prosecutions

14th April 2023

Concrete manufacturer fined £1 Million

A Nottingham concrete manufacturer has been fined £1m after a worker died after his head was trapped in a grab. An investigation by the Health and Safety executive (HSE) showed that the company did not have a safe system of work for the use of the grab and had not carried out a risk assessment to identify risks for its use. Both the grab and a fork lift truck being used at the time were in poor condition. Neither should have been in service at the time of the incident.

6th April 2023

Three prosecutions of note

A Peterborough fireworks company has been fined £500,000 after a worker was killed in an explosion.  An Investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) determined that the system of work for working with explosive materials was not safe.  The tools he was provided with were unsuitable for handling the explosive materials and the facility in which he was working was not of an appropriate standard. The company also failed to provide him with adequate training and he was not appropriately supervised.

An East Yorkshire garden landscaping supply company has been fined £600,000 after an employee died while loading a lorry.  An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company’s risk assessment failed to take into account the possibility of lorries moving while they are being loaded. HSE also found that the systems of work provided for ensuring that vehicles were not moved during loading activities were inadequate.

An automotive group has been fined £650,000 after a worker fell to his death carrying out an inspection of a hospitality unit used by its racing team.  An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to properly assess the risks and to put measures in place to prevent workers falling from height. Falls from height remain the biggest cause of fatal accidents involving workers. In the five-year period between 2017 and 2022 a quarter of those killed in accidents at work fell to their death.

31st March 2023

Pipeline company fined £2.3 Million

A pipeline transportation company has been fined £2.3million for safety breaches after its employees were exposed to risk of serious injury and even death while working on a leaking pipeline containing petrol under pressure. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that the company failed to properly identify and control the risks associated with carrying out a pipeline repair.