HSE | A manufacturing company has been fined £20,000 after a worker lost part of his finger in machinery at its site in St Helens.

The man was injured at Film and Foil Solutions Ltd, which makes flexible film used in the food industry, on 4 December 2023. He was using a machine that converts and folds plastic film at the company’s site on Haydock Industrial Estate. He tried to stop the material becoming tangled by using his hand to stop the poorly guarded rotating shaft. However, in doing so, his right index finger made contact with a rotating part of the machine and became entangled.

He was taken to hospital and due to the seriousness of the injuries, surgery was carried out the following day to amputate part of the finger on his dominant right hand.

An investigation by the HSE found that Film and Foil Solutions Ltd failed to protect its employees, including ensuring the machinery being used to produce it had suitable guarding. The company had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, resulting in a failure to provide suitable guarding arrangements on the machine and had failed to put in place an adequate safe system of work. It also revealed inconsistencies and inadequacies in the provision of information, instruction and training for those required to use the machine.

In a statement provided to HSE, the employee, who doesn’t wish to be named, described the impact of the injuries.

He said: “I was unable to carry out normal daily tasks such as tying my shoelaces. My right hand is my dominant hand and I find it extremely difficult to write with that hand now. I am now self-conscious when I go outside.

“My family have also been affected by the injury as I am unable to do normal things I used to be able to do before. As a result of the injury I feel my job prospects have been affected, both now and in the future.”

Film and Foil Solutions Ltd, of North Florida Road, Haydock Industrial Estate, Haydock, St. Helens, Merseyside, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £2,932 in costs.

HSE inspector Sam Eves said “This incident could so easily have been avoided had the company taken simple steps to guard dangerous parts of machinery and implement safe working practices.

“Companies and individuals should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Matthew Reynolds and supported by Paralegal Officer Imogen Isaac.

Security Industry Authority | A Birmingham man has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £612 after pleading guilty to knowingly making false statements to the Security Industry Authority (SIA).

Ahroon Alam submitted a fabricated character reference from a Birmingham food bank as part of his appeal against the SIA’s decision to refuse his door-supervisor licence application due to his past criminality.

The SIA investigated and found multiple senior staff at the food bank confirmed they did not know Mr Alam and had not provided him with a reference.

Mr Alam appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. The court fined him £80 and ordered him to pay a £32 victim surcharge and £500 prosecution costs.

Environment Agency | A Birmingham director and his company have been ordered to pay a Proceeds of Crime order, fines and costs totalling £476,995 for breaches of the Fraud Act 2006.

An Environment Agency audit found EDU Case Ltd was entering false waste-export data into the National Packaging Waste Database. Director Shaobo Qin pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court, receiving a two-year sentence (suspended for 18 months), disqualification, unpaid work and a £255,057 confiscation order.

The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £21,995 in investigation costs. The false entries represented nearly two-thirds of its 2022 exports.

In September 2023 a notice required Qin to hand over his “evidence” stick and explain a 1,239 t claim that was only 453.6 t genuine. The judge noted the offending was deliberate but accepted the early plea and repayment funds.

HSE | A car dealership franchise in Devon and Cornwall has been fined over £200,000 after two workers were diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome.

The two employees were diagnosed in November 2022 following prolonged vibration exposure at Rowes Garage Ltd’s bodyshop in Truro. They regularly used tools such as sanders and reciprocating saws and reported blanching and numbness, especially in cold weather.

HSE found the company had no adequate arrangements to assess or monitor vibration exposure, lacked suitable risk assessments, failed to inform or train employees, and did not act on reported symptoms. Rowes Garage Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £204,000 plus £8,099 costs.

HSE inspector Emma O’Hara said these failings fell below expected standards and highlighted the serious and disabling nature of HAVS.

BBC News | A fine of £1.42 million has been imposed on Anglian Water after flakes and powder entered people’s drinking water.

About 1.3 million people in the East of England were affected by contamination between June and December 2021. Anglian Water admitted five offences under the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 and was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate found the company had poor supply-chain oversight and lacked staff training, repeatedly using unapproved plastic coatings in tanks that later disintegrated into the water supply. All issues have since been rectified.

Inspector Marcus Rink said public health and drinking water quality must be the highest priority, and the record fine sends a clear signal that such behaviour is unacceptable.

An Anglian Water spokeswoman apologised and confirmed significant investments have been made to prevent recurrence.

HSE | British Airways has been fined over £3 million after two employees fell from height and sustained serious injuries.

On 25 August 2022 at Heathrow Terminal 5, a 54-year-old employee slipped off a televator and fell 1.5 m due to gaps between guardrails and the aircraft fuselage, suffering back and head injuries including a fractured vertebra.

On 8 March 2023, a 43-year-old employee fell 3 m from an elevator platform, sustaining head injuries including a fractured jaw and brain bleed.

HSE found inadequate guardrails and platform placement in both incidents. British Airways pleaded guilty under Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £1.33 million (2022 incident) and £1.875 million (2023 incident), plus £20,935 costs.

HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz said these foreseeable risks could have been mitigated by adequate guardrails and that British Airways needed to do more to protect its staff. The prosecution was supported by paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.

HSE | A cladding company and its director have been fined following the death of a worker who fell through a fragile roof while replacing panels.

On 24 January 2018 at Gaerwen Industrial Estate, Anglesey, a 61-year-old Camclad Contractors Limited employee fell through a fragile roof after working without a site visit or proper planning.

HSE found the work was planned from photographs only, preventing the hired cherry picker from reaching all areas and forcing workers onto unsafe boards. Camclad pleaded guilty to Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £225,000 plus £10,000 costs. Director Dominic Lakeman-Pettit pleaded guilty to a Health and Safety at Work etc. Act offence and received a suspended prison sentence, unpaid work and £1,000 costs.

HSE principal inspector Damian Corbett said proper planning and safe systems of work are essential to prevent such risks.

HSE | A North Yorkshire company has been fined more than half a million pounds after a night shift worker fell to his death.

Mark Pinder, 51, was working for East Riding Sacks Ltd at its Stamford Bridge site on 11 February 2023 when a blockage-removal procedure caused part of the machine to activate, sending him three metres to the factory floor, where he died.

The HSE found the company failed to provide a robust safe system of work, neglected isolation and training procedures for blockage removal, and allowed workers to shortcut across the conveyor rather than using the stairs.

East Riding Sacks Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £533,000 plus £6,066 costs.

Inspector Elliot Archer said falls from height and unguarded machinery access are preventable with proper isolation procedures and safe systems of work, and that this incident could have been avoided.

Cornwall Council | A self-catering holiday let business has been ordered to pay £33,658 in fines and court costs after fire-safety breaches.

In October 2023, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service found multiple fire-safety failures at Premier Apartments Flats 1–4 in St Ives, including inadequate risk assessments and detection.

  • Failure to make suitable and sufficient risk assessments.
  • Failure to implement general fire precautions.
  • Failure to provide adequate fire detection and warning.
  • Failure to ensure rapid, safe evacuation in danger.

District Judge Jo Matson said fire safety is critical, especially for holidaymakers who must be protected.

The company spent around £25,000 addressing the issues and was sentenced to pay a £22,660 fine, a £2,000 victim surcharge and £8,998 costs within 28 days.

Chief Fire Officer Kathryn Billing said the case reminds duty-holders that HSE will seek the highest sanctions for significant fire-safety failures.

HSE | A Gloucestershire farmer has been fined after the shepherdess he employed was killed in a quad bike crash.

On 2 June 2023, Laura Simmons, 22, was found fatality injured after her overloaded quad bike overturned at Charlton Abbots farm. The HSE found the ATV had uneven tyre pressure, lack of baffles in the spray tank, an unstable load and no pre-use checks or training.

Prosecutor found Toby Baxter failed to provide suitable equipment, ensure pre-use checks, implement a filling system, train employees or assess risks. Baxter pleaded guilty to breaches of regulations 2(1) & 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £6,161.72 costs.

Inspector Emily O’Neill said the incident was avoidable with proper controls and this prosecution highlights ongoing agricultural safety concerns.

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