HSE | A South Yorkshire wire company has been sentenced following serious health and safety breaches that resulted in the death of one of its workers.

David Lockwood, 45, sustained fatal injuries at Stanley Wire Limited’s site on Talbot Road in Penistone on 18 November 2021.

Mr Lockwood died after becoming entangled in an unguarded wire drawing and recoiling machine. The machine, known as a ‘Gravity Block’, had exposed moving parts which the worker was able to access.

The HSE’s investigation found that the company had failed to take effective measures to prevent employees from accessing dangerous moving parts of the wire drawing machine. The investigation identified that the company should have carried out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for the machine, and subsequently developed a safe system of work and clearly communicated this to its workforce.

HSE also found that fixed closed guards, interlocks or pressure mats should have been installed to prevent operatives from entering the Gravity Block while it was rotating. The HSE advise that the company could have appointed a designated competent person on site and provided formal training to operatives, rather than relying on verbal instruction. Recognised industry-standard safety measures could and should have been implemented on a number of machines, instead of allowing substandard conditions to persist over a prolonged period.

Stanley Wire Limited, of Stanley Mills, Talbot Road, Penistone, South Yorkshire, pled guilty at an early hearing of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay £6,652 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Charlotte Bligh said: “Following the incident, eight Prohibition Notices were served on the company. The remedial action taken demonstrated that appropriate measures, such as effective guarding, were readily available and could have been put in place had the risks associated with the activity been properly considered.

“Companies are reminded that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required health and safety standards.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer, Matthew Reynolds and paralegal officer, Benjamin Stobbart.

HSE | A builder who threatened inspectors from Britain’s workplace regulator and told them his name was James Bond has been fined.

David Robert Lane, 59, was the site manager of an extensive cottage refurbishment in Staffordshire when unsafe work caught the attention of two inspectors from the HSE. The pair had been carrying out routine inspections in the Rugeley area on 11 February 2025 when they saw two people on the site accessing a roof from the bucket of an excavator.

Clearly identifying the practice to be unsafe, the inspectors decided they had to stop and take action.

There were around ten workers on the site and when the inspectors approached, Lane, who would later be identified as the site manager, came over to intervene. He refused to identify himself, except as James Bond, and rebuffed their attempts to inspect the site. He went on to tell the inspectors he was in fact the property owner, that the men on site were unpaid friends and relatives, and that they had no legal right to inspect. He followed that up with threats of violence, at which point the inspectors withdrew.

The two inspectors returned to the site a week later, accompanied by officers from Staffordshire Police. Site manager Lane greeted them with a shout of “It’s PC Plod!” while still refusing to identify himself. He maintained that he was the owner, told all his staff not to speak to the HSE, except to confirm that they were his relatives and not at work, and told the inspectors once again that they had no right to inspect and to leave the site.

After making several enquiries, the inspectors were able to identify Lane as the site manager – this resulted in him being served with enforcement action.

Upon receiving notification that he was to be prosecuted for the offence of obstruction, under two counts of section 33(1)(h) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, he responded with three expletive laden emails, and said: “I won’t jump through your hoops”.

The HSE defines work-related violence as ‘any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work’. This can include verbal abuse or threats, including face to face, online and via telephone and physical attacks. It can include violence from members of the public, customers, clients, patients, service users and students towards a person at work.

David Robert Lane, of Talbot Street, Rugeley, Staffordshire, failed to attend Birmingham Magistrates Court on two occasions, and on the latter was found guilty after being tried in his absence on 9 January. He was fined £3,000, ordered to pay full costs of £6,450 and must pay a victim surcharge of £1,200.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Gareth Langston said: “This case highlights the difficulties we face in trying to improve the health and safety of workers across Great Britain.”

“HSE inspectors have an important job to do, in safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of people at work. This includes investigating incidents and securing justice for innocent workers and the families that are tragically left behind.”

“We conduct more than 13,000 inspections every year and it is through this proactive engagement that we are able to advise employers on how they can improve their ways of working, we only take enforcement action when the circumstances require it.”

“We accept that not all employers will be pleased to see us, but the vast majority are professional and accept us with good grace.”

“HSE will not tolerate the obstruction of its inspectors, and may prosecute offenders in rare cases such as this, where this is necessary.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Hannah Snelling.

HSE | Derbyshire Police has been fined £60,000 after several of its officers were injured when a riot training exercise went wrong.

Four serving police officers suffered burns after petrol bombs were thrown at them during the simulated exercise at a training facility in Rotherham on 2 February 2021.

The HSE’s investigation into the incident found that the officers had been exposed to significant and avoidable risks during the exercise.

Officers wearing flame-retardant personal protective equipment (PPE) had been required to face petrol bombs thrown by other officers as part of a training drill intended to replicate a public disorder situation. 

However, it resulted in four of the 13 officers taking part sustaining burns to their lower bodies, three of whom required hospital treatment. All four have since returned to work, but the incident resulted in permanent scarring, and psychological harm, which will have a lasting effect.

The HSE investigation found that Derbyshire Constabulary had failed to properly plan and risk assess the exercise. It found failures to:

  • Give officers adequate information on the lifespan, care, and inspection of the flame retardant PPE to ensure it provided adequate protection.
  • Carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for both the production and deployment of petrol bombs during the training.
  • Implement safe systems of work to control the foreseeable risks created in the course of petrol reception training.

Derbyshire Constabulary of Butterley Hall, Ripley, Derby, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £9,470 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Jennifer Elsegood, said: “Being a serving police officer is a job that carries with it levels of risk, however while preparing officers for dangerous situations is important, it must never come at the expense of their safety.

“High‑risk training activities must be planned and controlled with the same care and professionalism expected in any other workplace. The risks created by the training should have been identified as part of the Constabulary’s risk assessments and appropriately controlled.

“We hope this case reinforces the importance of thorough risk assessment, robust equipment assurance, and safeguarding those who put themselves forward to protect the public.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by senior enforcement lawyer Robert James and paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.

London Borough of Harrow | A landlord has been prosecuted and issued with a £9,000 penalty for repeatedly ignoring council notices and failing to provide essential information about his property which was a suspected unlicensed House of Multiple Occupancy. The property had multiple fire hazards.

Officers visited the four-bedroom property in Edgware after repeated complaints of rubbish piling up outside. Inside they found dangerous living conditions – including a broken boiler and no smoke alarms. An emergency engineer was called out after a strong smell of gas was detected. Officers immediately issued an Emergency Prohibition Order to stop anyone living in the property until urgent repairs were made.

Despite several formal requests, the landlord, Kamil Trivedi, failed to provide the required fire and electrical safety certificates. These documents are vital for the council to identify who is managing the property and ensuring tenants are protected.

The London Borough of Harrow successfully prosecuted Mr Trivedi. He was found guilty of two offences: failing to provide a fire safety certificate and failing to provide the electrical safety certificate.

Cllr Pritesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Cleaner Streets and Public Safety said: “Our officers work tirelessly to protect tenants and ensure landlords know their responsibilities. When they issue notices, they must be taken seriously. This case shows the consequences of ignoring warnings and allowing a property to fall into a dangerous state.

“Our officers acted swiftly to shut the property down and prosecute Mr Trivedi. No one is above the law. We will continue to put residents first and take tough action against anyone who puts them at risk.”

Trivedi was fined £5,000, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 and ordered to pay a costs contribution of £2,000.

Environment Agency | A company has made a financial contribution of over £1 million to come into compliance and to deal with the effects of a pollution incident in 2018.

An investigation by the Environment Agency has ended in Mettis Aerospace Limited of Redditch, making the payment under an Enforcement Undertaking (EU).

An EU is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending.

Mettis Aerospace Limited accepted that discharges from their metals installation, a site permitted by the Environment Agency, had caused a fish-kill incident.

The discharges, from the site’s surface water drainage system, arose from the uncontrolled overfilling of a process tank on the site and inadequate containment measures.

This meant a solution of caustic and sodium aluminate was able to leak into an unprotected surface water drain and into an adjacent watercourse. Approximately 1,000 fish were killed.

As an alternative to prosecution for the offence, Mettis offered an EU including spending some £504,240 on site infrastructure improvements.

Details of the EU include:

  • Donations to environmental enhancement projects in Redditch and the Black Country totalling £379,500.
  • Initial pollution clean-up costs of £111,268.
  • Payment of the Environment Agency’s initial investigation costs of £9,324.
  • Site infrastructure improvements, training and management systems development, and certification costs of £504,240.
  • Loss of amenity compensation payments to local charities £7,000.
  • Payment of Environment Agency’s costs for assessing compliance with the EU £13,026.

HSE | An unregistered gas fitter has been sentenced after carrying out illegal gas work at a house in Torquay that left the property in an immediately dangerous condition.

Exeter Court heard that Benjamin Owen, known as Ben, trading as BPS and ‘Ben the Plumber’, attended a property on Barton Hill, Torquay in February 2023 where he removed an old boiler and installed a new one.

Following the installation, the boiler did not work properly. The homeowners arranged for another company to check the installation when Ben Owen was dismissive of their concerns. When this plumber attended, they had serious concerns and called the emergency gas provider, who found a gas leak on the gas supply pipe and classified the situation as ‘immediately dangerous’, capping the gas supply.

Gas Safe Register was called and attended the site, where they found further defects in the gas boiler installation. A third company was employed by the homeowners to rectify the faults. When they started work, they discovered additional faults created by Mr Owen.

The HSE’s investigation found that Ben Owen was not registered with the Gas Safe Register, which is a legal requirement. He had previously been a member of Gas Safe Register, but his registration lapsed in October 2021 when he failed to renew his membership. Since 20 October 2021, he was not registered to undertake any form of gas work.

Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and potentially dangerous, as unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Ben Owen, of Peter Street, St Hellier Jersey pleaded guilty to contravening Sections 3(3), 26(1) and 27(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, ordered to undertake 150 hours unpaid work and to pay costs of £1,000.

After the hearing HSE inspector, Simon Jones, said: “Ben Owen undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do and the work that he undertook was found to be dangerous, putting the lives of the homeowners and their four young children at risk.

“All gas work must be conducted by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life.

“We advise all householders to check that anyone they allow to work on their gas supply is Gas Safe registered. This can be done at the Gas Safe Register website.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Daniel Poole and Paralegal Michael Millman.

HSE | A construction company director and his firm have been fined after failing to comply with multiple enforcement notices and for failing to suitably plan, manage and monitor construction work.

Vasilis Paraskeva and his London-based company, VNP Constructions Limited, were the appointed contractor for the conversion of a former public house and adjoining building into residential flats on White Lion Street, London.

During a proactive visit to the site on 1 September 2022, HSE inspectors identified several issues including work at height risks and concerns about the competence of site management. Prohibition and Improvement notices were served.

Further visits over the following 12 months identified additional breaches, demonstrating a continued failure to suitably plan, manage and monitor the work. Additional Prohibition and Improvement notices were served.

An investigation by the HSE found that Vasilis Paraskeva and VNP Constructions Limited failed to comply with the requirements of multiple enforcement notices and failed to ensure work was carried out safely.

The company, VNP Constructions Limited, of Kings Avenue, Winchmore Hill, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and to two counts of failing to comply with a Prohibition Notice contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1971.

The company was fined £7,200 and ordered to pay £900 in costs.

The Director, Vasilis Paraskeva, of Kings Avenue, Winchmore Hill, London, pleaded guilty to three offences on the basis that the company had committed the above three offences and those offences were committed with his consent or connivance or was attributable to his neglect by virtue of S37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

He was fined £10,800 and ordered to pay £900 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew Pipe said: “These fines should send a clear message to the construction industry that HSE and the courts take failure to comply with enforcement notices extremely seriously.

“HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies and individuals who fail to keep people safe.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Matthew Reynolds and Paralegal Officer Melissa Wardle.

HSE | A Cumbria-based producer of cellulose film packaging has been fined £200,000 after workers were exposed to harmful hydrogen sulphide gas.

On 24 December 2021, Futamura Chemical UK Ltd employee, Alexander Cole (known as Alec), was found collapsed in a pump room after exposure to gas at the company’s factory premises in Wigton, Cumbria. Delivery driver, Robert Dyer, attempted to assist Mr Cole but was also overcome by the gas. Both men were rescued from the area and Mr Dyer quickly regained consciousness. Tragically, Mr Cole died in hospital the following day, which was Christmas Day. A subsequent inquest concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, hydrogen sulphide had contributed to Mr Cole’s death.

The HSE’s investigation found that Futamura Chemical (UK) Ltd failed to adequately risk assess its production process, as it did not identify that hydrogen sulphide gas, a by-product of the process, was able to enter the site’s water effluent system.

Futamura Chemical UK Ltd had conducted a risk assessment for the presence of hydrogen sulphide in the production area and implemented control measures. However, there was inadequate assessment and associated risk controls relating to the potential for hydrogen sulphide build-up in the site’s drainage system. This meant there was a risk that the gas could be released from the drains, putting people at risk of exposure.

According to the HSE, hydrogen sulphide is a clear gas with the smell of rotten eggs and is known to be harmful to health. Depending on the concentration of the gas and the length of time exposed, symptoms can range from dizziness, loss of consciousness and eye irritation through to death.

Futamura Chemical UK Ltd, of Station Road, Wigton, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs.

After the hearing Inspector, Matthew Shepherd, said: “This tragic case shows the importance of conducting a thorough and robust risk assessment to ensure that all risks are properly identified and managed. Where companies use, or produce within their processes, substances harmful to health, it is vital that they have fully considered and controlled all pathways to exposure. Failure to do so can have terrible consequences.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer, Karen Park and paralegal officer, Benjamin Stobbart.

Edie | New data analysis has found that 74% of businesses have yet to assess climate change risks on their operations.

Researchers noted that the findings indicate a lack of readiness from UK companies in managing increasing climate threats.

The findings, based on a survey of more than 10,000 businesses by the Office for National Statistics, show that fewer than one-in-three businesses express any concern about the impact of climate change on their operations, despite 16% of businesses reporting direct impact by climate change each year, either through flooding, storms or increased heat.

The study found that climate change-related events had already impacted businesses in several ways, including damage to physical infrastructure (20%), employee absence (13%), and local and global supply chain disruption (9% and 5%, respectively).

For those businesses that had assessed their climate change risks, the most common threat was disruption of the supply chain (8%), temperature increase (4%), and increased flooding (4%). However, even in this group, only 15% had taken action to adapt their supply chain to avoid disruption, with 9% and 6% making changes to adapt to increased temperatures and flood risk respectively. Critically, 26% of businesses who assessed at least one risk in their own business had taken no actions to adapt.

The most common actions taken by businesses were monitoring climate risks (5%), implementing a climate change strategy (3%) and setting a net-zero or GHG target (3%).

Edie | The UK Government is providing fresh discounts of up to £120,000 for fleet operators to switch to electric trucks, as part of a new £18 million funding pot.

Fleet operators can access discounts for upfront electric truck purchases via an £18 million fund that increases the Plug-in Truck Grant until March 2026.

The Grant works similarly to the Electric Car Grant, which has saved over 45,000 drivers up to £3,750 when making the switch. For trucks, operators can now access savings of up to £120,000 for purchases. The funding forms part of a £318 million investment plan into green freight.

The government confirmed in August 2025 that grants supporting sole traders and fleet managers to purchase electric vans and trucks would be extended until at least 2027.

The plug-in van and truck grant, which reduces the upfront cost of electric commercial vehicles, currently provides discounts of up to £2,500 for small vans, £5,000 for large vans, £16,000 for small trucks, and £25,000 for large trucks.

Alongside the extension of vehicle grants, the government has committed £30 million for depot-based chargepoint installations, aiming to add more than 3,000 chargers across the UK.

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