no documented safe system of work and that nobody was following the measures the firm thought were in place
• CCTV footage showed multiple drivers and pedestrians circulating in close proximity
• A site inspection by HSE found employees were not observing one way systems or following systems of work
• HSE also established that there was no system in place to monitor compliance or to remind employees and drivers of the systems of work
• Finally, it was found that nobody had assessed the vehicles being used by workers to ensure they provided good visibility.

HSE guidance can be found at: Introduction to workplace transport safety – HSE

FloPlast Limited, of Eurolink Business Park, Sittingbourne, Kent, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay £5,567 in costs at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on 14 November 2024.

HSE inspector Peter Bruce said: “Poor vehicle and pedestrian segregation in the workplace is a common cause of fatal incidents and injuries. The employee in this instance suffered multiple fractures and has had to have a metal plate put into their leg which they will have for the rest of their life.

“Employers need to ensure that they have suitable measures in place to segregate out pedestrians and vehicles. This includes: the provision of safe systems of work, appropriate training procedures and systems for ensuring compliance with those measures.

“Where it is identified that employees are not following these measures, employers should consider the reasons behind this implementing further measures as appropriate to the risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Neenu Bains and supported by HSE paralegal officer Daniel Adams.

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. 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 wood panel manufacturer has been fined £400,000 after a worker suffered life-changing injuries at its factory in Chirk, near Wrexham.

The incident happened at Kronospan Limited on 31 March 2021, when a pack of waste MDF sheets weighing around 350kg fell from a trailer and landed on the left leg of Mark Hughes from Johnstown.

The injuries sustained by Mr Hughes, now 53, were so serious they resulted in him having his left leg amputated below his knee. The loss of his leg has been life-changing and he has since had to move to an accessible house. He is no longer able to carry on with his hobbies and struggles to climb stairs.

“My injury has changed everything in my life, it is like somebody dropped a bomb on our life and never picked up the pieces,” he said.

“Everything now just takes a lot of planning to do and spontaneous trips do not happen anymore.

“I won’t go anywhere that has a lot of steps.”

After more than two years off work, Mr Hughes has been able to return to the company, but only in a part-time capacity.

“Some days I feel okay but some days after work I feel absolutely knackered.

“I’ve worked for Kronospan for 27 years and I feel since my accident it would be difficult to find a job somewhere else and start over,” he added.

“A lot of my social connection was from work because I used to work a lot of hours.

“I have a quality of life but it is a lot different than what it used to be.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a colleague of Mr Hughes had loaded a flatbed trailer with waste MDF sheets for him to transport across the site to be destroyed. When he began to take off the straps holding the sheets in place, a pack fell off the trailer and landed on top of him. The road across the site was poorly maintained and had lots of potholes.

The investigation also found that there was no suitable risk assessment or system of work in place specifically relating to the risks associated with the stacking, movement and loading of waste MDF sheets.

Kronospan Limited of Chirk, Wrexham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,701 at Wrexham Magistrates Court on 19 November 2024.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Marie Wheeler said: “A man has suffered truly life-changing injuries as a result of this company’s failures.

“The incident was completely preventable had a proper risk assessment been carried out.

“Nor did the company have a suitable safe system of work in place.

“HSE will always take action when basic failures like these result in very serious injury.”

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. 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.

A wood recycling company has been fined after an employee was killed when he was struck by a wheel loader.

On 29 April 2019, Thomas Brooke was walking across the yard at John Brooke (Timber Treatments) Limited in Nottingham. A wheel loader, with its bucket raised, was operating in the yard along with other vehicles, but as the shovel moved forward, it collided with Tom who died from his injuries.

Tragically, Tom was working for the family company. At the time of the incident, Tom’s son Rupert was aged four. His wife, Jessica Brooke described Tom as a kind and caring person who was dedicated to his family and was loved by everyone who knew him.

In a statement, she said: “Our hearts are broken. The pain and suffering of his loss has been immense, and no words can describe the impact that his loss has had; both Rupert and I have been forever changed.

“We were partners in crime, soulmates and best friends and together took on whatever challenges life threw in our direction.”

Describing the relationship Tom had with Rupert, who is now nine, Jessica said: “From the moment that Rupert was born Tom was a natural father and Rupert and Tom had a very special bond. They were as thick as thieves, both being at their happiest when in the other’s company. Tom was a brilliant role model to Rupert in every respect; he was Rupert’s favourite person in the whole world and Rupert couldn’t have wished for a better father.

“I grieve the future that we will never have but also, and particularly, that Tom will never see Rupert’s future.”

The family have asked for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that John Brooke (Timber Treatments) Limited did not properly organise its workplace to keep pedestrians safe. There were no control measures, such as physical barriers, to prevent pedestrians accessing areas where loading shovels, lorries, forklift trucks and 360 grabs operated. It failed to properly assess the risks from operating machinery with reduced visibility and did not properly train, instruct and monitor employees.

Every workplace must be safe for the people and vehicles using it and traffic routes must be suitable for the people and vehicles using them. HSE has guidance on workplace transport with advice on keeping traffic routes safe and separating people from vehicles.

On 20 August 2024, John Brooke (Timber Treatments) Limited of Fosse Way, Widmerpool, Nottingham pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Nottingham Crown Court.  They were fined £22,500 and agreed to pay costs of £44,227.28.

Speaking after the sentencing, HSE inspector Lindsay Bentley said: “This has been a very difficult case for all concerned. However, those in control of work have a responsibility to implement safe methods of working. Had simple measures been taken, this tragedy could have been prevented. “

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Kate Harney and supported by HSE paralegal officer Rebecca Forman.

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. 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.
5. Link to relevant guidance: Workplace transport – HSE