Latest news and prosecutions

This ebulletin contains a selection of HSE’s latest prosecution notices:

Company fined after repeated wood dust failures
The £4,000 fine was issued after a company failed to protect its workers from exposure to wood dust

£60,000 fine issued after worker falls from church steeple
An investigation found safety failings which resulted in a worker falling to their death

Company fined after worker left with serious injuries
The fine was issued after a workers legs were crushed by an 800kg pallet

Child crushed by car at MOT testing centre
A £10,000 fine has been issued after a child was seriously injured by a moving car

Company fined after worker loses fingers
The worker was operating a panel saw when his hand made contact with the blade, severing 3 of his fingers

Stone company fined £20,000 after repeatedly failing to protect workers
An investigation revealed the company failed to protect workers from exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica

Call for Safety Focus as Solar Panel Fire Numbers Increase

A renewed emphasis on installation quality, regular maintenance and system inspections is being called for as the number of solar panel fire incidents continues to climb alongside the rapid expansion of renewable energy technology. Fire and safety specialists say that while solar power remains a safe and effective energy source, poorly installed equipment, faulty components

Safety notice: GEC VMX High Voltage Switchgear

HSE has published a safety notice following the failure of a GEC VMX high voltage vacuum circuit breaker, which resulted in electrical arcing and fire within a substation. HSE’s investigation identified partial discharge activity as the most likely cause, with previous warning signs having been detected but not acted upon. The notice applies to GEC

Company and director prosecuted after worker injury

A company and its director have been prosecuted after a worker suffered life-changing injuries during the dismantling of a steel frame structure in Surrey. The incident occurred when a steel beam weighing more than 100kg fell after a ratchet strap, not designed for lifting operations, failed. [press.hse.gov.uk], [hse-network.com] The worker sustained multiple fractures to the

Network Rail fined £1.2m over wall collapse

Network Rail has been fined £1.2 million after a boundary wall at Rugby railway station collapsed and seriously injured 81-year-old Edward Hanlon in September 2022. Investigators found the wall had been omitted from inspection records after boundary changes were incorrectly documented, meaning its deteriorating condition went unnoticed. [orr.gov.uk], [yahoo.com] The incident left Mr Hanlon with