DEADLY BUSINESS NEWS

Britain: Firm and director fined after worker's fall through stairwell
A 26-year-old worker suffered serious injuries, including fractures to his skull and back, after falling through an unprotected stairwell opening while installing wall insulation at an apartment block in Staffordshire on 5 December 2023. The labourer had placed a ladder across the opening to reach the work area. An HSE investigation found BHG (Stone) Limited failed to plan and control work at height and director Alistair Howells allowed unsafe practices. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 in costs, while Howells was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,386 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news. 2 April 2026

Northern Ireland: Sawmill firm fined after worker loses foot in machinery incident
Balcas Timber Ltd was fined £87,000 after an employee’s right foot was amputated following a machinery incident at its sawmill in Ballinamallard, County Fermanagh, on 29 October 2023. The worker was trapped by a moveable track at a timber treatment chamber and freed by firefighters before being airlifted to hospital, where amputation was required. Investigators found safety switches were poorly maintained and workers routinely bypassed safety controls, leaving machinery live during repairs. The company pleaded guilty to two health and safety offences.
News Letter.
Hazards news, 26 March 2026

Britain: Plastics firm fined after two workers lose fingers in ten days
A Leeds plastics company Commercial Lines Limited was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £6,534 in costs after two workers suffered serious finger amputations in separate machinery incidents within ten days. A 61-year-old grandmother lost most of a finger and badly damaged another after contacting a rotating sanding disc, while a second worker lost part of his index finger and required further amputation after using a table saw.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 26 March 2026

Britain: Construction firm fined after teenage labourer killed in fall
Jerram Falkus Construction Limited has been fined £42,200 after 19-year-old Renols Lleshi died falling six floors through a ventilation shaft at a London building site in July 2023. The shaft had been covered only with plasterboard and foam, which gave way beneath him. The company pleaded guilty and was also ordered to pay £5,000 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 surcharge.
HSE press release.
Hazards news, 19 March 2026

Britain: Waste firm fined after worker breaks leg in fall from machinery
A recycling company was fined £14,000 and £6,500 in costs after an employee suffered a broken leg when he fell from a compost screening machine while clearing a blockage. Simon Pateman slipped while climbing onto the unguarded machine and fell, striking his head and trapping his leg requiring surgery. Investigators found failures in risk assessment, unsafe systems of work and inadequate guarding, with staff able to bypass safety measures.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 March 2026

Britain: Bakery firm fined after worker fractures hip in fall
A bakery company was fined £16,667, £4,333.66 in costs and a £2,000 surcharge after an employee fractured their hip falling from a plastic pallet box while disposing of food waste into a skip. An investigation found failures to carry out a suitable risk assessment, provide safe access equipment and properly supervise the task, allowing unsafe practices to become routine.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 March 2026

Britain: Recycling firm fined after worker crushed by telehandler
A recycling company was fined £24,000 and £4,777 in costs after a worker suffered life-changing injuries when he was crushed against a wall by a reversing telehandler. Jordan Campion, 21, sustained multiple fractures, nerve damage, internal injuries, partial hearing loss and permanent sight loss in one eye.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 13 March 2026

Britain: Contractor fined after falling stone kills subcontractor
A quarrying firm was fined £110,000 after a subcontractor died when a falling stone struck him at a County Antrim site. William Houston was hit by a 45kg stone that fell from a raised conveyor catwalk while he was working below. He died later hospital from his injuries. The court heard the risks were foreseeable and inadequate steps had been taken to prevent falling objects. The judge said the incident had a devastating impact on his family.
BBC news online.
Hazards news, 13 March 2026

Britain: Biogas companies fined after worker electrocuted and another injured
Two companies have been fined following the death of Carl Parsons, 34, and life-changing injuries to his colleague Luke Madavan at the Willand Biogas site in Cullompton, Devon.A cherry picker operated by New Wave Marine struck an 11,000-volt overhead powerline, fatally electrocuting Mr Parsons and severely injuring Mr Madavan. HSE found that Willand O&M Ltd ignored warnings to relocate the powerline and failed to implement adequate controls, while New Wave Marine’s risk assessment and supervision were insufficient. Willand O&M was fined £51,000 with £28,467 in costs, and New Wave Marine £30,000 with £8,000 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 6 March 2026

Britain: Company fined after workers develop vibration-related illnesses
Drury Engineering Services Ltd, based at Immingham Docks, has been fined £44,000 with £8,061.70 in costs after seven employees suffered vibration-related illnesses, including nerve damage, finger blanching, numbness, and inability to grip. HSE found the company failed to assess vibration risks, implement controls, provide health surveillance, or offer adequate training.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 27 February 2026

Britain: West Mercia Police fined £85,800 after student officer hit by car
West Mercia Police has been fined £85,800 with £9,402 in costs after a 22-year-old student officer was struck by a passing car while managing traffic at a collision in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, on 24 December 2023. The officer suffered life-threatening and life-changing injuries. HSE found the force had failed to carry out suitable risk assessments, provide adequate training, equipment, or guidance for responding to traffic collisions, exposing both officers and the public to unnecessary risk.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 20 February 2026

Britain: Forging company fined £750,000 after employee killed in lathe
Somers Forge Limited has been fined £750,000 with £38,314 in costs after 54-year-old machinist Nick Hardiman from Kidderminster was fatally injured on 8 December 2023 while using handheld emery cloth on a 20-metre lathe at their Halesowen site. HSE found the company failed to prohibit dangerous working practices, prevent access to moving parts, provide safe PPE, or implement a safe system of work.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 18 February 2026

Britain: Company fined after employee killed operating ride-on lawnmower
MHS Countryside Management Limited has been fined £27,000 with £11,166 in costs after 23-year-old Kamil Grygieniec from Northallerton was killed when the ride-on lawnmower he was operating slid into a village pond in North Stainley on 8 October 2021. The mower’s critical roll-over protection system (ROPS) had been removed, and HSE found the company had failed to carry out a suitable site-specific risk assessment for working on sloping ground near water.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 18 February 2026

Britain: Construction firm fined after worker injured in fall
Bow Tie Construction Limited has been fined £24,000 with £4,101 in costs.after a worker sustained multiple serious injuries falling from a ladder during refurbishment works in a former handbag factory in Islington, London.. The worker suffered crush injuries to both elbows, a fractured forearm, dislocated wrists, and leg and knee injuries while constructing temporary formwork for a concrete staircase.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 16 February 2026

Britain: Chemical company fined after agency worker suffers chemical burns
Flowchem UK Ltd has been fined £50,000 with £7,247.40 costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge after agency worker Marzanna Sokolowska suffered chemical burns to her face, eye, neck and arm while decanting corrosive sink and drain un-blocker at the company’s Nottingham site in November 2023. She accidentally opened the wrong valve on a 1,000-litre container, spraying herself with the corrosive liquid. HSE found inadequate training, insufficient supervision, routine non-use of PPE and first aid arrangements that did not account for major chemical exposure.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 13 February 2026

Britain: Two firms fined after racking collapse kills two workers
Two companies have been fined after Lee Horton, 58, and Daron Pickstock, 43, were killed when an industrial racking system collapsed during testing at an industrial estate in Bingley, West Yorkshire, in October 2020. The structure struck a mobile elevating work platform the men were working in, overturning it and causing fatal injuries. HSE found both firms failed to properly assess risks or implement a safe system of work. Space Productiv Ltd was fined £97,500 with £17,377 prosecution costs, while Collins Site Services Ltd was fined £60,000 with £10,292 costs.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 11 February 2026

Britain: Machine manufacturer fined after worker loses finger in lathe
Carter Brothers International Limited has been fined £10,000 after an employee lost a finger when his glove became caught in emery cloth while polishing metal on a lathe at its Middleton site. The worker required amputation of a finger on his right hand and was later unable to return to work as a turner, losing his job in January 2025. HSE found the company had not properly assessed the risks or ensured a safe system of work. The firm was also ordered to pay £3,758.55 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 11 February 2026

Britain: Manufacturer fined after worker’s fingers partially severed
Askern UK Limited has been fined £24,395 with £5,000 in prosecution costs and must pay a £2,000 victim surcharge after a worker’s fingers were partially severed by a printing machine at its South Kirkby site in Pontefract. The 57-year-old employee was cleaning rollers with a paper towel when her fingers were drawn into an unguarded nip point after she was able to raise a guard and override an interlock. HSE found the company failed to prevent access to dangerous machinery and had not provided adequate training.
HSE press release.
Hazards news, 5 February 2026

Britain: Plant hire company fined after mechanic crushed
Salford Grab Hire Limited has been fined £10,000 with £3,475.90 costs after a mechanic suffered life-changing injuries when a one-tonne JCB bucket fell while he was helping repair a tipper truck. The worker sustained multiple fractures to his hand, shoulder blade, ribs, shin and thigh, along with a crushed ankle and foot, and later developed a blood clot in his lungs. HSE found the raised tipper body had been improperly propped using a bucket without a retaining pin.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 4 February 2026

Britain: Chemical manufacturer fined after two serious workplace incident
Exwold Technology Limited has been fined £50,000, £10,492.19 in costs and a £190 victim surcharge after two workers were seriously injured in separate incidents within three months at sites in Billingham and Hartlepool. At the Billingham plant, an employee had four fingers on his left hand severed when a rotary valve had not been properly isolated from the power supply. In a later incident, a worker was struck by a forklift truck whose driver’s view was obscured by a load.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 3 February 2026

Britain: Contractor jailed after teen falls to death during demolition
Self-employed contractor Jason Hill has been jailed for 12 months after 19-year-old Thomas Neate fell to his death during garage demolition work in Surrey. Neate fell through an opening in the garage roof, suffered severe head injuries and died weeks later in hospital. HSE found no measures in place to prevent a fall from height and wider safety failings, including asbestos risks. Hill pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety law. No prosecution costs were awarded.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 2 February 2026

Britain: Building materials manufacturer fined after life-changing injuries
Tarmac Building Produc ts Limited has been fined £633,300 after a worker suffered life-changing injuries at its Linford plant in Essex. Richard Ogunleye’s legs were crushed between one-tonne metal frames when a supposedly interlocked gate failed to stop machinery moving. He spent two weeks in hospital, had a metal rod and screws fitted to his right leg, and was unable to work for over a year. The court also ordered the company to pay £5,583 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 30 January 2026

Britain: Sole trader escapes jail after worker's life-changing rooflight fall
Daniel Jenner, trading as Jenner Roofing and Building Services, received an eight-month suspended sentence after a worker fell four metres through a fragile rooflight on 12 August 2023. The lone worker was cleaning gutters at a High Wycombe industrial estate when he suffered life-changing injuries including fractured skull, cheekbone, leg and wrist. Jenner pleaded guilty to breaching Work at Height Regulations 2005, received 280 hours unpaid work and £500 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 26 January 2026

Britain: Engineering firm fined after endangering workers
Bedfordshire engineering firm Tracel Ltd, trading as The Engineering Quest, has been fined £27,200 with £30,000 costs after exposing workers to potential hazards including dermatitis, asthma and other respiratory conditions due to poor control of metalworking fluids on CNC machines. An HSE inspection found the company repeatedly failed to comply with Improvement Notices requiring proper risk assessment, monitoring and maintenance.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 13 January 2026

Britain: Construction firm fined after worker seriously injured in fall Construction company Ace Infra Ltd has been fined £60,000, £4,799.44 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge after a worker was seriously injured when a collapsing wall knocked him through an unprotected floor opening. Employee Mark Jones fell 2.5 to 3 metres onto a concrete floor at a site in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, suffering multiple fractures and a dislocated shoulder. The court heard there was no edge protection, signage, supervision or safety instruction.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 7 January 2026

Britain: Company fined after worker crushed by stone saw
Stone supplier Tradstocks Westwood Ltd has been fined £72,000 plus an additional government subsidy of £5,025 after maintenance engineer John Duncan, 39, was crushed to death by a 2.6-tonne stone saw at company's yard near West Calder. Livingston Sheriff Court heard the top-heavy saw was inadequately secured while being dismantled causing it to topple and fatally injure Mr Duncan, who died from traumatic asphyxia. He had been working alone, without proper guidance or risk controls.
BBC news online.
Hazards news, 19 December 2025

Britain: Roofer sentenced after refusing to co-operate with HSE
A Cornish roofer who ignored a prohibition notice and verbally abused an inspector has been fined for refusing to provide information during an HSE investigation. Steven Hendry, 40, was found carrying out roof work without scaffolding, then continued working unsafely after the notice was issued. He failed to attend court and was arrested. At Plymouth Magistrates Court he received a £400 fine and £3,852 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 December 2025

Britain: Wonderful, kind and generous man killed in forklift truck incident
Hessel Plant Ltd delivery driver Chris Keegan died after a forklift he was reversing onto a trailer in the dark fell from the side, throwing him from the seat and trapping him between the chassis and a neighbouring trailer. Hessle Plant Ltd was fined £433,550, £8,146.80 costs and a £2,000 surcharge. Mr Keegan’s widow described his death as “horrific” and said she would never recover from losing her husband in such circumstances.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 3 December 2025

Britain: Companies fined after apprentice fell from height installing CCTV
Security and Electrical Solutions Ltd and Total Security Systems Ltd have been fined after an apprentice fell from a ladder while installing CCTV at a school, suffering multiple fractures and long-term ill health. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found both firms failed to carry out adequate risk assessments and provide safe equipment. Security and Electrical Solutions Ltd was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £3,000 costs, while Total Security Systems Ltd received a £15,000 fine plus £2,500 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 3 December 2025

Britain: Stove manufacturer fined after worker loses leg
Isle of Wight stove manufacturer A.J. Wells & Sons Ltd has been fined £200,000 with £9,056 costs after a worker's legs were crushed. His legs were crushed when more than 600kg of sheet metal fell from an unsuitable trolley. His lower right right had to ne amputated. HSE found unsafe equipment, unclear routes and inadequate training, and noted lessons had not been learned from a similar incident in 2021.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 28 November 2025

Britain: Roofing company fined after worker falls through skylight
Northampton roofing company Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited has been fined £16,650 after employee Ryan Robinson, 31, fell more than three metres through a skylight opening while preparing a flat roof on Sywell Road. He required surgery and long-term treatment for his serious injuries. An HSE investigation found Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited had failed to properly plan work at height or implement safety measures such as crash decks or safety netting. The company was also ordered to pay £7,205 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 25 November 2025

Britain: Company fined after 18-year-old breaks arm in workplace incident
A Swadlincote conveyor systems manufacturer, Isoma Limited, was fined £16,000, £4,357.77 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge after an 18-year-old employee broke his arm when it became entangled in a manual lathe while deburring with emery cloth. The HSE found Isoma had failed to provide a safe system of work or a risk assessment for this task.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 24 November 2025

North of Ireland: Harbour authority fined after fatal shovel-loader incident
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority was fined £80,000 for health and safety breaches after 58 year old employee Kevin McGeough was struck and run over by a 20-tonne Volvo shovel loader 1 on 18 July 2019. He had been cleaning and power-washing near active vehicle routes when the machine, carrying two tonnes of wood chip, hit him, causing fatal injuries. Investigators from HSENI and PSNI found pedestrian routes were neither segregated nor protected.
The Construction Index
Hazards news, 24 November 2025

Britain: Much loved man died ‘due to cost of 50 pence screw’
Alban Watts, aged 61, was killed on 11 January 2023 at egg producer Bell Mount Farming Limited in Great Salkeld when his clothes became entangled in an unguarded rotating sprocket on a hen-feeding system. The guard was unfixed, its bolt holes stripped and misaligned, leaving the dangerous parts exposed. His family said his life had been lost “for the cost of a 50p screw.” The company pleaded guilty and was fined £50,000 with £6,038 in costs.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 21 November 2025

Britain: Manufacturing firm fined after driver suffers life-changing fall
Penn Elcom Limited was fined £80,000 with £4,537.32 costs after a visiting driver fell from an HGV trailer during loading on 18 November 2024. The cage he was moving toppled when a wheel stuck, and as he stepped back he fell from the trailer, sustaining a brain injury and multiple fractures.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 21 November 2025

Singapore: Environment agency fined S$230,000 over fatal plant explosion
The National Environment Agency was fined S$230,000 for workplace safety failures that led to two employees' deaths in a 2021 explosion at Tuas Incineration Plant. The technicians died while troubleshooting a faulty industrial fan when a circuit breaker was improperly disconnected while live, causing an arc flash. The court found NEA failed to maintain a proper permit-to-work system, provide adequate protective equipment and establish safe work procedures. 
Channel News Asia.
Hazards news, 18 November 2025

Britain: £16,500 fine after worker sustains life-changing injuries in fall
Hope improvement company Goliath Home World Limited was fined £16,500 with £5,994.55 costs after a worker suffered life-changing injuries in a fall from height during gutter replacement work. The employee sustained fractures to his shoulder, arm, eye socket and nose when he fell approximately seven feet from a shed roof.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 November 2025

Britain Manufacturing company fined £600,000 after worker death
Systagenix Wound Management Manufacturing Limited was fined £600,000 and £15,000 costs after employee Tony Snowden died when a 592kg pallet fell and trapped him against a wall. The incident occurred at the company's Gargrave facility in September 2020 when improperly stacked 'Nelipak' pallets collapsed. An HSE investigation found the company failed to conduct adequate risk assessments regarding load height weight and stability.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 November 2025

Britain: Plastics firm fined £277,500 after fatal machinery accident
Reflex Flexible Packaging Ltd has been fined £277,500 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs after employee Paul Whalley, 46, died when he became trapped in an unguarded plastic conversion machine at the company’s Langley Mill factory. HSE investigations found the firm failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment, install appropriate guarding, or provide safe systems of work. The company identified gaps in their risk assessments 18 months earlier but took no action.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 11 November 2025

Britain: Social housing firm fined after workers develop vibration injuries
Nottingham City Homes Limited was fined £32,000 and ordered to pay £6,226 in costs after more than ten workers developed vibration-related ill-health, including Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). The HSE found the company failed to assess or control exposure to vibration from power tools used by trades including joiners, electricians and caretakers. Inadequate training, maintenance, and health surveillance were also identified. HSE said the damage caused was irreversible and entirely preventable.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 November 2025

Britain: Babcock fined £967,500 after worker suffers multiple skull fractures
Babcock, now Altrad Babcock, was fined £967,500 at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court after a nightshift rigger, Darren Spagnoletta, was struck by a falling 130kg pipe during furnace refurbishment at the Fife Ethylene Plant, Mossmorran in July 2022. He sustained three skull fractures, a broken shoulder and cuts requiring stitches and staples, resulting in 15 months off work.
The National.
Hazards news, 4 November 2025

Britain: Construction firm fined after worker fell from barn roof
A Shropshire construction company, Dewi Williams Limited, was fined after a worker fell from the roof of a partially built barn in Oswestry on 2 September 2023, sustaining fractures to his ribs and skull. HSE investigations found the work was not properly planned, and safety measures to prevent falls were lacking, with director Dewi Williams directly involved. The company pleaded guilty to breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, receiving a £15,000 fine plus £2,000 costs, while Williams received a 12-month conditional discharge and £1,000 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 31 October 2025

Britain: Transport company fined after worker injured in conveyor fall
Knowles Logistics Limited was fined £133,000 and ordered to pay £5,438 in costs after an employee suffered several broken ribs, a punctured lung and liver damage when he fell from a sugar beet conveyor at the firm’s Cambridgeshire site on 28 November 2023. The HSE found repeated blockages required staff to climb the machine to clear obstructions by hand, with no safe system of work in place. The inspector said the incident was “wholly avoidable.” HSE news release.
Hazards news, 30 October 2025

Britain: Company fined after worker entangled in horizontal borer
Site and Field Services Limited has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £6,382 in costs after an employee was seriously injured while cleaning a horizontal borer on 30 November 2023. The worker became entangled in the rotating tool, sustaining multiple broken ribs, significant leg and ankle injuries, a collapsed lung, and the partial amputation of two toes. HSE found the company failed to provide adequate guarding, a safe system of work, or effective auditing of daily checks. Previous HSE action had also highlighted guarding issues at the site.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 29 October 2025

Britain: Waste firm fined after worker injured
Stonegrave Aggregates Limited, part of the Ashcourt Group, was fined £270,000 and ordered to pay £15,637 in costs after an employee was seriously injured while cleaning machinery at its Aycliffe Quarry site in County Durham. A supervisor mistakenly restarted a waste picking line, trapping the worker, who suffered a fractured shoulder, torn ligaments and a broken finger. The company had failed to ensure proper isolation procedures, despite a fatal 2015 incident involving similar failures.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 28 October 2025

Britain: Worker seriously injured in fall from ladder
Ball Colegrave Ltd has been fined £80,000 with £7,061 costs after an employee fell from a ladder while checking irrigation at its Banbury site on 7 June 2023. The ladder collapsed, leaving the man with five broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 28 October 2025

Britain: Aluminium manufacturer fined £300,000 after worker crushed
Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £8,301 in costs after a worker in his early 40s suffered life-changing crush injuries when a 1.5-tonne hydraulic arm fell on him on 10 May 2023 at the company’s Bridgnorth site. The worker was trapped for more than 20 minutes and has been unable to return to work.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 20 October 2025

Britain: Biffa fined £2.48 million after worker crushed
Biffa Waste Services Ltd was fined £2.48 million and ordered to pay £5,768.06 in costs after 57-year-old James Tabiri was fatally crushed by a reversing skip wagon at the company’s Bradford waste transfer station on 10 August 2023.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 17 October 2025

Britain: Firm fined £1 million after worker killed by reversing road-sweeper Marlborough Highways Limited has been fined £1 million and £6,028 in costs after employee Robert Morris, 48, was fatally struck by a reversing road-sweeper during resurfacing works on Pemberton Road, Haringey, on 30 May 2022. HSE found there was no segregation between workers and vehicles and no banksman in use. The driver received a suspended prison sentence and a one-year driving ban.
HSE news release. 16 October 2025

Britain: Builder given suspended sentence after fatal fall from roof Self-employed builder Raffaele Vigliotti, trading as Absolute Building Solutions, has received an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and 200 hours of unpaid work after 69-year-old Andrew Layley fell to his death while helping with roof work on a domestic extension in Reading on 8 April 2023. Layley, a married father of three, died from head injuries sustained in the fall. HSE found Vigliotti failed to implement adequate fall-prevention measures. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 16 October 2025

Britain: Two firms fined after worker impaled in roof fall
A worker suffered leg injuries after falling through a fragile rooflight while over-cladding a factory roof in Keighley, becoming impaled on machinery below and rescued by firefighters. A.T. Lee Properties Ltd and LJH Property Ltd were fined £47,783 and £47,818 respectively. Each firm was ordered to pay costs of £2,386 and £2,518. Directors Neil Cryer and Luke Hudson received two-year conditional discharges and were each ordered to pay £2,369 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 October 2025

Indonesia: Ten workers killed in Batam shipyard tanker explosion
Ten workers were killed and 18 seriously injured when the MT Federal II tanker exploded during maintenance at ASL Shipyard in Tanjung Uncang, Batam. The victims were all employees of ASL Shipyard. This was the second fatal explosion involving the Federal II at the shipyard this year following a June blast that killed five workers.
Jakarta Globe.
Hazards news, 15 October 2025

Britain: Care home owner fined £43,000 for fire safety breaches
The “Person in Control” of Morvern Care Centre in Thornton-Cleveleys, Rajesh Kumar Chechani, received a three-month suspended sentence and £43,000 in fines and costs for fire safety breaches that endangered 45 elderly residents and staff. Chechani admitted failing to ensure adequate fire precautions and to conduct a proper fire risk assessment. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service had issued a prohibition notice in 2020, relocating residents.
FPA news release
Hazards news, 13 October 2025

Britain: Worker wins justice after hand crushed in factory incident
A St Helens worker has won a substantial settlement after his hand was crushed in a packaging machine at Aimia Foods in Haydock. John Gillon, 65, lost a finger and was forced to retire after 40 years in manufacturing. Backed by Unite and Thompsons Solicitors, he argued the company failed to provide proper safety systems. Although liability was denied, the case settled for a significant five-figure sum. Gillon praised his “incredible support network” and urged others to join a union.
Thompsons news release.
Hazards news, 9 October 2025

Britain: Contractor given suspended sentence for ignoring HSE action Mohammed Mehdi Ali of Wembley was sentenced to 20 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work plus 10 days of rehabilitation, with £12,151 costs, after flouting a Health and Safety Executive prohibition notice at a Willesden construction site. Unsafe work at height and demolition put workers at serious risk of injury. HSE inspectors condemned Ali’s “complete contempt” for safety. HSE news release.
Hazards news, 8 October 2025

Britain: Company fined after grandfather killed by reversing HGV Northwood Consumer Limited was fined £240,000 plus £6,917 costs after engineering manager David Saint, 61, was killed by a reversing HGV at its Birmingham site on 19 October 2023. The company failed to assess transport risks, control vehicle movements, or provide reversing aids or warning signs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 7 October 2025

Britain: Sign fitting company and director fined after fatal fall from scaffolding
WH Metals Limited and its director Waqas Hanif have been fined after employee Iftikhar Ahmed Mughal, 64, fell six feet from an unguarded scaffolding tower in Darwen, Lancashire, suffering fatal head injuries. The company was fined £45,000 with £4,826.21 costs and £2,000 victim surcharge. Hanif received a 26-week suspended prison sentence, £4,846.21 costs, and £154 victim surcharge.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 24 September 2025

Australia: Big fines after fatigued driver’s fatal crash
Onkar Group Pty Ltd (Bakeology) and director Maninder Singh Nagi were fined a total of AUS$1.43 million following the 2022 death of delivery driver Rohallah Khashee, who crashed after repeated 12-hour overnight shifts with inadequate rest. Prior to the incident, the Khashee had completed the same 796 kilometre delivery run for seventeen consecutive nights, most including shifts exceeding 12 hours, without adequate breaks of time to rest and recover between shifts. The company received AUS $1.35 million in fines, while Nagi was fined AUS$80,000. WorkSafe found the employer failed to prevent fatigue, provide training on its risks, and implement safe rostering systems, placing the driver and the public in danger.
WorkSafe Victoria.
Hazards news, 24 September 2025

South Korea: Bosses jailed for deadly battery plant fire
A South Korean court has sentenced Aricell chief executive Park Soon-kwan to 15 years in prison after a fire at the company’s Hwaseong factory in June 2024 killed 23 workers, including 18 foreign nationals, and injured eight. Prosecutors said changes made to the plant prevented escape, while investigators found safety measures and training were lacking. Park’s son, also an executive, received the same sentence plus a fine. The fire, fuelled by 35,000 battery cells, burned for hours.
BBC News.
Hazards news 23 September 2025

Jersey: Employment board faces charges over fatal gas blast
The States Employment Board, which employs Jersey’s public servants, is to be prosecuted for two health and safety offences after a gas explosion in St Helier killed 10 people in December 2022. The Health and Safety Inspectorate’s investigation focused on the fire service and its control centre’s actions the day before the blast at Haut du Mont. Offences carry the risk of unlimited fines.
BBC news online.
Hazards news, 19 September 2025

Britain: Building firm fined after employee killed by collapsing wall
H. Mealing & Sons Limited has been fined £56,775 and £44,000 in costs after employee Gary Anstey, 57, was crushed to death by a 1.8-metre retaining wall at Swainswick School in Bath on 19 March 2019. The father and recent grandad suffered fatal injuries when aggregate was placed against the incomplete, unsupported wall.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 18 September 2025

Britain: Company fined £266,000 after worker crushed between two lorries
Barrett Steel Limited has been fined after a woman was left with multiple fractures, soft tissue injuries and psychological trauma when crushed between two lorries in Scunthorpe in February 2022. The employee, who was checking her load, was pinned against her vehicle by a reversing lorry and airlifted to hospital, where she remained for weeks. At Hull Crown Court the firm admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, receiving a £266,000 fine, £9,739.90 costs and a £190 surcharge.
Scunthorpe Live.
Hazards news, 18 September 2025

Britain: Company fined after worker is crushed by car
Liverpool motor vehicle repair firm Car Spa & Tyres Ltd has been fined after a mechanic was crushed by a car that fell from a two-post lift at its Marvin Street premises on 23 November 2022. The 56-year-old, who had been preparing to pray during a break, suffered fractures to his spine, ribs, pelvis and leg, spending four months in hospital and left unable to work. The company was fined £40,000 plus £20,000 costs after HSE found no safe system or training in place.
Health and safety matters.
Hazards news, 11 August 2025

Britain: Waste firm fined after worker crushed by excavator
A County Durham waste management company has been fined after a young employee was run over by an excavator in January 2024, sustaining fractures to both feet. Farm XS (Northern) Limited failed to implement a safe system of work, leaving the 24-year-old exposed to moving vehicles with no segregation or risk assessment. At Teesside Magistrates’ Court, the company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, receiving a £4,000 fine plus £4,285 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 8 August 2025

Britain: Sole trader fined after worker suffered serious injuries
A worker fell around 10 feet from a flat roof in Luton in December 2022, sustaining a fractured vertebra and a broken ankle, after no edge protection was in place. Gary Smith, trading as GJ Smith Roofing, pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations, marking a second HSE action against him for similar failings. He was fined £2,125 and ordered to pay £5,445 costs. HSE noted the injuries could have been avoided with proper planning and protective measures.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 5 August 2025

Britain: Cleaner burned by chemicals on first day of job
A trainee cleaner suffered third-degree burns on his first day after kneeling in corrosive chemicals while cleaning ducts on a McDonald’s roof in Middlesbrough. Sent out with inadequate training and protective gear, he mistook a puddle of spilt oven cleaner for rainwater and later needed two skin grafts at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary. Northern Shire Facilities Management admitted health and safety failings at Teesside Crown Court, was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay over £24,000 costs.
BBC News.
Hazards news, 31 July 2025

Britain: Tata Steel fined £1.5m after worker crushed to death
Tata Steel has been fined £1.5 million and ordered to pay £26,318.67 costs after contractor Justin Day, 44, was crushed to death by a moving steel beam at its Port Talbot plant in September 2019. Swansea Crown Court heard that Mr Day returned to a part-live area after being recalled over an oil leak and was fatally trapped by coil tilter machinery. Mr Day’s widow Zoe said her family had been “shattered” and “disgusted” by the lack of company support.
BBC News.
Hazards news, 31 July 2025

Britain: Property company and director prosecuted for fire safety breaches
Mark Sexton, sole director of 10 Park Crescent Management (Worthing) Limited, and the company itself were fined a total of £1,588 after failing to comply with fire safety laws at a block of flats in Worthing. Brighton Magistrates Court heard they ignored requests for a fire risk assessment, failed to maintain alarms and emergency lighting, and left an electrical cupboard on the main escape route unprotected.
West Sussex Country Council
Hazards news, 23 July 2025

Britain: Textile company fined after director killed by reversing
HGV The British Millerain Company Limited has been fined £220,000 and ordered to pay £5,634 in costs after director Daniel Ames was killed by a reversing HGV at the firm’s Rochdale warehouse on 22 June 2023. Ames had stayed late to help guide the vehicle but was crushed between it and steel storage racks when the driver lost sight of him. HSE news release.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 July 2025

Britain: Textile firm fined £300,000 after worker struck by vehicle Textile firm JMP Wilcox & Co Limited been fined £300,000 plus £7,732 costs after an employee was hit by a telehandler, suffering serious injuries to his legs. The worker was using his pallet truck to return an empty cage when he was hit by the telescopic handler driven by another employee. HSE news release.
Hazards news, 11 July 2025

India: Neglect and dust: how safety failures killed 42 at Sigachi pharma factory
An explosion at a Sigachi Industries factory in Telangana on 30 June killed 42 workers. It was caused by the ignition of microcrystalline cellulose dust in a malfunctioning dryer and highlighted problems with neglected safety systems, faulty alarms and outdated machinery.
Outlook.
Hazards news, 9 July 2025

Britain: Airline caterer fined £2.4m after worker’s death
DO & CO Event and Airline Catering Limited has been fined £2.45 million and £47,091 in costs after agency worker Kumar Limbu, 60, was crushed to death by a forklift truck while loading goods at the firm’s Heathrow depot on 11 April 2023.
Daily Mail.
Hazards news, 9 July 2025

Britain: London Energy Ltd fined £400,000 after council worker crushed
London Energy Ltd was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay £5,573 in costs after an Enfield Council worker was crushed by a shovel loader at their Edmonton site on 13 May 2022. The worker sustained serious injuries.
Evening Standard
Hazards news, 8 July 2025

Britain: Nottingham builder spared jail after gas explosion injures worker
Barry Newman, sole trader of Foster Brother Builders, was given a 12-month suspended sentence, 240 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £2,000 costs after a gas explosion caused severe burns to a worker’s hands, legs, face and scalp. The injured man is unable to work since the incident. Newman failed to carry out a risk assessment or provide suitable equipment, breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 27 June 2025

Scotland: Teen’s thumb re-attached after injury during hotel renovation
3B Construction Limited was fined £40,000 at Tain Sheriff Court after an 18-year-old apprentice lost his thumb while using a portable table saw on a luxury hotel conversion in the Highlands. The thumb was successfully reattached, but the apprentice has permanent swelling, reduced bending, and discomfort in cold weather. HSE found the company failed to risk assess the saw, ensure safe supervision, and provide adequate training.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 July 2025

Britain: Worker loses leg after preventable fall during lorry loading
Osprey Foods Ltd has been fined £66,000 and £5,850 costs after a worker’s leg was amputated following a fall during lorry loading in Norfolk. The HGV drove off while the worker was still inside, causing him to fall. A broken traffic light system - unrepaired for weeks - misled the driver into thinking it was safe to move.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 July 2025

Britain: Teen’s thumb severed after safety failings by construction firm
An 18-year-old apprentice joiner had his thumb severed by a rotating table saw blade during hotel renovation work in the Highlands. An HSE investigation found that 3B Construction failed to properly assess risks, supervise the work, or provide adequate training and safeguards. The company pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety law and was fined £40,000, with costs of £3,500.
HSE news release.
Hazads news, 4 July 2025

Britain: Workplace death reduction no cause for celebration, says IOSH
The UK saw 124 workplace fatalities last year, 14 fewer than the previous year, continuing a long-term decline from 223 deaths 20 years ago. However, IOSH stressed that this reduction “is no cause for celebration,” with nearly two and a half deaths every week still occurring. Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH’s head of policy, said every death represents families and colleagues devastated by preventable accidents. The construction sector had the highest fatalities (35), with falls from height the leading cause. Forty per cent of deaths were workers aged 60 or over.
IOSH.
Hazards news, 2 July 2025

Britain: Construction firm fined £165,000 for fire safety failures
Glovers Court Ltd, an Altrincham construction company now in liquidation, was fined £165,000 and ordered to pay £10,512 costs after repeatedly failing to provide fire safety measures during renovation of a former warehouse into 35 apartments in Preston. Despite prohibition and improvement notices, work continued without fire alarms, detection, or compartmentation, putting workers and residents at risk.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 2 July 2025

Britain: Firm fined £100,000 after nine workers suffer vibration injuries
Chemical manufacturer Robinson Brothers Ltd has been fined £100,000 and £6,761.40 in costs after nine employees developed Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome due to prolonged use of vibrating tools over 14 years.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 27 June 2025

Britain: Meat firm fined £140,000 after worker severs finger
C & K Meats Limited has been fined £140,000 plus £5,513.47 costs after a 31-year-old Ukrainian worker severed part of his finger using hydraulic cutters not intended for pig tail removal. The HSE found the company failed to follow its own procedures and provided training only in English, despite employing migrant workers. The incident occurred in April 2022 at the firm’s Suffolk site.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 20 June 2025

Britain: Construction firm fined £50,000 after house collapse injures four
Aryn Stones Ltd has been fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £39,000 in costs after a partially built house in Hampstead, London, collapsed during remedial work, seriously injuring two workers and injuring two more. The collapse occurred on 31 May 2022 when a welder cut a steel beam while props were being removed. HSE found the firm failed to manage temporary works and prevent structural collapse.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 20 June 2025

Britain: Ithaca Energy fined £300,000 over flooded lift shaft on North Sea platform
Ithaca Energy (UK) Limited has been fined £300,000 after three workers were partially submerged in a water-filled lift shaft on the FPF-1 platform in the North Sea in December 2020. The lift began flooding during descent, reaching the crew’s knees before they activated the emergency stop. An HSE investigation found failures in procedures and monitoring systems. Although no one was injured, the incident was described as “terrifying”.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 17 June 2025

China: Fireworks factory explosion kills 9, injures 26
An explosion at a fireworks factory in Linli County, Hunan Province, killed nine people and injured 26 others on Monday morning.
Xinhua net.
Hazards news, 17 June 2025

Britain: Food supplier fined over serious hygiene and safety breaches
Tahira Foods Ltd has been fined £156,000 after repeated food hygiene and health and safety violations were found at its Stretford warehouse. Inspections revealed meat and cheese stored at room temperature, staff climbing on pallets, and an unsafe forklift operated by unlicensed drivers. The company was also ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and £14,716.88 in costs.
trafford.go
Hazards news, 16 June 2025

Britain: Site supervisor fined for exposing pupils and staff to asbestos
Adrian Barraclough was fined £1,800, £4,000 in costs and a £720 victim surcharge after cutting through asbestos insulating board with a circular saw during kitchen renovations at Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Bristol. Asbestos fibres spread into the school hall, which pupils and staff used for two days. He ignored instructions not to disturb the material.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 13 June 2025

Britain: Demolition firm fined over fall that left worker with serious injuries
Lawrie (Demolition) Ltd has been fined £40,562.50 after a worker fell six metres through an unprotected roof opening during a warehouse demolition in Aberdeen. The 42-year-old suffered a fractured pelvis and broken ribs and can no longer run or cycle.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 12 June 2025

Britain: Firm fined but no jail time after repeatedly ignoring safety warnings
A Lincolnshire gate maker has been fined £80,000 for repeatedly breaching safety laws despite six HSE visits and multiple enforcement notices. Research and Development in Opening Gates Ltd failed to fix dangerous machinery, unsafe welding fume controls, and unstable structures. Prosecution followed extended deadlines and continued non-compliance. The firm was also ordered to pay £7,495.72 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge. HSE condemned the “catalogue of failures” and warned safety obligations aren’t optional.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 12 June 2025

Britain: Taylor Wimpey fined £800k after apprentice injured in fall
Taylor Wimpey was fined £800,000 with £6,240.25 costs after 17-year-old apprentice Charlie Marsh fell through a temporary stairwell cover while working at a Weston-super-Mare housing site in August 2023. He sustained hand, wrist, and shoulder injuries when the cover, lacking required back propping, collapsed under stacked concrete blocks. The HSE found the firm failed to follow its own safety procedures. Taylor Wimpey pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety law.
HSE news.
Hazards news, 12 June 2025

Britain: College fined after student’s fingers severed by saw
Reaseheath College in Nantwich has been fined £40,000 and £6,106 in costs after 17-year-old horticulture student Aaron Maguire severed several fingers and his thumb using a mitre saw. The incident occurred in September 2023 when the wood he was cutting twisted, pulling his hand into the blade. Surgeons reattached his thumb and index finger, but his middle finger could not be saved.The Health and Safety Executive found the college had failed to properly risk assess the task, provide safe systems of work or supervise adequately.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 June 2025

Britain: Fine for flour mill after worker severs finger
ADM Milling Limited was fined £300,000 with £7,517 costs at Northampton Magistrates Court after a maintenance worker severed his little finger at the company’s Corby site on 28 June 2023. The 800-kilogram machine tipped backwards during maintenance, trapping the worker’s hand. An HSE investigation found the company failed to properly manage maintenance risks.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 June 2025

Britain: Fine for company and director after employee falls through roof light
Norman Iveson Steel Products Limited and its director Phillip Iveson were fined after a worker fell through a fragile roof light while working on a sheep barn extension in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. Jack Croft, suffered life-changing injuries including multiple fractures and a collapsed lung. The company was fined £100,000 with £6,101 costs, and the director fined £1,822 with £2,358 costs at York Magistrates Court.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 22 May 2025

Britain: Company fined after worker exposed to radiation
Mistras Group Limited was fined £26,000 and £11,353 costs at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court after a radiographer was overexposed to ionising radiation in December 2020. The incident happened because a radioactive source was not returned to its shielded container, and safety checks were not carried out. The company had experienced previous enforcement for similar issues.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 22 May 2025

Britain: Stone firm fined £60,000 after years of failing to control dangerous dust
Inova Stone Ltd has been fined £60,000 and £7,363 in costs at Staines Magistrates’ Court after HSE found repeated and serious failings at its Slough premises, including uncontrolled exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Inspectors visited the company nine times in six years and were told by employees that “no-one is in charge of health and safety.” A May 2021 visit revealed a workshop floor covered in hazardous dust, unsafe storage of stone slabs, and unguarded machinery. The firm had previously received improvement notices in both 2017 and 2021.
HSE news release. 22 May 2025

Britain: Two shrewsbury firms fined after worker falls through roof
Roofrite (Shropshire) Limited and Harding and Houlston Building Contractors Limited have been fined after a worker suffered spinal and rib fractures falling through an unguarded roof opening during house extension work in December 2022. Roofrite was fined £8,000 and Harding and Houlston £500, with both firms ordered to pay £2,990 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 19 May 2025

Britain: Wood supplier fined £40,000 after failing to dust exposure
Fakenham based Nat Pal Limited has been fined £40,000 with £4,072 in costs at Norwich Magistrates’ Court after the HSE found wood dust scattered across its workshop floor during an inspection in April 2023. The company had previously been subject to enforcement for similar failings dating back to 2015. Despite this, it had still not implemented effective control measures or properly protected employees from hazardous exposure.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 19 May 2025

Britain: Worker loses part of finger due to unsafe machine
St Helens firm Film & Foil Solutions Ltd has been fined £20,000 with £2,932 in costs at Sefton Magistrates’ Court after an employee lost part of his finger in machinery at its Haydock Industrial Estate site on 4 December 2023. The man'sright index finger became entangled in a poorly guarded rotating shaft. It was later partially amputated.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 May 2025

British Airways fined over £3 million after workers injured in falls
British Airways has been fined £3.2 million and £20,935 in costs at Southwark Crown Court after two employees were seriously injured in separate falls at Heathrow Terminal 5. One fell 1.5 metres from a televator in August 2022, suffering spinal injuries; the other fell three metres in March 2023, fracturing his jaw. The HSE found known safety risks with platform gaps had not been properly addressed. The company was fined and ordered to pay .
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 May 2025

Britain: Farming company fined after young worker's leg crushed
LP Ollier & Son was fined £20,000, £5,110.80 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge after a 20-year-old employee's leg was pulled into a potato harvester on a Cheshire farm on 18 October 2023. The machine was not isolated and its guard gates were open while the worker investigated a blockage, leading to serious injuries including fractures and nerve damage. The worker has been unable to return to farming work.
HSE news release.
Hazards news 14 May 2025

Britain: Car dealer fined after exposing workers to risks from vibrating tools
Rowes Garage Ltd was fined £204,000 and £8,099 costs after two workers at its Truro bodyshop were diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) in November 2022. The company failed to assess or control workers’ exposure to vibrating tools and did not provide adequate training or take action despite reported symptoms.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 8 May 2025

Britain: Construction boss avoids jail after worker dies
James Pitsillides, director of Affordable Lifestyle Design Limited, received a 20-week suspended prison sentence and 200 hours unpaid work after Stephen Pywell, 59, fell nearly eight feet from roof beams at a Thurmaston site in March 2019. Pywell died weeks later from his injuries. The company failed to provide edge protection or fall prevention measures during roof work. Pitsillides was also ordered to pay £10,000 costs for breaching health and safety duties.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 7 May 2025

Britain: firm fined more than £500,000 after shift worker fell to his death
East Riding Sacks Ltd was fined £533,000 and ordered to pay £6,066 costs after employee Mark Pinder, 51, fell approximately three metres to his death from unguarded metal rollers at their Stamford Bridge site in February 2023. The company failed to provide a safe system for isolating machinery and did not address the risk of falls from height.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 6 May 2025

Britain: Company fined after worker suffers serious injuries
Haulage distribution company Stan Robinson Distribution Ltd has been fined £6,000 plus £5,366.60 cost after employee Kevin Simcox, 60, suffered serious injuries to his shoulder when a wrought iron gate fell on him as he arrived for work. His motorbike helmet was crushed, but he suffered a fractured vertebrae in his neck and back. HSE news release.
Hazards news, 1 May 2025

Britain: Company and director fined after employee dies from fall through roof
Camclad Contractors Limited was fined £225,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs after a 61-year-old worker fell through a fragile roof at a site in Anglesey in January 2018. The company failed to properly plan the work or ensure safe access, forcing workers onto the fragile roof. Director Dominic Lakeman-Pettit was given a suspended four-month prison sentence, 200 hours unpaid work, and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 29 April 2025

Britain: Company fined after death of man whose life was ‘unjustly cut short’
Piper Homes Construction Limited was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £5,236 costs after 33-year-old kitchen fitter Martin Dunford was crushed by falling concrete blocks at a Cotswolds site in January 2020. The company failed to provide a safe, level storage area and used unsuitable wooden pallets. Martin’s family called his death senseless and said the verdict was a step towards justice.
HSE news relase.
Hazards news, 29 April 2025

Britain: Tiny fine for farmer following the avoidable death of worker
A Gloucestershire farmer, Toby Baxter, was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £6,161.72 costs after a quad bike crash killed his employee, 22-year-old Laura Simmons. The Health and Safety Executive found the ATV was overloaded, tyres unevenly inflated, and spray tank unstable.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 29 April 2025

Britain: Window manufacturer fined after teenage worker severs fingers
Ford Windows Limited was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £4,227.50 costs after a 19-year-old worker severed parts of two fingers on a cross-cut saw at its Sheffield site. The Health and Safety Executive found the company failed to properly risk assess the saw, did not adjust the blade guard, and neglected to train employees. The injury could have been prevented by simple safety measures.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 28 April 2025

Britain: Cambridgeshire County Council fined £6 million over fatal busway failings
Cambridgeshire County Council has been fined £6 million with £292,460.90 in costs after safety failings on its Guided Busway led to three deaths and serious injuries. A decade of inadequate risk assessment and failure to implement basic safety measures such as lighting, signage and speed controls contributed to fatal incidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. Despite enforcement from the HSE, the council delayed action, appealing notices instead.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 16 April 2025

Australia: Court raises fine for ‘completely preventable’ workplace death
Australian company Universal Stone and Marble, fined Aus$1.3 million in 2024 after pleading guilty to a charge of negligent conduct leading to the death of work 25-year-old Michael Tsahrelias has had its fine increased to Aus$3 million after the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, stating that the fine was “manifestly inadequate”.
insuranceNEWS.com.au
Hazards news, 14 April 2025

Britain: Social housing provider fined £140,000 after workers develop HAVS
Stonewater Limited has been fined £140,000 with £3,742 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court after two estate assistants developed Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) from prolonged use of vibrating tools between 2018 and 2023. One worker used this equipment for up to 90 per cent of his day.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 14 April 2025

Britain: Bakery fined £12,000 after worker loses part of finger
Truffles Bakers and Confectioners Ltd has been fined £12,000 and £3,045.65 in costs after an employee lost part of his left index finger while clearing stuck dough from a running machine. HSE found the guard was too short to prevent access.
HSE new release.
Hazards news, 14 April 2025

Britain: Engineering firm fined £100,000 after worker crushed by metal frame
Oldham engineering Ltd has been fined £100,000 with £4,519.90 in costs at Manchester Magistrates’ Court after a welder was crushed under a 1.63 tonne metal frame, suffering serious injuries to his arms, legs and feet. The man was welding inside the structure when it shifted and collapsed.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 8 April 2025

Britain: Defence firm fined £800,000 after man shot and paralysed
Defence contractor QinetiQ Limited has been fined £800,000 and £8,365 in costs at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court when an employee was shot and paralysed during a live-fire test at a South Wales MoD range. The 42-year-old was hit by a bullet while positioned in front of the target.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 3 April 2025

Britain: Council fined £200,000 after worker injured installing Christmas tree
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council has been fined £200,000 and £5,392.80 in costs after a 32-year-old employee was injured when a 20-foot Christmas tree toppled during installation at Bury Market. The man, in a scissor lift adjusting the tree, suffered concussion and serious leg and rib injuries requiring surgery
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 2 April 2025

Britain: Builder sentenced after labourer suffers brain injury in roof fall
A self-employed builder has been handed a 12-month Community Order and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work after a labourer fell over 13 feet through a barn roof on his first day. Jacob Thomas suffered a brain haemorrhage and multiple fractures. James Dargan-Cole had failed to plan or prevent the work at height, and the roof also contained asbestos. He was also ordered to pay £2,500 in costs following an HSE investigation.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 1 April 2025

Britain: Contractor sentenced over unsafe residential asbestos removal
A self-employed roofer has been sentenced after asbestos-containing materials were recklessly spread during garage roof work in Altrincham. Stephen Wilks failed to use control measures while removing asbestos cement sheets, contaminating residents’ gardens and possessions. Debris was dumped in domestic bins and bags were left ripped open in public areas. Wilks was given a 12-month Community Order with 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £3,582.13 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 27 March 2025

Scotland: Berwickshire firm fined after worker’s roof fall
Thorburn Group Ltd has been fined £120,000 after employee John Davidson suffered serious injuries falling 13 feet through a fragile roof light at Kelloe Mains near Duns in July 2021. He sustained significant nerve damage in his legs and has been unable to work since.
BBC news online.
Hazards news, 27 March 2025

Britain: Fines for unsafe excavation that left worker with serious injuries
A 30-year-old man suffered multiple fractures after an unsupported excavation collapsed on him during barn conversion work in West Sussex. JHE Construction and sent workers into a three metre trench without support structures or battered walls. The company was fined £16,000 plus £2,612 in costs, and its director Jordan Hay-Ellis £2,000 with £1,000 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 24 March 2025

Britain: Worker’s fatal fall results in fines for employer and manager
Surface Technik and its operations manager Robert Hammond have been fined after Maciej Rozanski, 42, fell over 20 feet to his death when working at a site in Dudley in 2018. The company, now in liquidation, was fined £90,000, with an additional £28,956 in costs. Manager Robert Hammond was fined £8,500 with the same amount in costs.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 21 March 2025

Saudi Arabia: First migrant worker dies on Saudi World Cup stadium site
Muhammad Arshad, a Pakistani foreman, fell to his death while working on the Aramco Stadium in Al Khobar, marking the first reported migrant worker fatality linked to the 2034 World Cup. His employer, Besix Group, confirmed the incident, stating he was not secured to an anchor point when a platform tilted. Workers were allegedly ordered to delete footage of the accident.
The Guardian
Hazards news, 21 March 2025

Britain: Hydraulics company fined after employee's leg is amputated
Pearson Hydraulics Ltd has been fined £96,333, plus £10,701 costs, after engineer David Lawrence suffered life-changing injuries while working on a laser cutting machine in Plymouth. On 26 July 2023, the machine’s cutting bed dropped, trapping both his legs. His right leg was amputated above the knee, and his left may also require amputation.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 13 March 2025

Britain: Scaffolding firm fined for safety failings after worker’s death
A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd has been fined £30,800 and £5,040.75 in costs for failing to assemble safe scaffolding at a site in Merseyside, following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Inspectors found workers were climbing the scaffold rungs directly instead of using a proper ladder, and assembly instructions had not been followed. The investigation was prompted by the death of 45-year-old employee Robert Duffy, although the prosecution was not directly resposible for his death.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 7 March 2025

USA: Tesla fined nearly $50K after a worker is killed
Tesla's Austin Gigafactory has been fined nearly $50,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for safety violations following the electrocution of Victor Gomez Sr., a 46-year-old contract worker in summer, 2024. OSHA issued three 'serious' citations, each about $16,000, for failing to protect workers from electrical hazards. OSHA revealed Tesla did not provide proper protective equipment or adequate safeguards against live circuits. Congressman Greg Casar criticised Tesla, suggesting that CEO Elon Musk's influence should not shield the company from accountability.
CBS Austin.
Hazards news, 7 March 2025

Japan: Explosion at Aichi auto parts factory kills one, injures two
An explosion at Chuo Spring's Fujioka plant in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, killed one person and injured two others on Thursday morning. The blast occurred in a dust collector. One employee was killed and two injured. The plant, which makes car springs, also had an explosion in 2023 in a different building.
Japan Times.
Hazards news, 6 March 2025

Britain: Bradford builder sentenced after fatal scaffolding fall
Self-employed builder Sarabjit Singh received a six-month suspended prison sentence and 100 hours of unpaid work after asylum seeker Eraj Rahanpour fell to his death during rendering work in Bradford.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 5 March 2025

Britain: Construction firm fined after safety Inspection
Greenlife Property Developments Ltd, based in South Wales, was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £5,812.57 in costs after an HSE inspection in September 2023 revealed unsafe excavation practices at a site in Cwmbach, Aberdare. Inspectors found workers in a 2.5-metre-deep trench with unsupported vertical sides, no risk assessment, and inadequate site security. Despite receiving a Prohibition Notice and two Improvement Notices, the company continued work and failed to implement a safe system.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 3 March 2025

Britain: Welder crushed at Sunderland shipyard
David Vinsome, 37, suffered severe injuries when he was crushed between an excavator bucket and a fabrication table at Pallion Shipyard on 18 October 2022. HSE found Midland Steel Traders Ltd failed to plan the lift safely. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £4,916 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 25 February 2025

Indonesia: Jakarta court rejects asbestos industry lawsuit
The Central Jakarta District Court has dismissed FICMA’s lawsuit against LPKSM Yasa Nata Budi, a consumer protection group advocating asbestos hazard labelling. Judge Marper Pandiangan ruled that the case was beyond the District Court’s jurisdiction, as it challenged a prior Supreme Court decision mandating asbestos product warnings. Yasa Nata Budi Institute for Consumer Protection (LPKSM) coordinator Leo Yoga Pranata stated the victory ensures the public can access products with clear, complete, and understandable information—essential for assessing health risks independently. "This is clearly a public victory over the profits made by the asbestos industry,” he said. 
Apheda news.
Hazards news, 19 February 2025

Britain: Wood company fined over £1 million after two serious injuries
West Fraser (Europe) Ltd, formerly known as Norbord, has been fined a total of £1,068,000 following two separate incidents at its Cowie plant in 2020. In January 2020, utility operator Sean Gallagher suffered severe leg injuries after becoming entangled in machinery. In July 2020, scaffolder David McMillan sustained multiple fractures when he fell over 13 feet due to a faulty rooftop gantry. The company pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches related to both incidents. For the first incident, they were fined £28,000, and for the second, £1,040,000.The same company had been fined more than £2 million in 2022 after another employee died after suffering serious burns at the same plant.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 February 2025

Britain: Network Rail fined nearly £4m over deaths of two workers hit by train
Network Rail has been fined £3.75 million after being found responsible for the deaths of Gareth Delbridge and Michael Lewis, who were struck by a train while working at Margam, near Port Talbot, in July 2019. Swansea Crown Court heard that safety failures, including inadequate lookout measures and flawed safety policies known since 2017, contributed to the tragedy. The judge criticised Network Rail's reliance on outdated and insufficient protection methods and its failure to learn from previous incidents.
BBC news online.
Hazards news, 16 February 2025

Britain: Roofer given suspended sentence after scaffold fall
Self-employed roofer, Daniel Hooper, received a 16-week suspended prison sentence after Iain Smith, 36, fell over 25 feet while working for him. Mr Smith was manually carrying roof slates down a ladder when he fell, suffering multiple fractures. He was placed in an induced coma and has since made a significant recovery, but he continues to suffer from the injuries.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 6 February 2025

Britain: Farm fined £80,000 after worker killed by exploding tyre
Lancashire farm partnership W Hesketh and Sons was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £8,605 in costs after 23-year-old Joshua Hardman suffered fatal head injuries when a tractor tyre exploded at a dairy farm in Hutton on 7 May 2021. An HSE investigation found the farm failed to assess risks and implement safety measures. The tyre, wheel rim, and inner tube were in poor condition, increasing the risk of explosion.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 February 2025

Britain: £100,000 fine for failures at waste and recycling company
Sundorne Products (Llanidloes) Ltd was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £10,077 in costs after HSE inspectors found serious safety failings at Llandrindod Wells Household Waste and Recycling Centre, Powys. An inspection on 6 October 2022 revealed unrestricted access to waste compactor controls and dangerous parts, posing dangers to workers and the public.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 28 January 2025

Britain: Multiple safety breach director avoids jail time
Jamie White, director of M White (Skips) Ltd in Sheffield, has received an eight-month suspended prison sentence, 150 hours of unpaid work and £13,280 costs for multiple health and safety breaches. His company was fined £65,000 with £13,280 in costs. Inspectors found hazardous conditions, including stacked skips blocking access and waste obstructing movement. Despite prohibition notices, White failed to make improvements and did not have compulsory employers' liability insurance.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 23 January 2025

Britain: Ipswich firm fined after workers injured by stone slabs
Bespoke Stone Ltd has been fined £6,600 and £4,875.40 in costs after two workers were struck by falling quartz stone slabs, leaving one with severe injuries including multiple fractures. An HSE investigation found the slabs were not properly secured, and the company failed to report the incident accurately under RIDDOR.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 23 January 2025

Britain: Blackburn furniture firm fined for repeated wood dust exposure
Pendle Woodcraft (Blackburn) Ltd has been fined £6,000 with £2,926.55 in costs after repeatedly failing to control wood dust exposure at its Darwen site, despite multiple HSE interventions over eight years. HSE inspectors found excessive wood dust during visits in 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023 and served multiple Improvement Notices. Wood dust poses serious health risks including asthma, dermatitis, nasal cancer and is a fire hazard.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 January 2025

Britain: Kent timber firm fined after worker loses three fingers
Pemberton Timber Frame Ltd has been fined £12,000 plus £4,034 in costs after employee, David Broadway, lost three fingers while using a panel saw at the company’s Ramsgate site . Mr Broadway, 36, was cutting timber when his right hand made contact with the saw blade, instantly amputating three fingers and injuring a fourth. An HSE investigation found he was assigned a task unsuitable for the machine, poorly trained and the saw’s safety features were missing.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 January 2025

Britain: Company fined after worker's crushed by 800kg pallet
Amber Precast Ltd has been fined £60,000, plus £5,406.31 in costs after an unsecured 800kg steel pallet fell on worker Wayne Hatton, leaving him permanently disabled. The incident occurred on 14 January 2021 at the company’s Sheffield factory. Hatton, then 46, suffered severe injuries, leading to the loss of his right lower leg and two toes on the left. The pallet, which was being removed from a reinforced concrete cast, had not been secured to the lifting chains of an overhead crane.
HSE news.
Hazards news, 10 January 2025

Britain: Waste firm accused of profiting from fatal accident
A bin lorry firm, Terberg, criticised after an employees tragic and avoidable death, faces allegations of profiting from the incident. David Carpenter, 60, died in January 2023 when his coat became entangled in a bin lift. Following the coroner's court ruling that the accident was foreseeable, Terberg introduced free safety updates for thousands of vehicles across the UK. However, councils are being charged tens of thousands of pounds to replace non-Terberg parts before accessing the upgrades. The required replacements are said to be identical to third-party components.
Thompsons solicitors news release. David Carpenter: Prevention of future deaths report. BBC News Online.
Hazards news, 8 January 2025

Britain: Company fined for repeatedly failing to protect workers from silica
Warmsworth Stone Limited and its director, Simon Jonathan Frith, have been fined a total of nearly £20,000 after repeatedly failing to protect workers from exposure to respirable crystalline silica.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspected the company's Thurnscoe site multiple times from May 2023, issuing seven improvement notices for failures, including exposure to stone dust, legionella control, and inadequate welfare facilities. By September 2023, five notices remained unresolved. The company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations, receiving an £18,000 fine plus £4,064 in costs. Frith was fined £1,062 with £3,782 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 6 January 2025

Britain: company fined after barn roof fall
Dodwell Farm Limited has been fined £133,000, £8,816 in costs and a £2,000 surcharge after a 37-year-old man fell 10 metres through barn roof in Southampton, suffering severe injuries.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 3 January 2025

Britain: Company fined as worker breaks leg from fall
EE Renewables Limited has been fined £120,000 plus £4,716 in costs after a 23-year-old worker fell from a roof while adjusting a solar panel, breaking his femur.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 30 December 2024

Britain: Food manufacturer fined following machinery incidents
David Wood Baking Ltd has been fined £573,344 and £12,288 in costs after three employees suffered serious injuries in separate machinery-related incidents between June and December 2022. Injuries included multiple open fractures and nerve damage. The company had a history of poor machinery guarding practice, having previously been convicted and fined £858,000 following a 2021 incident involving machinery where an employee lost an arm.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 19 December 2024

Britain: Drinks giant £500,000 after worker sustains serious burns
Diageo Scotland Limited has been fined £500,000 following an incident where a worker suffered burns over 30 per cent of his body while repairing a defective pump at the Glenlossie Distillery Complex in Elgin. The worker was burned by pot ale at 104°C that unexpectedly discharged from a pipe. He sustained burns to his arms, hands, shoulders, back, chest, lower legs and ankles, before spending two weeks in intensive care where he was placed in an induced coma.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 18 December 2024

Britain: Large fine after skip death
BAM Nuttall Limited has been fined £800,000 with an additional £60,000 victim surcharge following the death of 23-year-old labourer Liam MacDonald at a wind farm construction site in the Shetland Islands. He was fatally injured when removing dried concrete from a skip when the skip's bale arm fell.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 18 December 2024

Britain: Fairground operator receives £28,000 fine following fatality
Fairground operator Taylor’s Funfair Limited has been fined £20,000 and £5,976 costs after a man was fatally injured while attempting to dismantle a ride at the Fife Carnival in Kirkcaldy in 2017. The 49-year-old fell from height while disassembling the ride.
HSE news relase.
Hazards news, 17 December 2024

Britain: Council fined after employees exposed to risks from vibrating tools
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has been fined £60,000 with costs of £5,775.70 after an employee, diagnosed with Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) in 2005, was allowed to continue using vibrating tools for another 14 years. The council failed to act on health surveillance recommendations, leading to inadequate exposure management. An HSE investigation found workers were encouraged to work beyond safe exposure limits.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 December 2024

Britain: Engineering company fined after ‘caring and loving’ man killed
Partwell Special Steels Limited was fined £80,000 with £6,713 in costs after Connor Borthwick, aged 22, was crushed under a machine in November 2021. Connor and a colleague were moving a large press when it became unbalanced and fell. The company failed to assess risks, plan safely, and provide proper training for the task. The company was also ordered to pay.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 16 December 2024

Britain: Firm fined after worker's acident leads to leg amputation
Metal fabrication company London Gates and Railings Ltd was fined £40,000 with £5,114 costs after a worker lost his leg following an accident in Watford. The worker's foot was caught by a forklift truck while he and a colleague were loading a steel beam. The company failed to properly assess risks, train forklift operators, and segregate pedestrians from workplace transport.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 10 December 2024

Britain: Roofing company and director fined for endangering workers
Weather Master Roofing Ltd and director Jack Avanzo were sentenced at Brighton Magistrates' Court for putting workers’ lives at risk during a roof renovation in Dorking, Surrey. Workers were seen operating without scaffolding, edge protection, or safety harnesses, and using phone lights at night. An HSE investigation resulted in an Improvement Notice, which the company failed to comply with.The company was fined £4,000 with £1,500 in costs and a victim surcharge of £1,600. Avanzo received a six-month suspended prison sentence, 120 hours of unpaid work, and a three-year director ban.
HSE news
Hazards news, 6 December 2024

Britain: Young dad's death results in fine for employer
Maynard and Harris Plastics has been fined £330,000 and £4,373 costs after a fatal accident at their Ellough premises. Young dad Nathan Hook, aged 34, was killed when his sweatshirt sleeve became entangled in machinery while using emery cloth on a lathe. The company failed to provide adequate training and risk assessments for this task. The HSE investigation highlighted that the company’s health and safety procedures were insufficient.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 5 December 2024

Britain: Company and contractor fined after gas leak evacuation
Belper Skip Hire Ltd and contractor Elliott Kirk were fined after striking an underground gas main, causing a leak that led to the evacuation of 30 homes in Wessington, Derbyshire, on 21 June 2022. An HSE investigation found Belper Skip Hire failed to inform Kirk about the gas main, and Kirk did not check for underground services before starting work. Belper Skip Hire was fined £26,667and £3,173 in costs, while Kirk received an £800 fine with £3,173 costs.
HSE news.
Hazards news, 2 December 2024

Britain: Plastics company fined after worker suffers multiple Fractures
On 29 November 2024, FloPlast Limited, a plastics manufacturer in Kent, was fined £400,000 and £5,567 in costs after an employee was seriously injured by a forklift truck. The worker sustained multiple leg fractures and a dislocated ankle, requiring the insertion of a metal plate. The HSE investigation identified several safety lapses, including the absence of a documented safe system of work and inadequate segregation of vehicles and pedestrians.
HSE news realse.
Hazards news, 29 November 2024

Britain: Energy firm receives huge fine after worker crushed to death
Brand Energy and Infrastructure Services UK Ltd has been fined £1.6 million with £23,193.60 in costs following the death of 24-year-old Jack Phillips, who was crushed by a falling load on 8 August 2019 working at South Cliff Tower in Eastbourne. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Sussex Police found the company failed to properly plan the lifting operation and used out-of-date equipment. The company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 27 November 2024

Britain: Company fined after an explosion seriously injured two employees
Bio Dynamic (UK) Limited has been fined £304,500 and £229,988 in costs after an explosion at its Nottingham site seriously injured two workers. Tomasz Patek and Robert Tyrko were working on an 11-metre tank when sparks from a grinder ignited flammable gases, causing the tank to explode. Patek suffered severe head, back, and torso injuries, while Tyrko lost a leg and sustained a fractured skull. An HSE and Environment Agency investigation found multiple safety failings, including poor risk assessment and environmental permit breaches.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 22 November 2024

Britain: Fines for two fines after worker suffered 'horrific' fall injuries
Two companies have been fined over £120,000 after a worker fell 30 feet through a skylight while installing solar panels at Graystone Action Sports Centre in Salford. Nicolas Vilela, 43, suffered severe injuries, including a collapsed lung, multiple fractures, and spent a month in hospital. An HSE investigation found that H2O Renewables Limited and Green Projects Ltd failed to implement adequate safety measures, relying only on cones to mark fragile skylights. H2O Renewables was fined £106,720 with £4,995 costs, while Green Projects Ltd received a £13,340 fine and £1,600 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 20 November 2024

Britain: Fine for wood firm after worker's leg is amputated
Wood panel manufacturer Kronospan Limited has been fined £400,000 plus £4,701 in costs after a worker lost his leg in an accident at its Chirk factory. On 31 March 2021, a 350kg pack of waste MDF sheets fell from a trailer, crushing Mark Hughes' left leg, which was later amputated below the knee. An HSE investigation found Kronospan Limited had no proper risk assessment for stacking and moving waste MDF sheets.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 19 November 2024

Britain: Large fines for nuke firms after scaffolder injury
EDF has been fined £533,333 and Trillium Flow Services Ltd £100,000 after scaffolder Colin Dell was seriously injured by a two-tonne counterweight at Dungeness B power station in Kent. Dell was working near cooling water discharge valves when an unsupported hydraulic ram caused the counterweight to fall, injuring his foot and resulting in amputated toes. Dell, 62, has been unable to return to work and was diagnosed with PTSD.
Construction Enquirer.
Hazards news, 18 November 2024

Ireland/UK: Engineering firm fined £2,000 after worker loses fingers
A Ballygawley engineering firm, D-TEC Engineering, was fined £2,000 after an employee lost several fingers in a workplace accident in January 2023. The worker was using an emery cloth on an automatic lathe, which snagged his glove and caused severe hand injuries, including the loss of three fingers
We are Tyrone.
Hazards news, 15 November 2024

Britain: Pasty firm owners fined after lorry crushes worker to death
Samworth Brothers, owner of Ginsters, has been fined £1.28 million and £24,106 in costs after employee Paul Clarke, 40, was fatally crushed by a reversing lorry at The Cornwall Bakery in Callington on 2 December 2021. An HSE investigation found the company had failed to assess the risks of temporary strip curtains installed in place of a faulty roller door. Clarke, working his first lone shift, was struck while moving the curtains.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 13 November 2024

Britain: Scottish construction fined after worker killed
Merchant Homes Partnership Limited has been fined £160,000 after worker Scott Bradley, 44, was killed when a telehandler overturned at a Glasgow construction site on 11 May 2022. An HSE and Police Scotland investigation found the company failed to risk assess the traffic route, leading to the fatal accident. The firm pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 12 November 2024.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 12 November 2024

Britain: Firm fined after worker has finger amputated
Manchester engineering firm, Proline Engineering Limited, has been fined £500,000 and £5,317 in costs after an 18-year-old apprentice lost a finger and suffered severe nerve damage to another while using a horizontal bandsaw in November 2022. An HSE investigation revealed inadequate risk assessment, training, and supervision, as well as a lack of proper safety measures. The apprentice was working unsupervised when he attempted to clear debris from the sawblade, leading to the injury.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 8 November 2024

Britain: Council fined after branch kills member of public
Cheshire East Council has been fined £500,000 and £7,284 costs after Christopher Hall, 48, was killed by a falling tree limb while walking through a Wilmslow car park in August 2020. An HSE investigation found a branch had fallen from the same tree a year earlier but no investigation was undertaken. The council lacked a formal tree management strategy, and its contractor, Ansa Environmental Services, had no robust policy. Ansa was given a nominal £500 fine.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 8 November 2024

Britain: Small fine for construction company after worker paralysed
Derbyshire builder Andrew Clifford, 51, was left paralysed from the chest down after falling through a ceiling while working alone on a house renovation. An investigation revealed the contracting company, Paul Freeman Ltd, failed to properly plan the work and was fined £40,000 fine with £6,263 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 November 2024

Britain: Company fined £80,000 after employee suffers severe injuries
Grayshill Limited was fined £80,000, with an additional £6,000 victim surcharge, after an employee sustained a fractured skull, broken clavicle, and other injuries at its Glasgow site. The worker was struck by a telehandler bucket that became detached on 19 October 2022, while he was unloading cattle from a lorry.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 28 October 2024

Wales: Victim of Powys train crash named
A 60 year old from Capel Dewi, Tudor Evans, has been named as the sole fatality of Powys train collisionon 21 October 2024.. The crash when the westbound train from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth collided with a stationary train. Four people sustained serious injuries, and 11 others required hospital treatment. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is examining the cause, noting initial findings suggest the collision may have been linked to wheel slide when braking.
BBC news online.
Hazards news, 24 October 2024

Britain: Small fine for contractor after worker is left paralysed
Forestry contractor Gerald Hayward has been fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs after a tree fell and left a worker paralysed at the Fonthill Estate, Wiltshire. The incident occurred in January 2022 during an ash dieback clearance when a 21-metre tree, being cut by Hayward, fell in an unintended direction, landing on the worker. An HSE investigation found that Hayward failed to establish a safe working zone, breaching safety regulations. The worker sustained severe injuries and now requires lifelong care.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 October 2024

Britain: Manslaughter charge filed following construction worker death
Boss of Hintonwood East Anglia Ltd, Peter Clifford, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter following the death of construction worker Dale Baker, 30, in Woodbridge, Suffolk, nearly four years ago. Baker sustained serious injuries while working on a house renovation on 15 December 2020 and died at the scene. The Crown Prosecution Service has also authorised two safety charges against Clifford and additional safety charges against his company, Hintonwood East Anglia Ltd.
Construction Enquirer.
Hazards news, 22 October 2024

Nigeria: 94 Dead, 50 injured in tanker explosion
A devastating petrol tanker explosion in Majia town, Jigawa State, has left 94 people dead and 50 others injured. The incident occurred when the tanker lost control and crashed, spilling fuel that locals rushed to collect. The tanker subsequently exploded, igniting a massive fire.
Daily Trust.
Hazards news, 16 October 2024

Britain: Farmer fined after grandfather dies in forklift incident
Denis Thornhill, a millionaire farmer, has been fined after 64-year-old Mark Young died from a fall while using a forklift truck as a makeshift cherry picker to repair a roof on February 1, 2021. Young was inside a wooden crate when it tipped over, causing him to fall 12 feet onto a concrete floor. Thornhill faced gross negligence manslaughter charges but was acquitted. However, he and his company, DS Thornhill (Rushton) Ltd, were found guilty of health and safety violations. Thornhill was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in costs, while his company received a £12,000 fine.
Manchester Evening News.
Hazards news, 14 October 2024

Iran/France: French unions blame authorities for deadly mine explosion
French labor unions have criticised authorities for negligence in the September 21 explosion at the Tabas coal mine in Iran, which killed at least 52 workers. They stated the disaster was preventable and highlighted workers had previously reported methane gas in the mine. The unions noted a systemic issue in Iran's mining industry, citing 2023 statistics of 2,115 workplace fatalities and 27,000 injuries. Investigations revealed a lack of safety measures, yet no actions have been taken against the mine's management. Unions involved include CFDT, CGT, FSU, Union syndicale Solidaires, and UNSA. Iran International.
Hazards news, 13 October 2024

Britain: Company fined after crane collapse
A&P Falmouth has been fined £750,000 and £26,792.30 costs for the 2017 crane collapse at its Falmouth Docks site that put over 250 workers at risk. The crane, operating above the Royal Navy ship Tidespring, experienced an uncontrolled jib descent. The operator managed to move it away from the ship before it collapsed, with the jib landing near acetylene cylinders.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 11 October 2024

USA: One dead, 12 rescued after Colorado mine elevator failure
An elevator malfunction at the Mollie Kathleen gold mine in Colorado on Thursday resulted in one fatality and four injuries, leaving a group trapped underground for several hours. Located near Cripple Creek, the mine is a tourist attraction.
The Guardian.
Hazards news, 11 October 2024

Britain: Bad communication led to seafarer’s shipyard death
UK Maritime Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB) report revealed poor communication and safety practices contributed to the fatal fall of a seafarer on the Equinox Seas bulk carrier on 17 April 2024. The seafarer fell 10 metres down a ventilation shaft at ONEX Syros Shipyard in Greece. The MAIB found that the ship's fragmented management and inadequate communication between crew and shipyard staff left workers unaware of hazards.
Nautilus International.
Hazards news, 9 October 2024

Britain: TUC welcomes the closing of fire and rehire legal loophole
Welcoming the new protections for seafarers as the government closes the legal loophole exploited by P&O Ferries and bans fire-and-rehire practices, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak called the 2022 mass sacking of 800 P&O seafarers one of the most significant scandals in modern industrial relations. He criticised the delay in addressing the issue, which left room for other employers to exploit similar loopholes. Nowak stated, "This shows the difference driving up employment standards can make - both in protecting workers and stopping undercutting."
TUC news release.
Hazards news, 9 October 2024

India: 7 Killed, 3 Injured in West Bengal coal mine explosion
On 7 October 2024, a coal mine explosion in Birbhum, West Bengal, killed seven people and injured three. The blast occurred at the Gangaramchak coal block when explosives in a truck detonated during peak work hours. Debris was scattered up to 700 metres.
Hindustan Times.
Hazards news, 7 October 2024

Britain: MoD Censure following death of army driver
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a Crown Censure to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after Staff Sergeant John McKelvie died in a vehicle accident during training in Yorkshire in 2019. McKelvie was driving a vehicle that rolled down a steep hill. The HSE investigation found inadequate oversight and poor risk assessments contributed to the accident. While the Crown is bound by the Health and Safety at Work Act, it cannot be prosecuted or served notices. Instead, the HSE uses Crown censures to record failures to comply with the law.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 October 2024

Britain: Sandwich bread baker fined after worker loses finger
Jacksons Bakery, a major UK bread supplier, was fined £366,000 and £5,386 costs following an incident at its Corby plant in February 2023 where an engineer lost part of his finger in machinery. The worker was helping clear a blockage on a flour sifting machine when his hand was pulled into a pulley, unaware the machine had been switched back on. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed breaches to health and safety regulations to which Jacksons pleaded guilty.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 3 October 2024

Britain/Ireland: Concrete firm fined for fatal safety errors
Taranto Limited, a concrete firm in Tandragee, was fined £90,000 following the tragic death of 21-year-old Matthew Biggerstaff in 2021. He was fatally injured while clearing dried concrete from inside a truck-mounted mixing drum which rotated and ejected him causing crushing injuries. A Health and Safety Executive NI investigation revealed that the drum wasn't properly locked or secured, and safety protocols were lacking.
Irish News.
Hazards news, 30 September 2024

Bangladesh: Four feared dead in tanker explosion
At least four crew members are feared dead after an explosion caused a fire on the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation owned Banglar Jyoti tanker at Chattogram port. The blast occurred while technicians were conducting repairs. Three crew members were unaccounted for.
Anadolu Agency.
Hazards news, 30 September 2024

Iran: Methane gas explosion in mine kills 50
A methane gas explosion in a coal mine in Tabas, eastern Iran, has resulted in the deaths of 50 miners and injuries to 16 others on 16 September 2024. Despite workers reporting the smell of methane the day before, they were still required to work. The incident highlights a pattern of unsafe conditions in Iran's mining industry, which has seen multiple fatal accidents this year due to inadequate safety standards and inspections. IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said: "IIndustriALL vehemently condemns this massacre and expresses its condolences and solidarity with the mineworkers and their families in Iran. With the regular deadly accidents in Iran’s mines, it is clear that there is a systemic problem and a lack of political will to rectify it."
IndustriALL news release.
Hazards news, 26 September 2024

Britain: FBU leads call for action to prevent another Grenfell
The Labour Party conference passed a motion urging government to address the building safety crisis following the Grenfell Inquiry report. The motion, submitted by the Fire Brigades Union, blames deregulation and austerity for Grenfell and calls for government to prioritise safety through investment in fire services, ending privatisation of building control, and creating a statutory advisory body to oversee fire safety policy. Seven years after Grenfell, 50 per cent of buildings with unsafe cladding remain unresolved.
FBU News Release.
Hazards news, 24 September 2024

Britain: Firm fined after worker suffers serious arm injury
Screening Consultancy and Supplies Ltd in Rugby has been fined £28,000 after worker Andrew Elson, 54, sustained multiple fractures while clearing debris off the bed of a radial arm drill in November 2022. An HSE investigation revealed the firm failed to properly assess the risks and implement a safe system for the machinery operation. Elson, who required surgery, says he has lost his independence and continues to struggle with hand mobility. The company was also ordered to pay £3,616 in costs.
Birmingham Live.
Hazards news, 24 September 2024

Britain: Chemicals firm fined after factory explosion
Solvents manufacturer Rathburn Chemicals has been fined £40,000 for a 2020 explosion that demolished a laboratory at its Walkerburn factory in Scotland. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found it was likely caused by inadequate controls leading to excessive pentane vapour, generated by the company’s distillation process, overheating and being ignited. The company pleaded guilty to health and safety violations and was ordered to pay an additional £3,000 victim surcharge. No injuries were reported. HSE News Release.
Hazards news, 24 September 2024

Britain: Worker death results in another Balfour Beatty safety fine Constriction firm Balfour Beatty has been fined £285,000 following an incident during the construction of a new University of Birmingham facility. Two workers fell 10 meters from a scissor lift after it was knocked over by a crane resulting in the death of Igor Malka and severe injuries to Edmund Vispulskis. The Health and Safety Executive found Balfour Beatty failed to implement proper safety controls and coordination between contractors. They were also ordered to pay £21,768.88 in costs. Balfour Beattie has been fined multiple times for safety offences.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 September 2024

Britain: Government urged to 'get a grip' on building safety crisis after Grenfell
Campaigners are pressuring the Government to tackle the ongoing building safety crisis after ministers failed to provide a timeline for resolving unsafe structures. This follows the final inquiry into the Grenfell fire, which blamed decades of governmental and industry failures. Despite government funding and promises of a future "remediation acceleration plan," more than 2,000 buildings still await cladding removal and 11,000 require remdiation work. The End Our Cladding Scandal campaign demanded a simplified process, removing industry interests, and want Labour to hold developers accountable. Morning Star.
Hazards news, 5 September 2024

Britain: £3.2 million fine after National Grid worker suffers severe burns
National Grid Electricity Distribution (South Wales) Plc has been fined fined £3.2million and £20,460 costs adnd Power Ltd £80,000 with £14,123 costs for safety failures that led to life-changing injuries for Justin Hollins. Hollins, 50, was replacing step bolts on a pylon in Pontypridd when he suffered a 33,000-volt electric shock. The incident left him with burns covering 40 per cent of his body and nerve damage affecting mobility.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 5 September 2024

Britain: Tyre firm fined after worker's torso is 'shredded' by machine
D&D Commercial Services Limited, an Essex-based tyre refurbishment firm, was fined £54,000 wth £6,000 costs after an employee, Neal Hetherington, was seriously injured when his t-shirt got caught in a tyre buffing machine. The August 2021 incident resulted in part of his torso being shredded by the machine’s spinning blades. HSE Inspector Oscar Dower said: “The company allowed its workers to use a machine that was not adequately braked or guarded, leading to significant and wholly avoidable injuries to one of its employees."
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 September 2024

Britain: Food firm fined £150,000 after 'defeating' safety devices
Oriental Delight (UK) Limited, a North London-based food manufacturer, was fined £150,000 and £3,020 costs for machinery safety violations following an October 2023 HSE inspection. Inspectors found three machines with defeated interlocking safety devices and missing guards, posing serious risks.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 4 September 2024

Britain: Grief, anger and vindication” – FBU responds to the Grenfell Tower public inquiry
Following the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report that blamed the disaster on decades of government failure and the ‘systematic dishonesty’ of companies, FBU leader Matt Wrack expressed solidarity with the grief and anger of the bereaved, survivors, and residents. He called for justice for the 72 lives lost in the "entirely preventable fire." Wrack attributed the disaster to decades of regulatory failure, where private profit was prioritised over human life. He stated the report fully vindicated the FBU’s position highlighting how construction companies manipulated the system for profit and how the semi-privatised building control system placed commercial interests above regulatory responsibilities. Police had already suspected, even before the report was published, that the fire and deaths were the result of criminal acts, based on their own extensive inquiries. Any criminal trials, if they occur, are not expected to take place until 2027.
FBU news release. The Guardian.
More coverage: Bectu news release. Nation.Cymru. PoliticsHome London Fire Brigade. Kensington and Chelsea Council apology. Crown Prosecution Service. London Assembly.The Standard. iNews. Morning Star. The Independent.
Hazards news, 4 September 2024

South Korea: CEO arrested after fatal battery plant fire
The CEO of Aricell, a South Korean lithium battery company, has been arrested following a devastating factory fire in June that killed 23 people and injured nine others. Park Soon-kwan was detained after an investigation revealed workplace safety violations at the plant. The fire, which broke out after several battery cells exploded, was one of South Korea's worst factory disasters in recent years. The factory had reportedly been rushing to meet production deadlines, leading to safety oversights and the hiring of unskilled staff to handle dangerous materials. The victims were mostly foreign workers.
BBC News Online.
Hazards news, 29 August 2024

Britain: Scots construction firm fined £75k after worker dies in excavation
Carrig Construction Services has been fined £75,000 after admitting to health and safety failings that led to the tragic death of Derek Caddie. Derek, who was working in an unsupported excavation on November 25, 2019 was covered in soil from the neck down at a building site in Glasgow’s Hyndland and crushed. He died later from his injuries. His family expressed heartbreak over the loss and criticised the nearly five-year delay in the legal proceedings, saying it worsened their trauma. Daily Record, Renfrewshire News. 28 August 2024
Daily Record.
Hazards news, 28 August 2024

USA: Two dead in Delta plane tyre explosion incident
A tyre explosion on a Delta Boeing 757 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport killed a Delta employee and a contractor, with another employee seriously injured. The incident occurred early Monday as the tyre was being removed from the aircraft after its arrival from Las Vegas.
The Tribune.
Hazards news, 27 August 2024

Britain: High-rise fire reveals “national scandal” of flammable cladding, says FBU
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has condemned the Dagenham tower block fire as a “national scandal,” exposing the dangers of flammable cladding and building industry deregulation. The fire, which broke out early Monday on Freshwater Road, led to a major incident declaration by the London Fire Brigade. The building, previously flagged in a 2023 fire enforcement notice, had non-compliant cladding. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack praised firefighters but demanded an urgent investigation into why unsafe cladding is still in use, urging immediate government action to prevent more tragedies. The incident comes just one week before the publication of the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
FBU news. The Morning Star. My London News.
Hazards news, 26 August 2024

Italy: Bayesian yacht tragedy - families and crew deserve facts, not speculation
Following the sinking of the British-flagged yacht Bayesian off Sicily killing seven people, Nautilus International has called for a fair, thorough investigation. General Secretary Mark Dickinson called for patience stressing speculation and premature judgments about the crew's conduct are unfair and harmful to the investigation.
Nautilus news.
Hazards news, 23 August 2024

Britain: Firm fined after worker loses four fingers
A Renfrewshire firm, Kerry Ingredients UK Ltd, was fined over £360,000 after employee, James Clydesdale, lost four fingers in a workplace accident in August 2021. The injury occurred when Clydesdale accessed an unguarded part of a mechanical mixer to clear a blockage.The court heard there was an interlocked guard at the top of the mixer, however, there were no fixed guards preventing access to the blades from the underside of the machine.The fine included a £27,000 victim surcharge.
Daily Record
Hazards news, 9 August 2024

Britain: Pub chain fined £245k after woman's death from fall at Bolton tavern
Joseph Holt Ltd was fined £180,000 with £65,000 in legal costs after a health and safety breach led to the death of Elaine Horrocks, who fell through an unlocked cellar door at the Rosehill Tavern in Bolton. The incident occurred on January 13, 2018, when Horrocks, 54, fell into the staff-only cellar and suffered fatal injuries.
The Bolton News
Hazards news, 8 August 2024

Nigeria: Deadly boat explosion kills 20 passengers and crew
A wooden cargo boat named ‘Godbless Dickson’ has exploded and sank resulting in the deaths of 20 people out of the 64 onboard. The incident occurred near Ezetu 1 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area while the boat was en route to Yenagoa. Rescue efforts were made, with a Maritime Workers Union team deploying speedboats to aid survivors. Authorities and local leaders are calling for improved marine safety regulations to prevent future tragedies.
Naija news
Hazards news, 8 August 2024

Britain: Waste company fined over £100,000 after worker loses leg
Manchester-based waste firm Pink Skips (NW) Ltd has been fined £106,700 and £5,744 costs following an incident where a 41-year-old worker lost their after being struck by a reversing excavator. The 5 October 2022 incident occurred due to a lack of adequate segregation between pedestrians and vehicles.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 7 August 2024

Indonesia: Explosion and fire on tanker kills 5 and injures 15
An explosion and subsequent fire on the Indonesian tanker Elisabet Satu near Bali killed five crew members and injured 15 others. The incident occurred at around 0300 local time, with the first explosion reportedly originating from the accommodation area. A second explosion followed in the engine room. The tanker, carrying fuel oil, may have grounded after losing power. Three crew members suffered severe burns, while the other 12 sustained less serious injuries.
The Maritime Executive.
Hazards news, 7 August 2024

Britain: Builder avoids jail after putting workers' lives in danger
David Beadle, trading as Beadle the Builders, was given a 26-week suspended prison sentence for committing safety crimes at a London construction site. An HSE investigation found Beadle allowed workers to use an improperly constructed and unsafe scaffold multiple times, defying a previous prohibition notice. The scaffold was at risk of collapse, lacked edge protection and safe access, and posed a serious risk of falls. Beadle pleaded guilty to the law breach was given a 26-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and also pay £6,043 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 7 August 2024

Britain: Company fined £1m as employee suffers serious injuries
Logistics company, Southampton Container Terminals Limited, trading as DP World Southampton, has been fined £1 million with £11,664.59 costs after employee, Christopher Hooper, fell 11 metres through an open hole in a driver's cab resulting in fractures to his skull, back, pelvis, arm, wrist, and ankle. An Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the company failed to implement a safe system of work and did not have an adequate risk assessment.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 2 August 2024

Britain: Companies fined after father-of-three crushed to death
Two companies have been fined following the death of Russell Hartley, a 48-year-old self-employed engineer and father-of-three, who was crushed by machinery at a materials recycling facility in London. Hartley was fatally injured when a Trisomat screen toppled off a telehandler's forks.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Premier Engineering Projects Ltd and M&M Mobile Crane Hire Ltd failed to adequately plan, supervise and ensure the safety of the work, resulting in the avoidable incident. Premier Engineering Projects Ltd was fined £28,000 plus £9,277.48 costs, while M&M Mobile Crane Hire Ltd was fined £48,000 plus £9,500 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 1 August 2024

Britain: Wolverhampton company fined after worker hit by forklift truck Wolverhampton manufacturing company, Fablink UK Limited, was fined £30,000 and £6,104 in costs after welder David Lucas was struck by a reversing forklift truck on 12 January 2023. Lucas sustained serious injuries including a fractured ankle and a broken elbow, and spent several days in hospital. The company had received previous HSE advice in relation to workplace transport and in particular about vehicle and pedestrian segregation.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 31 July 2024

Britain: Company fined £160,000 after worker loses legs
William Stobart & Son Limited was fined £160,000 after employee Andrew McAuley lost both legs in an accident at the company’s warehouse in Appleton Thorn on June 20, 2022. McAuley, 64, was struck by unsecured pallets carried by a forklift. The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was ordered to pay £4,478 in costs.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 31 July 2024

Britain: Recycling boss sentenced after worker loses leg
Daisy Ning Bai, director of BW Recycling Limited in Halifax, received a community order for health and safety breaches after a worker lost part of his left leg in a machinery incident on 26 November 2019. Nathan Bland, then 20, had his left leg amputated below the knee and lost several toes on his right foot when both legs were crushed inside a waste baler. Bai was given a 12-month community order with 160 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £5,843 in costs. BW Recycling Limited was dissolved in December 2023 and was not prosecuted.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 22 July 2024

Britain: Veolia fined £3m after rig fatality
Veolia ES (UK) Limited has been fined £3 million with £60,000 costs following a 17 October 2019 incident at its Great Yarmouth facility, where one worker died and another was seriously injured. Stephen Picken, 62, and Mark Kumar, were dismantling a 27-tonne metal pipe (skirt pile) from a gas rig jacket when it gave way, causing them to fall 12 metres to the ground. Picken died at the scene, while Kumar sustained severe life-changing injuries. The HSE investigation revealed inadequate risk assessment, planning, and supervision of the operation. The company had considered the skirt pile a low-risk task and did not implement a cutting plan or safe working procedure.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 22 July 2024

Britain: £240,000 fine sfter worker paralysed in fall
Wood Transmission and Distribution Limited, an electrical transmission company based in Cheshire, has been fined £240,000 with £14,142 in costs following an incident that left 35-year-old Gavin Pugh paralysed from the chest down. Pugh fell over 30 feet while demolishing electricity pylons. The team was unaware that prior work had been carried out to loosen bolts on the pylon, compromising its stability.
HSE news release.
Hazards news. 17 July 2024

Britain: Engineering firm fined after HS2 Site incident
EMC Elite Engineering Services Ltd has been fined £52,500 and £6,871.12 in costs after an engineer sustained multiple serious injuries while repairing a conveyor at a HS2 construction site in Hertfordshire. The 57-year-old fell 11 metres through a gap created by the removal of stair treads, resulting in a fractured skull, pelvis, hip, jaw, and two broken wrists, leading to two months of hospitalisation.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 15 July 2024

Britain: Train conductors speak out about abuse directed at train crew
Northern Railway train conductors have reported increasing incidents of verbal and physical abuse from passengers. The conductors shared experiences to raise awareness of the hostile environment train crews often face in performing their duties. One conductor spoke of homophobic abuse and death threats.
Northern railway.
Hazards news, 12 July 2024

Britain: Devon man jailed for 'worst ever' asbestos and waste dump Christopher Garrett, a 64-year-old from Devon, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for illegally dumping thousands of tonnes of waste, including asbestos, on his land near Newton Abbot. Despite previous prosecutions and multiple warnings from the Environment Agency, Garrett continued to import and dispose of dangerous waste. The court also ordered him to pay a Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation sum of over £200,000.
Devon live
Hazards news, 11 July 2024

Britain: Fines after employee fractures skull and loses sight in one eye
Code-A-Weld (Great Yarmouth) Ltd and its director, David Fowler, were fined after an employee was struck by an object while manufacturing large steel cable drums on 19 November 2022. The 54-year-old worker sustained severe injuries, including skull fractures and loss of vision in one eye, requiring hospitalisation and facial reconstruction surgery. The company was fined £24,000 and £3,500 in costs, while Fowler was fined £2,000 with £1,500 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 5 July 2024

Sweden: Five workers killed when inadequately maintained hoist failed
A construction hoist collapse in Ursvik, Sweden, on December 11, 2023, killed five workers due to missing screw and nut assemblies. The hoist, provided to Andersson Company, was improperly assembled and inspected. The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority cited insufficient safety inspections and inadequate safety measures.
Construction briefing,
Hazards news 4 July 2024

Britain: Work fatalities rise for a third year
Deaths at work have increased for a third consecutive year, new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE figures published on 3 July 2024 reveal cross the total workforce, 138 deaths were recorded in 2023/24, up from 136 in 2022/23 and 123 in 2021/22. Last year, 51 people died at work in construction compared with 47 the previous year. The average number of deaths in construction over a five-year period was 42. In addition to the workplace fatalities total, 87 members of the public died due to workplace incidents in 2023/24, up from 73 in 2022/23.
HSE: Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain.
Hazards news, 3 July 2024

Britain: Council fined after school technician loses finger
West Sussex County Council was fined £16,000 after school technician, Adi Soday, lost his right index finger using a circular bench saw at The Forest School in Horsham, West Sussex. An Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed Mr. Soday was not trained to use the saw safely.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 3 July 2024

USA: BP is not learning from repeated failures
Nineteen years after a fatal explosion at BP’s Texas City Refinery, fourteen years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and two years after a deadly explosion at the BP/Husky Refinery in Ohio, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) issued a report last month. The report highlights BP's chronic inability to learn from its repeated mistakes over the decades.
Confined space
Hazards news, 3 July 2024

Britain: Safety failures led to fatal explosion at Wiltshire factory Explosives manufacturer Chemring Countermeasures has been fined £670,000 following a fatal explosion at its Salisbury site. The incident on August 10, 2018, resulted in the death of employee Piotr Zukowski and serious injuries to Jake West. An investigation by HSE revealed multiple safety failures including inadequate training, supervision, and risk assessments that led to the fatal explosion that was triggered by the ignition of a chemical mixture. The company pleaded guilty to failing in its duty of care. Since the 2018 incident Chremring has been issued with three new safety improvement notices, in 2020 and 2021
Salisbury Journal, HSE enforcement database
Hazards news, 30 June 2024

Turkey: Five dead after restaurant explosion A devastating propane tank explosion at a restaurant in Izmir, a city in western Turkey, resulted in five fatalities and 63 injuries on Sunday, according to local authorities. The blast, which was captured on security cameras, wreaked havoc on the street and caused minor damage to nearby buildings. The Mirror
Hazards news, 30 June 2024

India: Amazon admits safety lapses
Amazon India has admitted to workplace safety lapses at its warehouse in the National Capital Region. In its submission to the central labour commissioner, the company accepted that there was a violation of workplace safety standards on May 16, 2024, at its Manesar warehouse and assured the government of a prompt corrective action.
The Economic Times
Hazards news, 26 June 2024

Yemen: ITF calls to divert ships from war zone following four deaths At least four people have been killed in strikes on shipping by Yemen's Houthi movement since December 2023. The International Transport Workers’ Federation, speaking on behalf of seafarers’ unions globally, is urging flag states '“which are responsible for assuring a safe working environment for seafarers on their vessels’ to ‘instruct companies to divert their ships’ from the region.' Nautilus International
Hazards news, 26 June 2024

Britain: Fine after burns death of mole catcher
Harehead Farms Partnership has been fined £100,000 after mole catcher Martin Smith, 53, suffered 75 per cent burns after his trousers caught fire during a controlled heather burn at a farm in the Lammermuir Hills, dying from his injuries the following morning. The farm company admitted failing to take suitable health and safety precautions.
BBC news release.
Hazards news, 26 June 2024

Britain: £165,000 for firm after entangled hoodie death
A firm has been fined £165,000 after a worker died when his hoodie became entangled in industrial door equipment at a car dealership in Aberdeen in 2018. Mark Mathers, 33, was repairing the door when a spring unwound tightening his clothing around his neck and body casugin him to lose consciouness. He was declared dead three days later. Industrial Doors admitted to breaching health and safety guidelines at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
BBC news online
Hazards news 25 June 2024

South Korea: Condemnation after battery fire kills 23
The Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV) has condemned the fatal negligence at the Aricell lithium battery plant that killed 23 workers, including 17 from China, in a blaze triggered by battery explosions. Most died from toxic gas exposure. ANROEV says the grave safety lapses illustrate the critical need for more stringent regulations and enforcement and is urging comprehensive investigations, compensation for victims' families, and enforcement of strict safety laws.
ANROEV statement. The Independent.
Hazards news, 25 June 2024

Britain: Trust fined after wall collapse fatality
Wilts & Berks Canal Trust has been fined £30,000 after volunteer Peter Konitzer, 62, died in a wall collapse during excavation work on 24 August 2016. An HSE investigation found inadequate safety measures and planning. The trust pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was also ordered to pay £10,822 in costs.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 24 June 2024

Britain: Companies fined after young worker exposed to asbestos Two companies were fined after a 16-year-old was exposed to asbestos while breaking cement sheets in Richmond, North Yorkshire. An HSE investigation found Alt Berg Holdings Limited failed to conduct an asbestos survey, and P Turnbull Joinery and Building Services Ltd failed to assess the work and prevent exposure to asbestos. P Turnbull was fined £2,000 with £500 costs, and Alt Berg £6,000 with £1,950 costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 24 June 2024

Britain: £30,000 fine for construction company after electrocution
BBM Contracts Limited was fined £30,000 after delivery driver Levi Alleyne was electrocuted by an overhead power line while delivering concrete in Reading. The Health and Safety Executive found that the company failed to manage the risks associated with power lines.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 20 June 2024

Britain: Auctioneers fined after man killed by cow
J.J. Morris Limited was fined £75,000 after 75-year-old Huw Evans was killed by an escaped cow at Whitland Livestock Market in Wales. The Health and Safety Executive found the company failed to implement adequate control measures and had an insufficient risk assessment. The incident was deemed foreseeable and preventable. The company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was also ordered to pay £5,047.55 in costs.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 20 June 2024

Britain: Firm fined after worker killed by falling concrete blocks
Avant Homes (Scotland) Limited was fined £333,000 after driver Conor Joseph Morgan was killed by falling concrete blocks at a South Lanarkshire construction site. The incident occurred due to improper unloading practices. Regen Waste Limited was also fined £23,000 for inadequate risk assessment.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 19 June 2024

Britain: Company fined after worker suffers severe injuries
Harper UK (Aberdeen) Ltd has been fined £10,000 after employee Miroslaw Pancyzk suffered severe injuries including fractured wrists and the loss of a finger, while polishing a metal bar on a lathe. An HSE investigation found inadequate safety measures and no risk assessment. The 4 April 2022 incident was deemed wholly preventable.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 18 June 2024

South Africa: Worker fatality follows explosion at animal feed factory Quantum Foods has reported a fatal incident at its Malmesbury feed mill due to an explosion on Monday. Three were injured, one fatally. Two remain stable after serious injuries. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Independent Online
Hazards news, 12 June 2024

Britain: BAM Nuttall fined £2.345m after worker drowns
Construction firm BAM Nuttall has been fined £2.345 million plus £25,770.48 in costs following the death of worker Gary Webster, who drowned in the River Aire on 30 October 2017. Mr. Webster was on a boat removing debris at Knostrop Weir when it capsized due to turbulent water. Mr. Webster died later on 1 November 2017. An HSE investigation revealed that BAM Nuttall Ltd failed to control the weir gates, which could have prevented the accident. The company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations. HSE News Release
Hazards news, 12 June 2024

Britain: Car wash firm fined for failing to protect workers and public
Tavistock firm Best Car Wash Ltd has been fined £40,000 for failing to address electrical safety risks despite five Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforcement notices.They were found guilty in their absence and were also ordered to pay £3,164 in costs.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 6 June 2024

Britain: Openreach fined after engineer drowns
Openreach Limited was fined £1.34 million after engineer Alun Owen died while repairing a telephone line. Owen slipped and fell into the River Aber during flooding, and was swept away. The Health and Safety Executive found no safe working system for work near water. Openreach pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was also ordered to pay £15,858.35 in costs. HSE news release
Hazards news, 5 June 2024

Britain: Tata fined £1 million following young father's death
Tata Chemicals was fined £1.125 million and ordered to pay £60,603.54 in costs for safety breaches that led to the death of a 25-year-old worker. The incident occurred when the worker fell from height at the company’s Cheshire plant. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Tata Chemicals failed to implement adequate safety measures and provide proper training, contributing to the tragic accident.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 5 June 2024

Britain: Contractor fined £233,000 after fatal rig collapse Nottingham engineering contractor Van Elle Limited has been fined £233,000 after a 52-year-old HGV driver was killed by a collapsing piling rig mast at a site in Annan. An investigation revealed the 21 January 2021 incident was due to the corrosion of the rig's securing lug that caused the mast to topple. Van Elle admitted breaching safety regulations.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 4 June 2024

Britain: Boss avoids custodial sentence after worker death
Roger Gibbons, director of RM Gibbons Ltd, was given a 16-week suspended prison sentence and ordered to complete 140 hours of unpaid work following the death of Uldis Sankans, who was crushed between a girder and a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) on November 8, 2019. His company was also fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £9,424 in costs. An HSE investigation revealed failures in risk assessment and employee training related to MEWP operation.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 30 May 2024

Britain: Skip hire firm fined £24,000 after worker suffers severe hand injuries
W M Russell & Sons Limited, a Scottish skip hire and recycling business, was fined £24,000 after a worker sustained severe injuries while changing blades on a rapid granulator machine on April 9 2021. The worker, Barry Edward Pae, lost his left index, middle and ring fingers and suffered an open fracture to his left wrist. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to provide a safe work system or adequate training.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 30 May 2024

Britain: Recycling company fined £80,000 after wood dust exposures
A recycling company was fined £80,000 following an incident where workers were exposed to dangerous levels of wood dust. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to implement sufficient dust control systems and provide necessary training, which contributed to the unsafe working conditions.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 24 May 2024

Farmer given suspended jail sentence after man killed by cattle
A farmer received a 16-week suspended prison sentence after a fatal incident in which a member o the ublic was killed by cattle on his farm. The court found that the farmer had failed to implement adequate safety measures to prevent such accidents. In addition to the suspended sentence, the farmer was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £3,700 in costs.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 22 May 2024

Britain: Waste firm fined after worker suffers burns to body and face Waste management company New Earth Solutions (West) Limited was fined £200,000 and £12,466.60 in costs after a worker sustained severe burns to his body and face plus a broken left arm, fractured ribs and a dislocaed kneecap following an electrical explosion and fall. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to provide proper protective equipment nor relevant training prior to the incident.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 10 May 2024

Britain: Companies fined £600,000 after worker injured at Pirelli factory Pirelli Tyres Ltd and PPG Industries (UK) Ltd were fined £350,000 and £250,00 respectively following an incident where a worker was seriously injured at the Pirelli factory in Carilisle. The worker suffered multiple fractures and a dislocated ankle after being crushed and trapped by two skips. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed failures in guarding and risk assessment procedures at the factory.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 10 May 2024

Britain: Bin lorry death could be repeated
The family of a Coventry City Council refuse collector who died after he was pulled into the back of a bin lorry has called for urgent action to be taken to protect workers after an inquest found that the training he had received was inadequate, and that the vehicle he was working with could have been safer. Unite member David Carpenter was 60-years-old when a piece of his clothing got caught by the bin lifting equipment whilst he was clearing debris from behind the truck on 19 January 2023.
Thompsons solicitors news release. David Carpenter: Prevention of future deaths report.
Hazards news, 29 April 2024

Britain: Small fine after young carpenter dies
A carpentry contractor has been fined after a 22-year-old worker died after he was struck by construction equipment on a building site. On 30 October 2019, Niall McCormack had been working for KM Carpentry Contractors Limited installing roof trusses at a new build site at Alconbury Weald. While removing trusses from a pack and then spreading them, wind pushed a spandrel panel into the pack, causing both to fall and fatally strike Niall. KM Carpentry Contractors Limited pleaded guilty to criminal breach of safety law and was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £6,974 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 25 April 2024

Britain: Worker crushed at Heathrow Airport
An aviation company has been fined after a worker was crushed to death at London Heathrow Airport while unloading baggage containers from an aircraft. Jasbir Sambi was working for Dnata Limited, a provider of ground handling and cargo services to major airlines, at Terminal 3 on 23 February 2022. Dnata Limited pleaded guilty to criminal breaches of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay £6,494.25 in costs.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 18 April 2024

Britain: Fine follows fatal forklift crash
Haulage firm Chorlton Express Transport Limited has been fined £86,710 plus £5,903 costs forklift truck driver Ian Dawson, 60, was killed while loading a heavy goods vehicle (HGV). The HGV moved forward, causing the forklift truck to overturn, trapping him beneath the vehicle.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 17 April 2024

Britain: Company fined after worker crushed to death
Booth Mixer Hire Limited has been fined £50,000 plus £16,717.15 costs after employee Nicholas Maxfield, 52, was fatally crushed a mixer wagon fell on his as he was replacing its two front wheels.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 2 April 2024

Britain: Construction firm fined after worker dies from fall
Amberley Homes (Kent) Ltd has been fined £25,000 plus £83,842.34 costs after sub-contractor Mark Tolley, 51, fell nearly two metres through an opening in a scaffold working on a housing site. He sustained broken ribs and serious internal injuries including a punctured lung, dying from his injuries several days later.
HSE news release.
Hazards news. 28 March 2024

Britain: Fine after worker crushed to death
Avant Homes (Scotland) Limited has been fined £333,000 and Regen Waste Limited £23,000 after HGV driver Conor Joseph Morgan, 45, was crushed to death by falling concrete blocks. The Regen Waste employee was delivering the blocks to an Avant construction site, when pallets toppled off the trailer and crushed him.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 28 March 2024

Britain: Director jailed for asbestos crimes
A company director has been jailed after failing to protect workers from exposure to asbestos at a student development project in Winchester. Stephen Davies, 59, had set up Cavendish Winchester Ltd with the sole purpose of refurbishing a commercial unit into student rental accommodation. His co-director Neil Bolton, 56, was spared jail when he was handed a four-month suspended sentence at Southampton Crown Court with 250 hours of unpaid work and costs of over £5,123. Cavendish Winchester Ltd was fined £30,000.
HSE news release.
Hazards news, 27 March 2024

Britain: Pork pie maker fined after two workers lose fingers
Pork Farms Ltd has been fined £800,000 after two young workers lost fingers just weeks apart at two Nottingham bakeries. In the first incident a 22 year old had to have a finger amputated after their hand became trapped when trying to unblock a conveyor. In the second incident a 19 year old suffered simlar injuries after his finger came into the rotating shaft on a conveyor.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 18 March 2024

Britain: Recycling firm fined £200,000 after worker ’s arm severed
An Essex scrap metal recycling company, F.J. Church and Sons Ltd, has been fined £200,000 after 34 year old employee, Elena Troi, lost her arm when it became caught in a catalytic converter sampling machine whilst clearing a blockage.
HSE news release
Hazards news, 6 March 2024

Britain: Fruit firm fined after fatal fall of family man
Fruit and vegetable producer M.A.Forshaw Limited was fined £320,000 with £4,574 after Frank Schlachter's fatal fall from a skip at their Burscough site on January 3, 2020. 64 year old Schlachter, a much loved family man, suffered fatal head injuries. The firm neglected to secure equipment properly and failed to assess risks pleading guilty to breaching safety regulations.
HSE news
Hazards news, 7 February 2024

Britain: Worktop firm fined for repeated safety failings
Stockport's Granite & Marble Shop Ltd has been fined £26,000 following a guilty plea at Manchester Magistrate's Court on 31 Janury 2024 admitting endangering workers repeatedly The company neglected Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warnings. Machinery at their Roland Road site in Reddish, lacked safety guards and despite enforcement actions in 2019 remained inadequate on reinspection in 2021. HSE said Granite & Marble Shop had failed to properly manage, supervise, and monitor the control measures that had been put in place,
HSE news.
Hazards news, 7 February 2024

Britain: Worktop firm fined for repeated safety failings
Stockport's Granite & Marble Shop Ltd has been fined £26,000 for endangering workers repeatedly following a guilty plea at Manchester Magistrate's Court on 31 Janury 2024. The company neglected Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warnings. Machinery at their Roland Road site in Reddish, lacked safety guards and despite enforcement actions in 2019 remained inadequate on reinspection in 2021. HSE said Granite & Marble Shop had failed to properly manage, supervise, and monitor the control measures that had been put in place,
HSE news.
Hazards news, 7 February 2024

India: Seven dead, 75 injured in firework factory explosion
At least seven people died and 75 were injured in a giant explosion at a firework factory in India, reports AFP. Video images on Indian broadcasters showed a tower of flame reaching high into the sky after the explosion at the firecracker plant, with hospital officials reporting seven dead, dozens of ambulances sent and army helicopters called in to evacuate the wounded.
The Peninsula.
Hazards news, 6 February 2024

Britain: Driver death leads to call for new laws on transport worker violence
Unite has urged for new laws to be introduced to protect transport workers after 58 year old bus driver Keith Rollinson, died folowing an aassault in Elgin, Scotland.
Morning Star.
Hazards news, 6 February 2024

Britain: Six figure fine for construction company following site death HACS Construction Ltd has been fined following an incident at their Ripley site on January 13, 2021, where emplyee Dean Myers, 56, was fatally struck by a 16-ton excavator bucket. He was pronounced dead at the scene having suffered catastrophic injuries to his face and head. An HSE inquiry found the company failed to implement a safe saystem of work. HACS Construction Ltd admitted guilt and was fined £330,500 plus £9,141.80 in costs by Leeds Magistrates’ Court. HSE news. Yorkshire Post.
Hazards news, 6 February 2024

Britain: Company fined after young worker dies
George Setchfield died at Electrostatic Magic Limited's Peterborough site following exposure to dichloromethane and hydrofluoric acid. An HSE probe revealed the company's negligence in controlling exposure to hazardous substances. Electrostatic Magic Limited admitted breaching safety regulations and was fined £67,000 plus £7,231 in costs by Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on January 19, 2024. Health and safety matters.
Hazards news, 6 February 2024

Britain: Grenfell Tower firefighters win £20m damages
Firefighters who tackled the Grenfell Tower fire have secured compensation in an out-of-court-settlement from construction companies, the council block landlord, and the London fire commissioner. Payouts to 114 firefighters ranged from £10,000 to £1.1m. Some firefighters have been unable to return to work due to the trauma. Claims were filed for personal injury and loss, alleging negligence during the 14 June 2017 blaze.
The Guardian,
Hazards news, 1 February 2024

Recycling company fined after worker killed by loading shovel
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports that a recycling company has been fined £2.15 million after an agency worker was killed by a loading shovel at its site in Hartlepool. Dean Atkinson lost his life when he was struck and run over by the vehicle at Ward Recycling Limited’s premises on Windermere Road, Longhill Industrial Estate in January 2020. HSE said Mr Atkinson’s death could have been prevented had Ward Recycling implemented an alternative traffic route for pedestrians at its site on Windermere Road. The company was fined £1.75m for corporate manslaughter and £400,000 for breaching health and safety regulations at Middlesbrough Crown Court on 26 January 2024. Judge Paul Watson, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, said: “The absence of even the most basic precautions against this sort of accident is truly staggering.”
HSE news. Hartlepool Mail.
Hazards news, 26 January 2024

Mali: Gold mine collapse kills over seventy
A gold mine tunnel collapse in Mali has resultedthe loss of 73 lives, according to officials. The incident occurred in the south-western Koulikoro region.
BBC News online.
Hazards news, 25 January 2024

Mongolia: Three firefighters among six killed in gas truck explosion
A truck carrying 60 tons of liquefied natural gas exploded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, claiming six lives, including three firefighters from the 63rd Fire Fighting and Rescue Unit. The incident near Dunjingarav market also left 11 people injured. Over 600 firefighters and 100 vehicles fought the fire that engulfed nearby structures, including a residential building and numerous cars.
The Straits Times.
Hazards news, 24 January 2024

Britain: Director escapes jail after scaffolder suffers electric shock
Canterbury City Scaffolding Ltd has been fined and its director given a suspended prison sentence after scaffolder Steven Gilmore, 36, suffered an 11,000-volt electric shock. The company was fined £50,000 and director Ian Pepper was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to undertake 200 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 15 January 2024

Britain: Life changing symptoms after hospital blunder
Three hospital staff experienced life-changing health issues after exposure to toxic ionised hydrogen peroxide vapour, released by Bio Decontamination during a deep cleaning process. The chemical, which can cause severe harm, was used in a ward that was not properly sealed off or monitored, leading to the staff’s exposure. They now suffer from persistent medical conditions affecting their daily lives. The company, found guilty of failing to ensure proper safety measures and risk assessment, was fined £16,775 and ordered to pay £27,228 in prosecution costs.
HSE news
Hazards news, 12 Janury 2024

Britain: Garden landscaper sentenced after worker dies
Watford-based gardener Fernando Araujo received a suspended six-month prison sentence following a fatal workplace incident. A 31 year old laborer, employed by Arauko for just two days, died after the circular saw he was using kicked back into his groin causing a fatal laceration when cutting a railway sleeper on August 11, 2021. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that Araujo failed to ensure the safe use of equipment, fitting a toothed circular saw blade onto an angle grinder. The guard had been removed, and the sleeper was unsecured. Araujo pleaded guilty and was given a suspended six month prision sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work, and £3,467.72 in costs.
HSE news
Hazards news, 9 January 2024

Britain: NHS trust fined after employee found unconscious in manhole
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust received a £480,000 fine following an incident where an employee sustained a brain injury. Found unconscious in a manhole while clearing a drain at the hospital on February 1, 2022, the worker was rescued by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and treated for acute sulphate intoxication. This led to a traumatic brain injury, causing ongoing memory loss and nerve damage.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 9 January 2024

Britain: Fines for two firms after worker fatally struck at bus depot
Arriva and cleaning firm Cordant Cleaning Limited have both been fined at St Albans Magistrates’ Court after 25 year old Albin Trstena died when he was struck by a reversing bus at Arriva's Hemel Hempstead depot. The Health and Safety Executive found both Arriva and Cordant Cleaning Limited had failed to implement adequate safety measures leading to the tragedy. Arriva was fined £32,000, while Cordant Cleaning Limited, now C.L.C Realisations Limited, received a £1,000 fine.
HSE news release,
Hazards news, 8 January 2024

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