A construction company has been fined following the death of a worker who drowned in the River Aire.

Gary Webster lost his life after their debris-removal boat capsized at Knostrop Weir on 30 October 2017. The weir gates were not controlled, leaving the boat in turbulent water. Webster was recovered 14 minutes later and died in hospital on 1 November 2017.

HSE found BAM Nuttall Ltd failed to plan the work, assess risks, or use trained operatives to control weir gates, which would have slowed the water flow and prevented the accident.

BAM Nuttall Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £2.345 million and ordered to pay £25,770.48 in costs.

Inspector Jayne Towey said the tragedy could have been avoided with proper risk assessment and safe working practices.

The long-term health of workers at a wood waste recycling centre was put in danger by excessive dust exposure, HSE found.

Esken Renewables Ltd processed mixed wood waste into biofuel in Middlesbrough. Wood dust can cause asthma and nasal cancer; softwood is an asthmagen, hardwood a carcinogen.

An HSE inspection in April 2022 followed reports of dust spreading to surrounding areas. The company failed to minimise wood dust emissions through enclosure, local exhaust ventilation, or vacuum cleaning, putting employees at risk.

Esken Renewables pleaded guilty to breaching COSHH Regulations by failing to control exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and was fined £160,000 with £5,310.35 in costs on 23 May 2024.

A North Yorkshire man has received a suspended prison sentence for illegally depositing waste on the River Swale flood plain.

In 2017–2018, Phillip Taylor transported over 2,400 tonnes of excavation waste to the Catterick Complex without authorization, forming unauthorised flood defences for fishing lakes.

The downstream village of Catterick had benefited from a £6 million flood alleviation scheme. The EA regulates works near main rivers to prevent increased flood risk and habitat damage.

Taylor pleaded guilty to illegal waste activity and flood-risk works. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison (suspended for 12 months), ordered to remove the waste, pay £9,500 in costs, and a £115 victim surcharge. He had refused EA removal orders. The haulier was previously required to donate £30,000 under an Enforcement Undertaking.

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