HSE | A Newbury manufacturing company has been fined £187,600 after the shirt of an apprentice got caught in machinery.

Harry Pullen, who was 18 years old at the time, was pulled into a radial-arm drill resulting in three broken ribs and needing skin grafts. He had been working as a machinist for Power and Energy International, manufacturing industrial valves and filters, for less than a year when the incident occurred on 10 July 2023.

The apprentice was still learning how to operate the different machines involved in manufacturing. He was left with a large piece of skin removed from his chest, hospitalised for five days and unable to work for six months.

The HSE’s investigation found that Power and Energy International had failed to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of their employees. The company’s radial-arm drills did not have adequate guarding. Machine operators, including Harry, had not been properly trained on using the safety features. The company was also found to have made modifications to the radial-arm drill.

Power and Energy International Ltd of Stanley Street, Salford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £187,600 and ordered to pay £7,464 in costs.

After the hearing HSE inspector, Peter Crees, said: “The fine imposed on Power and Energy International underlines the importance of having effective controls to protect workers who operate radial-arm drills and other potentially dangerous machines.

“Harry’s injuries and the suffering it caused both him, and his family, could have easily been avoided.”

Harry now has to live with permanent scarring and a loss of feeling on the side of his chest. He said: “I would not go back on a radial arm drill… it’s not something I ever want to do again.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan and paralegal officer Melissa Wardle.

Bath and North East Somerset Council | Bath and North East Somerset Council has successfully prosecuted two companies for carrying out unauthorised works to a Grade I listed building in Bath, which affected its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest.

Knight Frank LLP and Emery Brothers Ltd were fined £120,000 and £70,000 respectively, plus costs, following sentencing at Yeovil Magistrates’ Court, after being found guilty of offences under Sections 7 and 9 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

The charges related to unauthorised alterations carried out between 1 June 2022 and 4 February 2023 to Number 4 Wood Street, Bath, part of a Grade I listed terrace constructed between 1729 and 1734 by renowned architect John Wood the Elder and now comprising offices and shops.

In July 2022, Knight Frank LLP, a leaseholder of 4 Wood Street, proposed replacing the timber floor joists and stone wall tops citing safety concerns, but were advised by the council’s Conservation Officer that any works affecting historic fabric required listed building consent.

Despite this advice, Knight Frank LLP instructed Emery Brothers Ltd to remove and replace the historic floor structure with modern materials, which was discovered on a site visit by the council in February 2023.

Knight Frank LLP and Emery Brothers Ltd admitted their involvement in the works, initially citing urgent safety concerns as justification. After the council instructed expert evidence on this matter, the defendants changed their defence to claim the works did not require consent as they did not affect 4 Wood Street’s character as a building of special architectural or historic interest.

Having heard evidence over two days, including evidence from two expert witnesses for the council, one of whom was a Conservation Officer, District Judge Brereton was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the works did affect the character of 4 Wood Street and required listed building consent. Based on this evidence, the Judge found both defendants guilty of an offence under Section 7 and 9 of The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

District Judge Brereton found Knight Frank’s culpability to be reckless and they were fined £120,000.

With regard to Emery Brothers the District Judge found their culpability to be negligent, and they were fined £70,000.

In addition to the fines of £120,000 for Knight Frank and £70,000 for Emery Brothers, both companies were ordered to pay £2,000 in court surcharges and the council’s full costs, split as £40,000 for Knight Frank and £20,000 for Emery Brothers.

Natural England | A caravan park owner has been ordered to pay £116,263 after being convicted of disturbing a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which serves as an internationally important breeding ground for wading birds and waterfowl.

John Holland, 59, of Tapmoor Road, Moorlinch, appeared before Taunton Crown Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to two offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 at earlier hearings.

The prosecution was brought by Natural England following a four-year investigation into Holland’s activities, which evidenced he had turned the 1.2-hectare grassland site at Long Load within the Wet Moor SSSI into a permanent commercial caravan park. He crammed over 90 caravans and 40 vehicles into two fields and laid 300 metres of tarmac roads, as well as dumping household and commercial waste on the site.

Holland and his family had unsuccessfully applied five times between 2011 and 2018 for planning consent to develop the site into a permanent caravan park, and these refusals were subsequently upheld by the Planning Inspectorate.

The court heard how the SSSI, which also falls within a Special Protection Area and Ramsar site, was designated in 1985 and forms part of the extensive marsh grasslands and ditch systems which make up the Somerset Levels and Moors, a highly protected landscape renowned for supporting unique biodiversity.

The site provides nationally important breeding habitat for threatened populations of wading birds such as curlew and black-tailed godwit and supports internationally important populations of red-listed bird species including the endangered Bewick’s swan, lapwing, and pochard, as well as being home to over 3% of the global population of Eurasian teal.

Natural England concluded the works carried out by Holland had resulted in habitat loss, displacement and long-term disturbance to these bird species, and charged Holland with two offences in March 2023.

After pleading guilty, Holland, who was also convicted in September 2023 of physically threatening and abusing Natural England officers who visited the site to investigate the initial allegations in 2021, claimed to be bankrupt.

Natural England commenced proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and instructed financial investigators, who found Holland had accrued over £1 million in unexplained cash and assets, which were successfully evidenced to have arisen from his unlawful operation of the caravan park.

The court held Holland’s offending demonstrated a criminal lifestyle and certified he had accrued £1 million of illicit financial gain from his actions. He was ordered to pay Natural England £116,263 within three months. The court noted that the amount it could order Holland to pay was limited in the context of the total illicit benefit accrued owing to his active bankruptcy proceedings.

The court also granted Natural England an order requiring Holland to restore the site to its former condition as semi-natural grassland by 23 January 2026, removing all caravans and associated infrastructure and creating and maintaining habitat for breeding and wintering birds. If he fails to comply, he faces a further unlimited fine plus an additional £100 fine for each day the order is not complied with.

HSE | Two companies have been fined after an apprentice fell from height while installing CCTV in Weymouth.

The then 20-year-old electrical apprentice had been working for Tristan G Murless Limited at one of their sites at a commercial industrial estate at Lynch Lane on 13 July 2022. He had been using a makeshift crawling board when he fell around 11 feet through a fragile roof to the concrete floor below.

The incident took place on the roof of a lean-to attached to a main warehouse. The project involved the installation of electrical cables and conduit around the perimeter of the warehouse in readiness for the installation of CCTV. The man lost consciousness at some point prior to the arrival of the ambulance and could not feel his body. He was unable to walk temporarily after the incident and sustained injuries to his back, including muscular tissue damage which requires physiotherapy.

Investigating, the HSE found that Tristan G Murless Limited failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, by failing to properly plan and provide suitable equipment to prevent the fall through the fragile roof.

A second company – Ellis and Partners (Bournemouth) Limited – was also fined after they failed to comply with a HSE demand to produce documents to assist its criminal investigation into the incident. The request was made by HSE inspector Rebecca Gittoes under section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Tristan G Murless Limited of Avon Close, Weymouth, Dorset pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £4,168 in costs.

Ellis and Partners (Bournemouth) Limited of Dean Park Crescent, Bournemouth, Dorset pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 20(2)(k) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £1,200 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Rebecca Gittoes said: “Every year, a significant proportion of incidents, many of them serious and fatal, occur as a result of poor work at height planning.

“In this case, a young man at the start of his career was failed by his employer.

“Had the company suitably risk assessed the task, provided suitable work equipment and a safe system of work, this incident would not have happened.

“The case brought against Ellis and Partners (Bournemouth) Limited should also underline to everyone that the HSE and the courts take a failure to comply with section 20 very seriously.

“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not co-operate by failing to provide requested documents.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and paralegal officers Daniel Adams and Sarah Thomas.

FIA | A Warrington business owner has been fined after committing serious fire safety breaches.

Muhammad Wasim was prosecuted and ordered to pay £4,420, having continued to use a premises for residential purposes despite a Prohibition Notice issued by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Wasim was found guilty of breaching the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 by failing to meet his fire safety responsibilities and disregarding a legally-binding notice that prohibited the use of the building for sleeping or living accommodation.

The premises was first identified as a concern during a routine business safety engagement visit conducted by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, which subsequently prompted a full fire safety inspection. That inspection, undertaken in January 2023, highlighted multiple serious deficiencies. These included a lack of adequate separation between commercial and residential areas, insufficient fire detection and alarm coverage, compromised escape routes, and the absence of emergency lighting.

Given the severity of risk to life, a Prohibition Notice was issued, preventing the first floor from being used for sleeping or residential purposes. However, a follow-up visit in January 2024 found that the Notice had been ignored and that the premises continued to be used for accommodation. Further inspections confirmed that the previously identified fire safety failings had not been rectified.

Wasim was subsequently convicted under Article 32(2)(h) of the Fire Safety Order for failing to comply with a Prohibition Notice.

Kristian Clowes, Group manager for protection at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Our priority is to protect people from fire risk. We always aim to work with businesses to ensure properties are safe, but when individuals ignore our warnings and legal notices, we will take action. This prosecution sends a clear message that fire safety breaches will not be tolerated.”

HSE | A Yorkshire animal feed manufacturer has been fined £500,000 after a worker lost part of his foot when it was entangled in machinery.

William Thompson (York) Limited pleaded guilty after failing to prevent access to a rotating auger – a tool consisting of a central shaft with a blade wrapped around it – which is designed to transport excess feed away from a press.

The 41-year-old had been working as a supervisor at the company’s Jubilee Mill site in York on 14 November 2023. At the time of the incident, the man had been trying to resolve a maintenance issue with the machinery. However, he was able to open the press while its parts remained in operation at significant speed. His foot became entangled in the rotating auger and he sustained injuries so serious he remained in hospital for a period of six weeks.

The HSE’s investigation found that William Thompson (York) Limited failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery and also to carry out a suitable risk assessment of the work being done.

William Thompson (York) Limited, of Main Street, Malton, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974. The company was fined £500,000 and ordered to pay £4,455 in costs at York Magistrates court on 18 November 2025.

HSE Inspector Shauna Halstead said: “This company’s failures resulted in a man sustaining life-changing injuries. Too many workers are injured or killed every year because of failures to guard dangerous parts of machinery.

“Companies must implement safe working practices when carrying out maintenance operations. We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all they should to keep people safe when working with machinery.”

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

HSE | A film studio has been fined £6,000 after poor management of minor building works led to the disturbance of asbestos, putting employees at risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.

Maintenance staff at Elstree Film Studios in Borehamwood had been asked to remove acoustic wall panelling from one of the studio buildings in preparation for the replacement of the studio doors by an external contractor.

Employees were told that no asbestos was present and began dismantling the panels using claw hammers and crowbars on 22 July 2022.

Shortly after starting work, one employee identified a layer of insulation that he believed to be asbestos and immediately stopped. Subsequent testing confirmed the presence of asbestos – Amosite/Chrysotile and Crocidolite – which required licensed removal.

An investigation by the HSE found that neither the studio’s asbestos management surveys nor the specific refurbishment surveys had considered the wall surfaces within stages 7, 8, and 9.

As a result, the acoustic wall panelling dismantled by employees fell outside the scope of any assessment. The investigation also identified failings in training and inadequate emergency arrangements to deal with asbestos disturbance.

Elstree Film Studios Limited, of Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5, 10 and 15 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £6,790 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.

HSE Inspector Stephen Manley said: “Poor management of asbestos can lead to workers being exposed to the harmful effects of asbestos. Those in control of buildings must ensure they have a suitable assessment in place, and those undertaking intrusive work should be provided with appropriate information – which, for this type of work, will often require a specific localised survey by a competent person.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and Paralegal Officer Helen Hugo.

Facilities Management Journal | As businesses face increasing scrutiny over their environmental claims, a growing disconnect between corporate sustainability rhetoric and real-world action has been revealed in a new report.

Based on a global survey of 1,000 office workers and 200 facilities managers, it reveals that while sustainability is widely referenced in corporate communications, few organisations can demonstrate measurable impact.

Most initiatives are said to be superficial, with limited attention paid to the systems that drive emissions, such as lighting, heating, procurement and asset disposal.

The report highlights a growing trust gap. Facilities managers rated their offices eight out of ten for environmental performance, while employees gave just six out of ten.

The disconnect is fuelled by inconsistent practices and poor communication, from redundant laptops gathering dust due to data wiping concerns, to furniture still under warranty being dumped during cosmetic refurbishments.

FPA | The owner of a site that was providing accommodation above a Warrington barber shop, Muhammad Wasim, has been convicted of failing to comply with a notice prohibiting its residential use.

The two-storey mid-terraced property was initially flagged during a routine Business Safety engagement visit by CFRS and a full fire safety inspection was then ordered. During this inspection, CFRS officers found serious fire safety deficiencies, including: 

  • Inadequate separation between the commercial and residential areas.
  • Insufficient fire detection and alarm systems.
  • Compromised escape routes and lack of emergency lighting. 

As a result of these findings, a Prohibition Notice was served, banning the use of the first floor for residential accommodation purposes. 

However, a visit by CFRS in January 2024 found that people were still being allowed to live and sleep on the first floor of the building and that the identified fire safety issues had not been resolved. 

CFRS issued prosecution proceedings against Mr Wasim for breaching the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 by failing to comply with fire safety duties and ignoring the Prohibition Notice. Evidence of non-compliance from CFRS and Warrington Borough Council was presented to Warrington Magistrates Court, including photographs, officer witness statements, and documentation. 

Mr Wasim, of Lovely Lane, Whitecross, Warrington, was subsequently found guilty at Warrington Magistrates Court and was ordered to pay £4,420. 

Speaking after the successful case, CFRS Group manager for Protection, Kristian Clowes said: “Our priority is to protect people from fire risk. We always aim to work with businesses to ensure properties are safe, but when individuals ignore our warnings and legal notices, we will take action. 

“This prosecution sends a clear message that fire safety breaches will not be tolerated.” 

HSE | A Staffordshire-based home improvement company has been fined £16,500 after a worker sustained serious injuries when he fell from height whilst carrying out gutter replacement work.

On 12 November 2025 the worker had been tasked with replacing guttering on a domestic garage building in Hednesford on 12 August 2024. He had not been given any instructions on how to carry out the work safely and had not been told that a shed was restricting access to some parts of the guttering.

Whilst reaching from his position on the shed to the last gutter bracket, the worker fell approximately 7 feet to the ground below. The fall resulted in serious injuries, including fractures to his shoulder, upper arm, eye socket and nose.

The HSE’s investigation found that the company, Goliath Home World Limited, failed to properly plan the work, put in place measures to prevent or protect against a fall from height, or provide adequate information and instruction to its worker.

Goliath Home World Limited of Goliath House, Navigation Way, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11 7XU, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £16,500 with a victim surcharge of £2000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,994.55.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector, Rob Gidman, said: “This incident highlights the importance of undertaking a thorough assessment of the risks for all work at height activities and ensuring that suitable control measures are implemented. Had the work been properly planned and suitable work equipment provided, this incident would not have happened.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer, Arfaq Nabi.

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