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.

HSE | A construction company based in the Northwest of England has been fined £60,000 after a wall collapsed, knocking an employee through an open stairwell onto a concrete floor below.

Ace Infra Ltd pleaded guilty after an incident led to employee, Mark Jones, to spend a month in hospital recovering from his injuries.

The court heard how Mr. Jones, a general labourer, was sweeping up dust and debris on the first floor of the building at the end of the working day. Earlier that day, boards had been delivered and laid across a large opening in the floor where a staircase was to be installed. The boards did not cover the entire opening, and no edge protection had been installed around the remaining gap. There was no signage warning of the danger, and Mr. Jones had received no instructions regarding his safety around this area.

While sweeping along the boards, a newly built wall to the left collapsed, knocking him over the unprotected edge onto the concrete floor 2.5 to 3 metres below.

The incident happened on 25 April 2024 at an Ace Infra site at NW Auctions Milnthorpe, Cumbria.

Mr Jones suffered multiple fractures and a dislocated shoulder, spending a month in hospital.

An investigation by the HSE found that the risk of falling through the gap in the floor had not been addressed, as no preventative measures had been taken. Mr Jones had not been made aware of the risks or the safety measures required. No site supervisor or manager was present when the incident occurred.

Ace Infra Ltd, of 31 St James Drive, Burton, Carnforth, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to ensure that suitable and sufficient measures were taken, so far as was reasonably practicable, to prevent any person working at height from falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.

The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £4,799.44 in costs, with a £2,000 victim surcharge at Lancaster Magistrates Court on 23 December.

HSE Inspector, Derek McLauchlan, said: “Everyone working in construction has a responsibility to ensure that people are safe. Any work at height is potentially high-risk and requires proper planning and implementation.

“This incident could have been avoided had appropriate control measures and training been in place. Despite the serious injuries sustained, a fall of this height and nature could have resulted in far worse outcomes. Lessons must be learned from this case.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer, Chloe Ward and Paralegal Officer, Zahra Shafique.

Environment Agency | A Cornwall man who repeatedly ignored warnings about the amount of waste that he illegally stockpiled at his business has been prosecuted by the EA.

Treve Young, 52, operated the illegal site from Lower Spargo Farm, Mabe Burnthouse, to the west of Falmouth in Cornwall. He appeared before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court.

Young pleaded guilty in October 2025 to two offences, one of operating a regulated facility without an environmental permit, in breach of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, and one for failing to provide when demanded copies of all written descriptions of waste, in breach of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

He was sentenced to 22 weeks imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work during that period. He was also ordered to pay a £30,000 fine, prosecution costs of £5739.82, and a victim surcharge of £181.

The Court heard waste was imported to the site without an Environmental Permit and outside the scope of any waste exemption conditions.

The importation of waste continued after advice and guidance had been provided regarding the limitations of a U1 waste exemption, it also exceeded the boundaries of planning permission in place.

A U1 exemption allows a maximum of 1,000 tonnes of soil and stones, and up to 5,000 tonnes of inert material (including bricks, concrete, tiles, and ceramics) for the purpose of construction.

Young admitted in an interview under caution that he deliberately concealed documents from Environment Agency officers to try to cover up the true volume of waste which had been imported and that he had been operating as an unlicensed waste carrier.

The importation of waste to this area by Young from 20 April 2015 and 11 March 2024 was over 27,000 tonnes.

HSE | A 75-year-old man said he feared for his life after being attacked by cows while walking his dog on a public footpath in Cornwall.

Brian Gregory, aged 75, was on a caravanning holiday at Porthcothan in June 2024. On 30 June 2024, Mr Gregory and his labrador, Molly, were walking along the South West Coast Path at Park Head when he was suddenly attacked by a herd of cattle with calves.

He let go of Molly’s lead and the cattle chased after his dog away from him, but not in time to prevent him being trampled and butted. Mr Gregory was assisted by passing walkers and made it back to his caravan with Molly. When his partner saw his injuries, she immediately called an ambulance and he spent five days in hospital.

He suffered multiple serious injuries including a severed artery, horn marks and gashes down to the bone, and required surgery.

The farmer responsible for the cattle, Beverley Chapman of Tembleath Farm, St Columb Major, was told about the cattle attack on the same day. However, rather than removing the cattle and calves from the South West Coast Path, she added more cattle and calves to the herd to increase its size. Some of the calves were as young as 42 days old.

A month later, two local residents were walking their dogs along the South West Coast Path in the same area of Park Head when they were also attacked by the same herd of cattle and calves. They only escaped serious injury by sheltering in an area of gorse bushes by the cliff edge, but one of their dogs was seriously injured and required surgery.

Beverley Chapman was informed about the incident however only removed the cattle from the South West Coast Path four days later, when instructed to do so by a Cornwall Council public rights of way officer.

The HSE investigation found that cattle with young calves, which are known to be protective and unpredictable, were being kept in a field with a public right of way across it. This can pose a significant risk to walkers, particularly those with dogs. Mrs Chapman had other enclosed fields available which did not contain public rights of way and could have been used to house the cattle and calves.

Beverley Chapman of Tembleath Farm, St Columb Major, Cornwall, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. She was fined £5,260 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £4,650 and a court surcharge of £2,000.

After the hearing HSE inspector, Simon Jones, said: “Cattle are extremely protective of their calves and even calm cattle can become aggressive if they think their calves may be threatened.

“Given the nature of the cattle attack, it is fortunate that the injuries sustained by Mr Gregory weren’t fatal. On this occasion, Mr Gregory took all the right precautions while out walking.

“Despite being made aware of attacks on walkers on two separate occasions, Mrs Chapman failed to take action to remove the cattle or control risks by separating them from walkers on the South West Coast Path. It was only when officially instructed by a public rights of way officer from the local council that she took action.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer, Rebecca Schwartz and Paralegal, Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

HSE | An unregistered gas installer and his father have been sentenced after carrying out illegal gas work at two houses in Cheshire.

An investigation by the HSE found that Scott Lodge, 37, carried out new boiler installations at two addresses in Northwich in April 2022 and December 2022 – doing so while not being registered with Gas Safe Register.

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.

On one of those occasions, his father Brian, 67, who is a registered gas engineer, signed off the work and commissioned the boiler on his son’s behalf. He did this without attending the property to check the boiler for safety.

When one of the homeowners complained to the Gas Safe Register an inspection was carried out by a qualified engineer. That inspection identified defects resulting in the boiler being classed as at risk and a danger. This included a lack of support for the chimney and flue system, which carried the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Scott Lodge, of Adlington Drive, Northwich, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a 12-month community order and complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also told to pay £2,500 in costs, and £1,460 to one of the affected homeowners, which covered the cost of the work.

Brian Lodge, of Merriman Avenue, Knutsford, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was given the same sentence as his son and ordered to pay the same in costs at the same hearing.

Following the hearing HSE Inspector, Ian Betley, said: “This was a deliberate breach of gas safety legislation by Scott Lodge who undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do.

“His failures could have led to catastrophic and tragic consequences for the homeowners. To make matters worse, Brian Lodge knowingly signed off the work as safe, despite not examining or testing it.

“All gas work must be undertaken by Gas Safe registered engineers. The public should always ask to see the gas engineer’s identification and check the registration number online to ensure it is valid. Furthermore, registered gas engineers must not circumvent the legislative requirements by signing off unregistered work as their own.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyers, Sam Crockett and Karen Park, and paralegal officer, Stephen Grabe.

HSE | A Cheshire property developer has been fined £45,000 after the HSE found multiple failures at a construction site in Manchester.

Numerous health and safety failings were found during a site inspection at a home build project being undertaken by Stockport Development Limited on Kingsley Road, Manchester, in November 2023. The HSE’s investigation found missing edge protection on first floor landings, missing and damaged security fencing, a lack of fire alarms and extinguishers, heavily obstructed walkways, and inadequate welfare provision for workers.

This resulted in four Improvement Notices being served, requiring the company to take action to comply with the law and protect its workers and members of the public.

When it was established that there had been four previous visits to the company’s construction sites between February 2021 and March 2023, all of which resulting in enforcement action being taken in relation to poor health and safety standards, an investigation was launched by the HSE.

This established that the company had repeatedly failed to fulfil its principal contractor duties and had failed to take heed of previous warnings and advice given by HSE inspectors.

Stockport Development Limited, of Bird Hall Lane, Stockport, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to a breach of regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was ordered to pay a fine of £45,000 plus a surcharge of £18,000 and costs of £6,297.

HSE Inspector, Claire Whitehurst, said: “This company showed a total disregard for keeping its workers and members of the public safe by failing to meet the most basic health and safety standards.

“Principal contractors have a responsibility to ensure they identify and manage risks involved in construction work, and to put safe systems in place to protect all who may be affected by their undertaking.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action, including prosecution, against those that fall below the required standards, even where no incident has occurred.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and supported by HSE paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart.

HSE | A large wood manufacturer in Shropshire has been fined £160,000 after an employee sustained life-changing injuries when working at their Ellesmere premises.

Robert Stubbs, 37, sustained life-changing injuries when clearing a jammed log on a machine in May 2021. Mr Stubbs climbed onto a stationary conveyor bed and used a metal pole to move a log. The conveyor started to move unexpectedly, dragging his legs across the moving chains and trapping them against a stop plate. Subsequently Mr Stubbs had his right leg amputated below the knee and sustained significant injuries to his left leg. 

The HSE found that E.T.C. Sawmills Limited failed to: 

  • Adequately assess the risks and devise and implement effective measures to prevent access to the dangerous moving parts of the Quad Saw machine or to stop the movement of the dangerous parts before people entered the danger zones.
  • Provide employees with safe systems of work or suitable and sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to enable safe operation of the machine. 

E.T.C. Sawmills Limited, 281 Penarth Road, Cardiff, CF11 8YF, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £160,000 with costs of £7,395.51. 

HSE Inspector Keeley Eves said: “E.T.C Sawmills is one of the largest manufacturers of softwoods for the fencing and pallet industries in England. 

“The life-changing injuries sustained by Mr Stubbs could easily have been prevented if the company had acted to identify and manage the risks involved, put a safe system of work in place and ensured that employees were appropriately trained and supervised.” 

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE senior enforcement lawyer, Nathan Cook and paralegal, Sarah Thomas. 

HSE | A construction company has been fined £100,000 after a steel-fixer was seriously injured when a newly built blockwork wall collapsed at a site in Poole.

Matrod Frampton Limited pleaded guilty after the incident left 69-year-old Patrick Grant with life-changing injuries.

The breeze block wall had been back-filled too early, before the mortar had properly set. The wall collapsed while Mr Grant was working nearby, crushing him against the concrete floor of the excavation.

The incident happened on 19 August 2022 at the company’s site on Old Coast Guard’s Road, Poole. Mr Grant and two colleagues had started work at the lower level of the excavation when the wall at the north end gave way at around 8.30am.

Emergency services attended the scene, but there was no emergency rescue plan in place. The use of an unstable ladder to access the deep excavation delayed rescue efforts, and Mr Grant had to be hoisted out by the fire and rescue service before being airlifted to hospital.

The HSE’s investigation found that Matrod Frampton Limited had failed to properly assess a foreseeable risk associated with temporary works on site.

The investigation identified that there was no temporary works design for the blockwork wall, nor for any other temporary work structures at the site. The company had failed to appoint either a temporary works coordinator or a temporary works supervisor, despite this being highlighted as a serious concern in a safety report issued eight days before the incident.

Without a temporary works procedure in place, groundworkers backfilled the wall prematurely, leading directly to its collapse.

Matrod Frampton Limited, of Riverside Park, Wimborne, Dorset, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 13(1) and 19(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £8,242 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.

After the hearing HSE inspector, Alexander Ashen, said: “The correct design and execution of temporary works is an essential element of risk prevention in construction.

“This incident illustrates what can happen when temporary works are not properly organised. Matrod Frampton Limited is an established construction company, and a temporary works procedure should have been implemented as a matter of course.

“The fact that the company’s own health and safety consultants raised this issue eight days before the incident makes this wholly avoidable event all the more tragic.

“HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to properly plan and manage serious risks on construction sites.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyers, Iain Jordan and Rowena Goodwin, and paralegal Officer, Hannah Snelling.

HSE | A Derby-based arboriculture company has been fined £20,000 after an employee suffered life-altering back injuries when he fell over 30 feet from a MEWP basket.

The employee of AP Tree Specialists Ltd had been carrying out tree surgery from the basket of a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) at a mobile site in Derby on 25 January 2024. When the machine stopped working while elevated, there was no one on site who could bring the basket safely to the ground. The employee attempted to abseil from the basket, resulting in a fall to the ground.

The HSE found that AP Tree Specialists Ltd failed to plan, appropriately supervise and carry out work at height in a safe manner. The company had not completed a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for work at height activities, and employees were not appropriately trained in the use of lifting equipment.

The director, Matthew Scholes, was acting as site supervisor at the time and was directly involved in decisions and actions that led to the injuries sustained by the employee.

AP Tree Specialists Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £6,956 in costs.

Director Matthew Scholes pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £400 in costs.

HSE investigating inspector, Kerry Scott, said: “This incident could have been avoided if AP Tree Specialists Ltd had planned the work at height with suitable and sufficient risk assessments and safe systems of work, including a rescue plan. They should have provided the employee with the correct information, instruction and training for working at height and for using the lifting equipment. HSE will not fail to take action where companies and directors do not ensure the health and safety of their employees.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and supported by paralegal officer Thomas Smith.

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