DWFRS | A Dorset care home has been prosecuted and fined for fire safety failings, which were identified after the death of a vulnerable resident.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) brought a prosecution against Portelet Manor care home in Boscombe, Dorset, following an incident that occurred on 19 June 2023.

A resident who had been smoking in the home’s designated smoking area suffered significant burns and died in hospital eleven days later. Although the Fire and Rescue Service was not called to the incident, it was made aware of what had happened and opened a fire safety investigation.

Portelet Manor Limited was ordered to pay a fine of £70,000 after pleading guilty to a charge brought forward by DWFRS. The company entered the plea to an offence contrary to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that put people at risk of death or serious injury, specifically to article 11, in that they failed to ensure appropriate fire safety arrangements were in place.

In addition to the fine, they were ordered to pay £22,000 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge.

Tom Huntley, Fire Safety Prosecution Manager for DWFRS, said: “Firstly, the thoughts of us all at Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service remain with the loved ones, friends and family of the person who tragically lost their life. Public safety is our highest priority, and the court’s finding should serve as a clear message to everyone in Dorset and Wiltshire about the importance of fire safety.”

He added: “We are fully committed to supporting businesses and Responsible Persons to ensure the safety of the public. However, where there is a failure to comply with legal requirements, DWFRS will pursue prosecution action where it is appropriate and in the public interest to do so. This case highlights the very serious consequences of failures in fire safety management.”

HSE | A flower supplier has been fined after an employee’s leg was amputated following a serious incident at its processing facility in Huntingdon.

Andy Hazelden was working for MM Flowers Limited, at its site in Alconbury Weald, on 4 February 2023 when he was injured while helping to manually unload cargo from a delivery trailer ahead of Valentine’s Day.

Cargo had become stuck on the trailer, and Mr Hazelden, along with two colleagues, attempted to free it. As part of this process, he stepped onto a roller deck where there was a gap. Once the cargo was freed, a skid slid from the trailer onto the roller deck and struck his left leg, which had become trapped in the gap.

The 60-year-old sustained devastating injuries and later underwent a series of medical procedures, ultimately resulting in a through-knee amputation. His injuries have been life-changing, leaving him reliant on a wheelchair and the care of his wife. He has also been unable to continue his much-loved pastime of riding motorcycles.

An investigation by the HSE found that MM Flowers Limited failed to ensure employees were safe when unloading aircraft skids from delivery vehicles in the intake area.

Workers were required to physically intervene when skids became stuck, exposing them to risk from moving loads. The investigation also identified a 10cm gap in the roller deck that had not been recognised or addressed, creating a risk of employees stepping into it.

MM Flowers Limited, of Enterprise Campus, Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £134,000 and ordered to pay £4,908 in costs at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 10 April 2026.

HSE Inspector Tom Pouncey said: “Health and safety law is there to ensure people can go home healthy from work, sadly a man has had the rest of his life severely impacted due to his employer failing to fulfil their duty.

“Serious incidents like this can occur when everyday work activities have not been properly assessed and unsafe practices are allowed to continue.

“In this case, employees were exposed to risk by being required to manually intervene with stuck loads, and by the presence of an unprotected gap where they were working. Had the company identified these risks and implemented a safe system of work, Mr Hazelden’s life-changing injury could have been prevented.”

Mr Hazelden said: “I was fully conscious whilst trapped on the roller deck following the accident… at one point I was genuinely terrified I was going to bleed out and die. I could hear blood hitting the warehouse floor.”

“Much of the time during my stay at hospital I felt helpless and undignified. I have pretty much had to learn to mobilise in a wheelchair and learn to walk again using prosthetic limbs. I feel my identity has changed.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and paralegal officer Michael Millman.

Facilitate Magazine | Employees lose an average of 26 minutes of productive time each day due to noise disruption. This equates to more than three working weeks per year.

The findings come from research based on a survey of 2,000 UK office workers. 

Key insights include:

  • 44% reported the quantity and quality of their work are negatively affected by noisy offices.
  • 54% described their workplace as noisy.
  • Nearly one-third said their employer takes the issue seriously.

The data also suggests a link between office acoustics and hybrid working patterns, with 61% of respondents choosing to work from home specifically to concentrate, beyond their scheduled remote days.

The survey points to potential retention risks, with 45% of employees saying they would consider leaving their job due to excessive noise. 

A further 17% reported resorting to physical reactions linked to noise-related stress.

Despite these impacts, investment in acoustic improvements appears limited, with as many as 85% of organisations not assessing their acoustic environment and just 8% installing acoustic treatments in the past two years.

Premises and Facilities Management | According to a new survey, 97% of facilities management (FM) decision-makers intend to boost investment in technology within the next 12-to-24 months, with none expecting to scale back.

The findings point to a sector-wide shift towards digital transformation, underpinned by growing confidence in the returns delivered by earlier technology deployments.

Half of respondents anticipate “significant” increases in spending, rising to two-thirds among those managing estates larger than 500,000 sq ft. Notably, many of these larger organisations have already invested heavily in digital tools, suggesting that proven value is driving further commitment rather than caution.

The research highlights several key areas attracting investment. Smart building sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies top the list, cited by 59% of respondents, followed by digital FM platforms (52%), and AI-powered software (43%).

Crucially, the drivers behind this spending signal a maturing market. Operational efficiency (63%) and service quality improvements (62%) are the leading motivations, indicating that technology is no longer viewed solely as a cost-reduction tool but as a means of enhancing overall performance and outcomes.

This reflects the sector’s broader evolution from a traditional support function to a more strategic role within organisations.

The findings also point to a more disciplined approach to technology adoption. Some 96% of FM leaders report having frameworks in place to measure and track the impact of their investments, ensuring alignment with business objectives and tangible improvements in service delivery.

This growing emphasis on data and accountability suggests that digital transformation in FM is entering a more mature phase, where investment decisions are increasingly evidence-based.

The research points to a significant inflection point for the FM sector across the UK and Ireland. As organisations place greater strategic value on facilities management, technology is emerging as a critical enabler, supporting both operational excellence and enhanced service delivery.

Importantly, the shift does not diminish the role of people. Instead, digital tools are increasingly seen as complementing the expertise of FM professionals, enabling them to deliver higher-value outcomes in more complex and demanding environments.

Norfolk Constabulary | The families of two men who died at a chicken factory nearly eight years ago have described how they suffer heartbreak beyond words and think of them and miss them every day.

Jonathan Collins, aged 34, from Watton and Neil Moon, aged 49, from Spalding were completely unaware of the dangers when they entered a passageway where the oxygen had been fatally depleted by concentrated nitrogen at Banham Poultry, in Attleborough.

Following an extensive investigation by the HSE and Norfolk Police’s Major Investigation Team, Banham Poultry Limited, which went into administration in October 2018, admitted two counts of failing to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Air Products PLC admitted one count of failing to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

In doing so, they admitted that these breaches were causative of the deaths of Mr Moon and Mr Collins.

At the conclusion of a three-day sentencing hearing at Norwich Crown Court Banham Poultry Ltd, and Air Products PLC were fined £900 and £2,475,000 respectively.

Air Products were also ordered to pay over £83,000 in court courts.

The judge, Mrs Justice Farbey, said had Banham Poultry not been in liquidation she would have imposed a substantial fine.

Mr Moon, a father of three, married his partner of nearly 15 years just ten months before he died. The couple were expecting a baby and their son was born six months after his death. He was named Neil after his “amazing daddy.”

His wife Gillian described her husband as a calm, easy-going person who had a way of lifting the mood of everyone around him.

Mr Collins, a father of three children aged one, four, and six at the time was described by his fiancé Sara as “a friend to all and an enemy to none.”

She described the huge life-changing impact of Jon’s death on the whole family adding: “The events of that day and how this case has unfolded will live with my family forever.”

Dense clouds

The tragedy centred on the introduction of a SafeChill system at the Banham Poultry factory in May 2017.

The system was designed and owned by Air Products PLC and installed for use by Banham Poultry to deliver extreme low temperatures to the surface of bird carcasses to reduce levels of bacteria (campylobacter).

As part of the process, waste nitrogen gas was pumped out through internal ducting and via the fixed T-bar roof chimney, with the idea it would disperse into the atmosphere.

However, concerns were soon raised about this process with reports of the vented nitrogen gas forming dense clouds at the neighbouring railway station platform and track.

In response, the court heard how several temporary modifications, not managed competently or safely, were made using flexible ducting fitted to the chimney to divert the nitrogen gas to a different location.

Over a 13‑month period, three separate modifications were carried out.

The first modification, in September 2017, involved attaching a single flexible duct to the roof. Following this, a number of repairs were attempted, including use of tape and cable ties.

A second modification was implemented in January 2018. This involved attaching two flexible ducts to the roof vent which were fixed using cylinder couplings and welded brackets. However, the ducting quickly became disconnected and damaged.

As a result, a third modification was carried out in April 2018. This involved the use of additional cylinder couplings but without welded brackets resulting in some of the ducting not being secured to the roof.

No warning

On 3 October 2018 Mr Collins and Mr Moon arrived separately at the Station Road site to carry out pest control work using thermal imaging cameras. Only one of the men was signed in correctly during the morning, and there were no checks after failing to sign out.

On the day the two men entered the narrow passageway alongside the factory wall, the temporary ducting installed as part of the third modification had slipped down the sloping factory roof into the narrow passageway where, unknown and unchecked, it was releasing concentrated nitrogen directly into the confined space.

Having displaced the oxygen both men were killed, likely in seconds, by a gas they had no warning about and could not see or smell.

They were last seen alive on CCTV at around 11.40am inside one of the buildings. Their bodies were found at around 1am the following day after their families raised the alarm.

During the two-day hearing the court heard in relation to the risks presented and how the gas was supposed to be controlled safely risks were not properly considered with no checks or monitoring being carried out.

Detective Superintendent Stuart Chapman, the Senior Investigating Officer said: “Working together with the Health and Safety Executive and the Crown Prosecution Service, this has been a complex investigation involving these two companies with a vast number of enquiries and a range of specialist experts carrying out detailed enquiries to ensure a thorough investigation.

“Jonathan and Neil went to work that day and should have returned home. They had every right to expect that these companies would meet the standards required to keep them and others safe.

“Instead, both companies breached that duty of care. which was a significant cause of both Jonathan and Neil’s deaths and why they didn’t come home that night to their families – failures and breaches which were inexcusable and completely avoidable if these companies had taken responsibility.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the families for their unwavering support throughout this lengthy process.

“My thoughts remain with them all as they continue to cope with the devastating loss of their loved ones – a loss so clearly articulated in their heart-breaking Victim Impact Statements which were read to the court.”

HSE | A company in Leeds that produces plastic products has been fined after two of its workers lost fingers in machinery in separate incidents over the course of just ten days.

Commercial Lines Limited, trading as HLN Supplies, pleaded guilty to charges brought by the HSE following the two unrelated incidents in August 2024 – both caused by unsafe machinery.

The HSE investigation found the company hadn’t put adequate guards on machinery, meaning dangerous parts were easily accessible. The first incident happened on 12 August, when Angela Morrison, a then 61-year-old grandmother, was attempting to clear a blockage on a sanding machine. The plastics fabricator reached into a ventilation port, and her hand came in contact with a large metal rotating disk, resulting in severe damage to the fingers on her right hand.

Despite the wholly avoidable incident, it was only ten days later on 22 August, that another worker sustained serious injuries when his left hand came into contact with the blade of a table saw he was using to cut small strips of plastic. The 57-year-old lost part of the finger above the knuckle on his index finger and required surgery to remove the top of his middle finger several days later.

The HSE investigation found the company had failed to provide adequate guarding on the sanding machine, allowing dangerous parts to be easily accessible. Additionally, table saw training had been insufficient, and no safe work systems were in place when cutting small materials. The company also failed to have a suitable and sufficient risk assessment in place for the work being carried out.

Commercial Lines Limited (T/A HLN Supplies), of Upper Accommodation Road, Leeds, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and section 3(1) The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. They were fined £16,000 plus £6,534 in costs.

Mrs Morrison, who has eight grandchildren, and had worked for the company for 28 years, described how she was initially in shock and could not feel any pain, but was operated on within an hour of being rushed into hospital. Doctors needed to remove what was left of her middle finger, with another finger being seriously damaged, so much so, it will also now need to be amputated.

“They are also going to remove a portion of what is left of my middle finger to make it look better,” she explained. I am naturally right-handed, so everything is now much more difficult. You don’t notice it until you go and do something and then you realise you can’t. Little things like opening the oven or getting out change in my purse.

“My grandchildren were a bit afraid and squeamish of my injuries at first, but they soon got used to it. There are things I can’t do for them that I would like to, such as doing my granddaughter’s hair.

“When I think about the accident, I just keep thinking ‘if only it didn’t happen’ or if I’d done something differently. I just want to turn the clock back. I have been off work since, but my long-term hope is to get back to work, even if it’s an office job.”

HSE Inspector Gavin Carruthers said: “For this company to have not one but two completely avoidable incidents in such a short time shows systemic health and safety failings.

“Both workers have been left with injuries that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The fact one of those hurt was a much-love grandmother who had worked at the company for nearly three decades makes these failings all the more stark.

“If proper guarding, training, and safe systems of work had been in place than these two workers would not have sustained such life-changing injuries.

“HSE will take action when companies fail in their duties to keep workers safe.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Zara Salman.

HSE | A building merchants has been fined more than £2 million after one of its workers was crushed to death by a pallet of timber that weighed around three tonnes.

Paul Coulson, 56, died after a colleague started a conveyor not realising Mr Coulson had climbed inside it – resulting in the fatal crush.

The incident happened on 22 May 2024 at Herringswell Sawmills, a site in Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk operated by Huws Gray Limited. Mr. Coulson, a labourer, had been tasked with removing plastic packaging from pallets of timber before they could be processed at the mill.

The 56-year had climbed within the framework of the conveyor to access some of the packaging. However, another operative, who could not see Mr Coulson from his location, started the conveyor. This resulted in the pack of timber moving forwards and colliding with him. The operative, who could see that the pack of timber was not moving along the conveyor as it should, reversed it before changing its direction. This resulted in the pack of timber moving forwards again – colliding with Mr Coulson for a second time. The crush injuries sustained were so significant that he died at the scene.

The HSE’s investigation found that the company had previously identified that employees were accessing the danger zone within the conveyor and placed signage asking employees not to do so. However, CCTV analysis revealed that between 14 April and 23 May 2024, operatives entered within the framework of the conveyor on 19 different occasions.

Although the company had placed stickers on the conveyor in a bid to tackle the working practice, no further action was taken to prevent access until after the tragedy.

The measures subsequently introduced to reduce the risk included guarding the conveyor to prevent access, changing the system of work so that the pallets were unwrapped before being placed on the conveyor, as well as more CCTV being installed to allow all angles to be seen by those operating it.

Huws Gray Limited based in Llangefni, Anglesey, Wales, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 2(1). The company was fined £2.2 million and ordered to pay full costs of £9,929.

HSE inspector Joanne Williams said: “This was a staggering failure that has cost a man his life and robbed a family of their loved one, and the scale of the fine handed down reflects the gravity of this case.

“All companies, regardless of their size, must follow the hierarchy of control for guarding dangerous parts within work equipment. Our investigation revealed that in this case, Huws Gray Ltd chose to control a serious risk through instruction alone – instead of putting proper safeguarding measures in place

“This meant employees were able to access a danger area, with tragic consequences. Had Huws Gray Ltd taken robust action when they became aware of the problem, Paul Coulson would be alive today.

“Our thoughts will always remain with his family and friends for the loss they have suffered.”

The case was taken by HSE Lawyer Edward Parton supported by paralegal, Mariea Slater.

UK Green Building Council | New analysis has revealed emissions from buildings and infrastructure have fallen by barely half required to meet carbon cutting targets.

The report warns the UK’s built environment, the country’s second-largest source of carbon emissions, is falling dangerously behind the pace required to help meet the UK’s net zero commitment.

The report shows embodied carbon emissions falling by 14% since 2018 against the 24% reduction required. It means that, with its current trajectory, the industry is cutting carbon at around half the speed needed, a gap of around 20 MtCO2e each year, or equivalent to the emissions of heating nine million homes for a year.

To get back on track, the sector must now deliver a further 35 MtCO2e reduction by 2027, meaning emissions cuts will need to happen more than three times faster than they have so far.

The report highlights where the sector is accelerating and where it is falling behind in helping the UK reach its net zero target.

Operational emissions are falling through better energy efficiency and wider use of low-carbon technologies, the report showed. However, slower progress in embodied carbon reduction is cancelling out those gains.

The report also warned delays in decarbonising the electricity grid were undermining the shift to electrified heat and transport.

HSE | A construction company has been fined £40,200 after a teenage labourer died falling down a ventilation shaft on a London building site.

Renols Lleshi, 19, was helping to dismantle scaffolding on the 12th floor roof garden of a block of flats being built at the Ark Soane Academy site, Mill Hill Road, London W3 on 5 July 2023. As he stepped onto a ventilation shaft the covering gave way, and he fell six floors to his death.

The HSE’s investigation found that the ventilation shaft had been covered only by a sheet of plasterboard and roofing foam. Routine inspections of the building did not include the roof garden area, meaning the inadequate covering went undetected and no warning was given to the scaffolding team.

Jerram Falkus Construction Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £42,200, a surcharge of £2,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs.

Renols father said: “My family and I are devastated by the loss of Renols. To know that his death was caused by an accident which was entirely avoidable only makes our loss even harder to cope with. We are grateful to the Health and Safety Executive for their efforts to investigate the accident and prosecute one of those responsible for Renols’s death. However, nothing anybody can do can bring our loved one back or lessen our grief in any way.”

HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said: “Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. This was a wholly avoidable incident that led to the death of a young man. My thoughts are with Renols family and friends.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Arfaq Nabi and Senior Paralegal Manager Stephen Grabe.

Workplace Insight | While over three quarters of UK businesses are now using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the vast majority are yet to see any return on their investments, according to a new poll.

A survey of 500 managers, directors, and C-suite executives within UK businesses found that 78% of the businesses polled are using AI in some capacity, rising to 85% for mid-sized organisations (100-to-249 employees), the highest of any group.

A further 14% are exploring their options or plan to implement AI in 2026, with 8% not using AI and having no plans to.

However, the research revealed that less than a third (31%) of the businesses using AI have seen a positive ROI from their investment in the technology. Almost a fifth (18%) said their projects have not delivered the benefits they expected, while 16% said it was too early to tell.

According to the survey, less than half (41%) of users have a clear idea of what “success” looks like when implementing AI solutions. Among mid-size businesses, the leading adopters of the tech, there remains a minority (46%) that say they can define success.

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