Latest news and prosecutions

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

Company fined £120,000 after worker breaks leg from fall
The worker was adjusting a solar panel and fell 4 metres from the roof of a house

School trust fined £300,000 after student death
The fine was issued after HSE’s investigation found ‘serious management failures’ resulted in a students death

Drinks manufacturer fined after worker suffers serious burns
A £500,000 fine was issued after an engineer repairing a defective pump had hot liquid leak onto them, causing serious burns

Engineering company fined after worker death
The company was fined after safety failures resulted in an agency worker being fatally crushed by a skip’s bale arm

Council fined after employees exposed to vibration risks
A council has been fined £60,000 after workers diagnosed with Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome continued to work with vibrating tools

Engineering company issued fine after worker crushed
The £80,000 fine was issued after a worker was killed whilst moving a machine across a workshop floor

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