HSE | A chemical company has been fined £100,000 after one of its workers was permanently scarred from burns from a steam hose at a site in Motherwell.

The 23-year-old was burnt across his back and other areas of his body as he attempted to clean a process water tank on 23 October 2019. At the time he had been working for Dundas Chemical Company (Mosspark) Limited at its site at Omoa Works in Newarthill for around two years.

The company operates a large rendering plant that processes animal waste and food industry waste to produce proteins, fats and oils used in the oleo chemical, fuel, and feed industries. As a result of this process, the water tank and vickery would need occasional cleaning.

It was during a nightshift that the man had been instructed to undertake cleaning duties on the process water tank, the vickery and the walls and floors in that area. The company provided pressure washers as well as a steam hose for cleaning down difficult areas where there may be tallow or other animal residues.

The steam hose was heavy and cumbersome to manoeuvre, with the uninsulated nozzle also becoming hot. The man and a colleague therefore took it in turns to carry out the steam hose task.

After a period of time they stopped to have a break. While his colleague then went on to carry out other duties, the 23-year-old proceeded to finish the cleaning on his own.

He did this with the aid of a small cherry picker – attaching the steam hose to its basket. After the basket had been raised to the required height, the steam hose and nozzle spun round and steam began flowing into the cherry picker basket directly at him. He quickly turned his back to prevent his face being burned, while manipulating the nozzle of the hose away from him and lowering the basket of the cherry picker, at which point he was then able to run through to one of the deluge showers to cool his burn injuries. He was taken to hospital with steam burns to several parts of his body, which have left scars to this day.

The HSE’s investigation found the nozzle fitted to the steam hose was unsafe as it did not have a trigger or other mechanism fitted to allow the operator to start or stop the flow out of the nozzle at the point of operation. It also found that the mixing valve and set-up for supplying hot water for cleaning purposes was not maintained in an efficient working order or in good repair. Supervisors at the site were aware that the mixing valve was passing steam, however no action was taken to investigate the issue or prevent it from happening.

HSE inspectors also found the maintenance and engineering team had no sound engineering understanding of the risks involved when setting up such a washdown system and how to mitigate or control those risks. The company provided information to HSE that there were no records associated with the maintenance of the valve, hose or nozzle.

Dundas Chemical Company (Mosspark) Limited, of Mosspark, Brasswell, Dumfries, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £100,000 at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 18 August 2025.

HSE inspector Ashley Fallis said: “Had a safe system of work been in place then this incident would not have happened.

“The lack of appropriate risk assessment, method statements, training and supervision for both the maintenance team who installed the valve, and the operators tasked with using the system, led to a situation where those involved were unaware of risks or simple control measures.

“This catalogue of failures resulted in a young man sustaining very serious burns, to which he still bears the scars to this day.

“We will not hesitate to take action against companies that fail to protect their employees.”

HSE | A care home provider has been fined more than £50,000 after an elderly patient died in the early hours of Boxing Day in 2022.

Hugh Kearins, 77, had managed to leave the Chester Park Care Home in Glasgow via a series of stairways and fire doors. A HSE inspector counted 320 steps from Mr Kearins’s room to the care home’s car park just off Lambhill Street, where his body was found at around 7am.

Mr Kearins, who had dementia, had been living in a room within the Clyde Unit of the home since 2012. As part of its investigation, the HSE made enquiries regarding the use of an internal fire door and was unable to obtain corroborated evidence of who was last to use the door prior to Mr Kearins, who is thought to have exited through it just before 1am. The same door was closed about an hour later by an unknown member of staff carrying out routine checks.

It was confirmed by the care home manager that once the door was noted to be insecure, the member of staff should have initiated a head count of all of the residents to ensure their safety. However, this was not carried out.

The HSE investigation found the company had failed to have a safe system of work in place. Records held by the company in relation to Mr Kearins extensively noted the clear risk that he might abscond or ‘wander’. It was part of his care plan that he be checked or monitored every hour.

A senior care assistant and a care assistant who had responsibility for Mr Kearins’s care were also found to have falsified records, stating that they had performed tasks involving him at a time when he was in fact no longer in the home. Both were unaware he was no longer in his room until news of his death became known following the discovery of his body in the car park.

The management failures in respect of the alarm door reactivation were not causative of Mr Kearins’ death and would likely not have even come to light but for four individual errors:

  • The unidentified member of staff who closed the internal fire door without further action.
  • The fire alarm for the internal fire door which had been deactivated.
  • The unidentified member of staff who left the unalarmed external fire door insecure.
  • The actions of both the senior care assistant and the care assistant.

Oakminster Healthcare Limited, of Lambhill Street, Glasgow, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 3(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £53,750.

HM Inspector Amna Shah said: “This incident was completely avoidable. It is hugely concerning that a vulnerable man was able to walk so far and through so many doors without being noticed.

“We counted he had walked more than 300 steps. The fact this incident happened at Christmas time makes it all the more tragic. We will always take action against those who fail in their responsibilities.”

SEPA | Scotland’s environmental regulator has issued a £1,000 civil penalty to a man who forged a waste transfer notice.

Calum Morton was found to have falsely claimed to be a registered waste carrier and provided misleading details about waste disposal in May 2023. Witnesses and SEPA records confirmed he neither deposited nor paid for the waste.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, making false or misleading statements is an offence; SEPA can issue Fixed Monetary Penalties for administrative breaches causing minimal environmental harm.

Registered Gas Engineer | A Scottish local authority was fined over £13,000 after a carbon monoxide leak at a Bishopbriggs primary school.

In February 2020, staff and pupils at Balmuildy Primary School suffered headaches and nausea. HSE and Gas Safe Register found a leaking auxiliary boiler due to lack of maintenance. No immediate danger classification or disconnection occurred.

East Dunbartonshire Council pleaded guilty to breaching Gas Safety Regulation 35 and was fined £13,333 plus £999.98 surcharge. Inspector Stuart Easson said this prosecution shows HSE will act against unacceptable failures.

Fernbrooke Scotland LLP was fined £50,000 over safety failings that led to the deaths of two labourers (53 and 48) crushed by a collapsing sandstone wall at Myrehead Farm, Linlithgow, on 6 May 2019. No temporary supports or engineer supervision were in place. The firm pleaded guilty under the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

Security Industry Authority | A security company has been fined £4,000 and must pay back £42,039 proceeds of crime after deploying unlicensed guards to high-profile sites, including near COP26 in Glasgow.

SPS Doorguard Ltd knowingly provided unlicensed security services, profiting illegally under the Fraud Act 2006. Glasgow Sheriff Court issued a £4,000 fine, £175 surcharge, and a confiscation order for £42,039.

An engineering company has been fined after a labourer died during construction of a wind farm on the Shetland Islands.

Liam MacDonald (23) was killed on 5 June 2022 at the Viking site when a skip’s unsecured bale arm fell on him while he chipped dried concrete. BAM Nuttall Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 33(1)(a) of the HSWA. It was fined £800,000 plus a £60,000 surcharge.

“BAM Nuttall had failed to secure the bale arm, identify the hazard, and implement a safe system of work… This prosecution should serve as a reminder for all contractors to implement suitable risk assessments and safe systems of work.”

— HSE inspector Jackie Randell
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