HSE | Two companies have been fined a combined £1.3 million after a window unit fell from the 26th floor of a luxury development in London, killing a coach driver on his break as he walked below.

Two of the companies involved in the design of the bespoke windows in the Corniche development on the capital’s Albert Embankment (with one weighing 130kg) falling 300 feet to the ground below, killing the 53-year-old father and grandfather instantly.

The incident happened at around 10.30am on 2 October 2018. Mick Ferris had been on a break and was just returning to his coach, which was parked up nearby.

St James Limited, part of the Berkeley Group, had been the developer of the Corniche, a three tower luxury development near Vauxhall Bridge, as well as the Principal Contractor and Principal Designer. Lindner Prater Limited was a specialist company engaged by St James to design the penthouse windows.

Series of failures

At an early stage of the design process, the windows had been changed from opening inwards to opening outwards, meaning if they detached, they would fall onto a pedestrian area.However, they were never effectively risk assessed.

The safety of the windows relied on the performance of a single restrictor, held in by a single screw, and none of the fittings had been confirmed by their manufacturers to be suitable for the bespoke curved penthouse windows.

In August 2017, more than a year before the fatal incident, a window left open in windy conditions fell from the same penthouses during construction, nearly hitting two workers. St James Limited led an internal review into the 2017 near miss, but records obtained by the HSE showed key noted areas of concern were not followed up effectively.

It was only after the second incident in 2018 and Mr Ferris’ death, that the windows were redesigned to open inward and the public walking below the penthouses were no longer at risk if a window was left open.

Sentence

After a five week trial, both St James Limited, of Berkeley House, 19 Portsmouth Road, Cobham and Lindner Prater Limited of 45 London Road, Reigate, were found guilty found guilty to contravening Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974.

At sentencing, St James was fined £1million and ordered to pay costs of £125,000 and Lindner Prater Limited was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £125,000.

HSE lead inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said: “Two companies – widely seen as leaders in their fields failed to respond to an obvious risk, and tragically this cost the life of a man simply going about his day. Both times a window fell, the wind speeds were not unusually high.

“Even after a window had fallen in 2017, luckily just missing workers below, sufficient attention was not given to assessing the risk of the windows detaching and falling if left open in windy conditions. Too much reliance was placed on adding a small sign to the windows, in effect hoping the residents would not forget to close windows.”

“The construction industry should pay attention to this tragic case. Principal designers need to pay careful attention to clarifying exactly what services architects, designers, and consultants will provide, and then effectively monitor their performance to ensure related risks are identified and coordinate necessary improvements.

“The investigation assessed the involvement of multiple companies, thousands of documents, and highly complex technical evidence. This was followed by the wait for a Trial.

“We are grateful for Mr Ferris’ family’s understanding throughout and hope this outcome brings them some closure.”

Mick’s wife Rachel described his death as being ‘so sudden’ and ‘out of the blue: “It has made it so much worse to get used to,” she said.

“Mick was just minding his own business. One minute there, one minute gone. The thought this could have happened to anybody is always with me. It could have been a child.

“The fact this could have been prevented, I just can’t explain. If somebody had done something differently – anything – it would have changed our lives.

“I know it wasn’t just one person, but one person could have changed this. One person could have asked ‘can’t we do this better?’.

“What those companies did killed my husband. This has changed our lives. It has changed my whole outlook on everything. My life has changed forever.

“We were due to fly to the Maldives the Saturday after Mick died to celebrate our anniversary. We had half-packed suitcases in our house. It was a bucket list place for Mick and he never got to go there. We never got to go there.

“He was also a great dad and grandad – when his kids needed him, he was there. He loved driving coaches, having followed in his own Dad’s footsteps as a professional driver. Four hundred people attended his funeral – there was even a coach with his name on it. He is missed by so many it is unbelievable.”

The HSE’s investigation was carried out by HM Inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers and HM Principal Inspector James Goldfinch, and the prosecution brought by Counsel Gordon Menzies and Doug Scott, HSE Senior Enforcement Lawyer James Towey, and paralegal officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

HSE | A spring and stampings manufacturing company has been fined £40,000 after an employee fractured twelve ribs during a lifting operation in Worcestershire.

The 36-year-old employee suffered multiple rib fractures while working at Micro Spring and Presswork Company Limited when the incident occurred on 24 June 2024.

He had been assisting with the lifting of a newly purchased pillar drill using a forklift truck at the company’s site on Enfield Industrial Estate, Redditch.

The pillar drill, which weighed approximately 500kg, became unstable during the operation and fell, striking the employee and causing serious injuries.

The HSE’s investigation found that Micro Spring and Presswork Company Limited had failed to undertake a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks associated with the lifting operation.

The investigation also found that the company had failed to ensure the lifting operation was properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.

Micro Spring and Presswork Company Limited, of Enfield Industrial Estate, Redditch, Worcestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £5,032 in costs.

HSE inspector Charlie Rowe said: “This was a serious incident which has resulted in significant injury and was entirely preventable.

“Employers should always ensure lifting operations are properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner. This firm’s failure to do so has had dramatic consequences.

“HSE has produced a wealth of guidance to assist employers in keeping people safe, but where companies fall short we will not hesitate to take action.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White and supported by paralegal officer Farhat Basir.

HSE | A fish processing company has been fined £451,500 after a supervisor suffered multiple fractures and two collapsed lungs when he became entangled in a palletiser machine at its Lerwick plant.

Pelagia Shetland Limited, of Point of Scattland, Gremista, Lerwick, pleaded guilty to health and safety failings following the incident.

On 10 October 2024, Curtis New, a 41-year-old forklift supervisor was called to clear a blockage and, finding an interlocking safety gate difficult to open, removed a panel and entered the machine area. As he walked along the stationary conveyor to reach the blockage, he triggered a sensor which restarted the machine, and he was struck repeatedly by its pushers before a colleague hit an emergency stop button.

Mr New was treated at the scene by first aiders before being airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where he spent 10 days in intensive care and a further 10 days in a high dependency unit. He suffered eight fractured ribs, a pelvis fractured in five places, a fractured clavicle and scapula, and two collapsed lungs. He was later transferred to Gilbert Bain Hospital for rehabilitation and has since said he does not wish to return to his role.

Investigating, HSE inspectors found that perimeter safety fencing around the machine, designed to isolate its power supply whenever the interlocking safety gate was opened, had become insecure after a panel was damaged.

The gate had been struck by a forklift truck in early 2024, damaging its locking mechanism and making it difficult to open. Rather than use the gate, two senior staff, including Mr New, had taken to removing the loose panel to clear frequent blockages in the machine, without isolating the power first.

Pelagia Shetland reported the incident to the HSE on the day it happened and following an investigation, the company reinstated its perimeter fencing so that the gate is now the only means of accessing the machine. They also updated safety practices to make clear that staff must never bypass safety barriers, on pain of disciplinary action.

Pelagia Shetland Limited, of Point of Scattland, Gremista, Lerwick, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 11 (1) and (2) of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £420,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £31,500.

HSE inspector Matty Spiers said: “This was a wholly avoidable incident that left a man with life-threatening injuries, and it happened because a basic, well-understood safety control was allowed to fail.

“Interlocking guards exist for one reason: to stop people reaching dangerous machinery while it’s still live. When that gate was damaged, it should have been repaired properly and its integrity restored immediately, not left in a state where a determined employee could simply lift out a panel and walk into a hazardous area.

“Curtis New is fortunate to be alive. He suffered catastrophic injuries carrying out a task that should never have been possible without the machine being isolated first.

“Employers have a legal duty to make sure guarding and interlock systems are properly maintained, and that any weakness is identified and corrected without delay. This isn’t a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise, it’s what stands between a workforce and a serious, life-changing injury.”

HSE | A scrap metal recycling company has been fined after two members of the public were injured when a large pile of scrap metal collapsed onto them at its site in Scunthorpe.

PPS Metal Recycling Ltd pleaded guilty after failing to protect members of the public from risks at its site.

On 6 February 2025, a father and son were unloading scrap metal when a 360-degree excavator fitted with a grab attachment was operating nearby. As the machine removed material from a large stockpile of scrap metal a part of the pile collapsed, causing heavy pieces of scrap to fall onto the two. Both were taken to hospital following the incident and one sustained a broken leg.

The HSE’s investigation found that the excavator had been operating in close proximity to members of the public for around 20 minutes before the incident. The company had failed to put suitable controls in place to prevent members of the public from being exposed to the risks created by moving machinery and unstable stockpiles.

The HSE also identified that this incident followed an earlier near miss on 27 January 2025, when the rotating cab of the same excavator struck the side of a member of the public’s vehicle as they unloaded scrap. Although no one was harmed during the earlier incident, the underlying failures were the same.

Following the incident, the HSE served a Prohibition Notice preventing the excavator from operating close to pedestrians. The company subsequently introduced a separate area for public unloading, installed signage, implemented a supervised unloading system and developed a traffic management plan incorporating barriered walkways.

PPS Metal Recycling Ltd was sentenced after previously pleading guilty at a hearing on 30 July 2026 to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,181.

HSE Inspector Joe Fitzgerald, who led the investigation, said: “These two members of the public were fortunate not to have been even more seriously injured or killed.

“This incident was entirely avoidable. Members of the public should not have been exposed to the risks created by heavy machinery and unstable stockpiles.

“Employers must ensure effective arrangements are in place to segregate pedestrians from workplace transport and mobile plant. Had suitable controls been implemented, this incident and the earlier near miss would not have occurred.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Iain Jordan, paralegal officer Henrietta Ruthven, and advocacy was undertaken by enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi.

HSE | A clinical waste disposal company has been fined £300,000 after one of its workers severed his arm from the elbow down while unblocking machinery in Swindon.

The man – who was 42 at the time – had been working his usual night shift at Tradebe Healthcare National Limited’s site on Elgin Industrial Estate on 4 February 2022. He had been working alongside a colleague when he attempted to clear an obstruction on an autoclave machine. His left arm was trapped and crushed by the door, severing it from the elbow down.

He was rushed to hospital where doctors spent six hours saving his arm. He has since had three major surgeries to restore the use of his hand, though he now suffers from very limited movement.

Part of his treatment has involved skin grafts taken from the thigh of his left leg as well as veins from his left and right legs transplanted into the arm. He still suffers from constant pain and struggles to complete many everyday tasks independently.

Autoclave machines are pressure vessels with lids or doors and are used in a variety of processes whereby products are placed inside and subjected to greater than atmospheric pressure and elevated temperatures. A rotoclave is a type of autoclave that rotates during operation. On this particular site, it was used for high temperature sterilisation of waste.

The machine was surrounded by an enclosure which included an access gate at its rear. The man had used this unsecured rear gate to walk into the enclosure to reach in to remove the debris. His colleague was unable to see the employee and due to miscommunication, mistakenly resumed operation of the machine.

The HSE’s investigation revealed multiple failings by the company, including:

  • Not having sufficient measures in place to prevent their employees from being at risk when clearing blockages.
  • Employees being exposed to risk, specifically in relation to the failure to properly isolate the machine before cleaning.
  • Employees not being provided with sufficient information and instruction about how to use and how to clean the machine safely.
  • The investigation also found that training provided to employees was inadequate and that employees were not suitably supervised.

Tradebe Healthcare National Limited of Atlas House Third Avenue, Globe Park, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £18,710.

HSE inspector Emma Preston said: “This was a harrowing incident made more tragic by the fact that events of this kind are all-too foreseeable.

“Accidents which happen when cleaning and maintaining machinery often result in life-changing injuries, which is why companies need to make sure they have robust lock-off procedures, effective guarding, and that all sources of power are fully isolated before work begins.

“The man affected by this incident faces a long road to recovery and we hope today’s outcome provides him a measure of justice.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and supported by paralegal officer Farhat Basir.

HSE | A Cornwall-based timber company and its director have been fined £20,000 after failing to comply with a series of enforcement notices issued by health and safety inspectors.

Truro Sawmills Limited and its Managing Director, Alistair Wright, were fined after failing to comply with improvement notices served by the HSE.

Truro Sawmills Limited supplies timber and manufactures gates, fencing panels and garden furniture, processed at its sawmill in Penhallow, Truro. The company was served with Improvement Notices after HSE inspectors found that employees were not being protected from the ill health risks arising from wood dust, nor the safety risks associated with the use of rider-operated lift trucks in the workplace. If not properly controlled, wood dust can cause asthma, respiratory conditions and cancer.

The HSE’s investigation found that employees had not been appropriately trained to use rider-operated lift trucks. Staff had also not been face fit tested for respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to protect them from wood dust and were not under suitable health surveillance.

The investigation determined that Truro Sawmills Limited had failed to comply with its legal duty under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and had contravened the requirements of three Improvement Notices served by HSE to protect its workers.

Alistair Wright, the company’s Managing Director, also pleaded guilty to contravening the requirements of an Improvement Notice. The HSE applied for Mr Wright to be disqualified from acting as a company director under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

Truro Sawmills Limited, of Penhallow, Truro, TR4 9NF, pleaded guilty to four counts, including breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and contravening the requirements imposed by three Improvement Notices, contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Act.

Alistair Wright, Managing Director of Truro Sawmills Limited, pleaded guilty to one count of contravening a requirement imposed by an Improvement Notice, contrary to Section 33(1)(g) and Section 37(1) of the Act.

The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. Mr Wright was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £2,500 in costs. The court granted HSE’s application to disqualify Mr Wright from acting as a company director for a period of five years.

HSE principal inspector Melissa Lai-Hung said: “Exposure to wood dust can cause asthma, respiratory conditions and cancer – yet this firm failed to act on legally-binding notices served by health and safety inspectors to protect their workforce.

“We also found workers hadn’t been properly trained to use lift trucks, creating very real dangers for those onsite.

“Firms should be left in no doubt that companies and individuals who do not comply with health and safety legislation will be held accountable.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Robert James and paralegal officer Mike Millman.

HSE | ExxonMobil Chemical Limited has been fined £267,000 after health and safety inspectors found corroded pipes had resulted in five leaks of flammable gas at its Fife Ethylene Plant.

The HSE found the company’s arrangements for inspection of insulated pipework were not adequate and resulted in five known leaks of extremely flammable hydrocarbons at the natural gas processing plant operated by the company at Mossmorran, near Kirkcaldy.

The plant was an Upper Tier COMAH [Control of Major Accident Hazards] establishment as defined by the 2015 COMAH Regulations, due to the volume of hazardous substances on site and the risk to people and the environment they presented. This means it was subject to the strictest controls because of the potential for catastrophic consequences of health and safety failings.

How the leaks were discovered

On 21 May 2019, HSE inspectors visited the site for a routine inspection. They noticed a strong smell of Dimethyl Sulphide (DMS), a highly flammable liquid that irritates eyes and skin and is harmful if swallowed. An operator confirmed that DMS and ethane were leaking from an overhead pipe, and that the company had known about the leak for around four months but had kept operating without taking extra precautions.

The HSE launched an investigation, which revealed that the leak was not a one-off. There had been an earlier leak on the same pipe in February 2018, and another on a different pipe elsewhere on site in December 2018, both caused by Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI). As the investigation progressed, two more leaks were discovered, meaning five leaks in total, all caused by CUI. The investigation broadened to examine how the company managed CUI risk across the site.

The five leaks

23 February 2018: A pinhole leak of DMS and ethane developed on a 2-inch steel pipe (the “DMS line”), which was under high pressure and running at 115 degrees Celsius. The leak went on for around four months before being fixed.

15 December 2018: A leak of ethane gas was spotted by chance on a different pipe (the “ST01 Overheads line”) when a worker noticed a haze coming through the insulation while doing unrelated work. Corroded cladding had let four small holes form. The leak lasted around six weeks and an estimated 82 tonnes of hydrocarbons escaped into the atmosphere.

21 May 2019: The leak that triggered the HSE’s routine inspection was found on the same DMS line as before, but at a different point. This time the leak was a mix of 20% DMS and 80% ethane. The company had first detected it on 29 January 2019, meaning it had been leaking for about four and a half months. The HSE issued a Prohibition Notice on 24 May 2019 banning access to the area, followed by an Improvement Notice on 28 May 2019 ordering repairs. The company fixed the problem on 13 June 2019 by installing a bypass.

26 June 2019: While the HSE’s investigation was still underway, a process technician found another pinhole leak, this time on the inlet line to the acetylene converter. X-ray testing showed the pipe had corroded below its safe minimum thickness. The company shut down part of the plant to make repairs, and the leak lasted around two weeks. Unlike the earlier leaks, this time the company acted swiftly rather than continuing to operate without extra safeguards.

September 2019: While carrying out inspections required by the HSE’s Improvement Notice, the company found a further pinhole leak on the ST01 Overheads line, close to the site of the December 2018 leak. This was repaired by purging the line and applying an epoxy wrap.

Why this matters

According to the HSE, every leak released highly flammable hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. In all but one case, this happened while the plant was operating normally, with staff and contractors working on site.

Pipes on sites like this are often insulated to stop them freezing. Corrosion Under Insulation happens when water gets in under that insulation and corrodes the pipe underneath. Left unchecked, it weakens pipes until they fail and leak. The industry accepts that CUI can’t be prevented entirely where insulation is needed, but it must be properly monitored and managed to keep the risk under control.

The HSE’s investigation found the company’s inspection system was not fit for purpose. Inspectors carried out visual “scoping” checks on each pipe, and the results were fed into a computer tool alongside data on the pipe and its operating conditions. This produced a risk score from 1 (high risk) to 4 (low risk), and the company would only investigate further if a pipe scored 1 or 2.

In practice, these visual inspections were often inadequate says the HSE. Overhead pipes were typically checked from ground level, sometimes several metres away, with limited visibility, and insulation was not always removed to allow a proper look underneath. Despite suffering repeated leaks caused by CUI, the company did not recognise that its inspection process was flawed until the HSE took enforcement action.

Exxonmobil Chemical Limited, of Fawley Administration Building, Fawley Refinery, Marsh Lane, Southampton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £267,000.

HSE inspector Lindsey Stein said: “At a site run by one of the biggest energy companies in the world, subject to the strictest controls, and processing high volumes of hazardous material, what our inspectors found beggars belief.

“The failure of ExxonMobil to properly inspect insulated pipework led to five separate leaks of highly flammable hydrocarbons, and while none of these leaks resulted in a catastrophic event, this was down to good fortune rather than good management. The arrangements in place to detect and prevent corrosion were woefully inadequate, and the consequences could have been far more serious.

“Systematic risk management isn’t just best practice, it’s a legal duty, precisely because these are high-hazard operations where the margin for error is minimal. In its simplest terms, process safety is about keeping hazardous substances where they belong: inside the pipes, not in the atmosphere.

“Once we stepped in, the operator was able to identify and fix problems quickly and effectively. That tells you everything you need to know: the measures needed to prevent these leaks were reasonably practicable all along, and they should have been in place long before HSE was forced to intervene.”

FPA | A prosecution was brought by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) in relation to a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in Brighton.

On 20 July 2026, Markandayar Gowrikaran was fined £3,875, including the statutory victim surcharge, after pleading guilty to offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He was also ordered to pay £7,075.31 to ESFRS in respect of investigation time and associated costs.

The prosecution related to 20A St James Street, Brighton, where Gowrikaran had control of premises operating as an HMO. The court heard that he failed to implement the general fire precautions required under fire safety legislation, exposing occupants to increased risk in the event of a fire.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person has a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of relevant persons from fire. This includes undertaking and regularly reviewing a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, maintaining fire safety systems and equipment, keeping escape routes available and protected, and providing appropriate information and training where necessary.

Fire Safety Inspecting Officers first attended the premises on 14 February 2023 after concerns were raised by the local authority about the storage of fireworks within the ground-floor commercial unit. During the inspection, officers identified a range of significant fire safety deficiencies affecting the residential accommodation above.

Among the issues identified were faults displayed across multiple zones of the fire alarm control panel, missing smoke detector heads, and a manual call point that had not been securely fixed. Inspectors also found that a fire-resisting door protecting the means of escape had been removed, combustible materials were being stored in communal escape routes and on an external fire escape, and a kitchen door opening onto the escape route failed to self-close properly. An electrical intake was also found to be inadequately protected, with no suitable securing or fire-resisting enclosure in place.

According to ESFRS, these deficiencies were brought to Gowrikaran’s attention, together with the requirement to undertake a fire risk assessment. However, despite informal advice, formal enforcement notices, and several follow-up inspections, insufficient progress was made in addressing the deficiencies. Inspections carried out between February and December 2023 continued to identify many of the same failings, with substantial remedial work not being completed until early 2024.

ESFRS stated that by failing to rectify the identified shortcomings within a reasonable period, occupants of the HMO were exposed to heightened danger, with the service noting that a fire originating in either the kitchen or electrical intake could have spread more rapidly because of the absence of adequate fire precautions. In addition, the presence of combustible materials in escape routes also increased both the potential for fire development and the risk of obstructing residents attempting to evacuate.

Commenting on the case, ESFRS Station Manager (Legal and Enforcement) Jake Kaye said: “Those responsible for fire safety have a legal duty to carry out and record a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Effective fire safety management is essential to reduce the likelihood of fire occurring and to ensure that, should a fire happen, it can be detected quickly and occupants are able to escape safely. Escape routes must be kept clear and protected at all times.

“We continue to find that many Houses in Multiple Occupation with shared communal areas do not have a suitable fire risk assessment in place. This remains a significant concern because the fire risk assessment is fundamental to identifying the measures needed to protect residents.

“We hope this prosecution serves as a reminder that those responsible for fire safety must comply with their legal duties and with any enforcement action taken by the Fire Authority. Where they fail to do so and place people at risk, we will take appropriate enforcement action.”

HSE | A self-employed telehandler driver has been sentenced after he reversed over his colleague on a construction site in Cheshire, causing fatal injuries.

In June 2023, 49-year-old James Connolly was working as a lift supervisor on a large construction site in Ince, Ellesmere Port, where Michael Nixon was working as a telehandler operator.

On the morning of 11 June, whilst walking back to his work area from the welfare compound, Mr Connolly was struck and reversed over by the telehandler being operated by Michael Nixon, resulting in fatal injuries.

The HSE’s investigation found that the principal contractor had taken steps to minimise the need for reversing on site, including the creation of a turning circle, which was unobstructed at the time of the incident. Despite this, Michael Nixon, who was a qualified and experienced telehandler operator, chose to reverse the vehicle without the aid of a banksman, with tragic consequences.

The investigation also found that Michael Nixon had been using his mobile phone whilst in control of the telehandler, contrary to the site rules he had signed up to.

Michael Nixon, 46, of Deeside, Heswall, Wirral, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and fined £800. He was also ordered to pay £2,000 in costs.

In a victim personal statement, Jamie’s mother Pauline Connolly said: “I have constant flashbacks to that day and every time we get a phone call my heart drops and I fear the worst news, I am always saying, ‘who is it? What is it?’

“Every time I see someone in a high viz jacket and a hard hat, I think it is Jamie. I am changed forever since my son’s death. I miss and think about him every day. My first-born child. My only son.”

Jamie’s daughter Amelia Connolly said: “I struggle with a great deal of anger. I am angry that my dad went to work and never came home. Alongside the sadness there is also a constant sense of injustice. It is difficult to accept that someone could leave home for work and never return to their family.”

HSE Principal Inspector Laura Royales said: “Workplace transport incidents remain one of the biggest causes of deaths in the workplace. It is vital that drivers follow the site rules and do not cut corners and put lives at risk.

“Our thoughts remain with the family of James Connolly.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Nathan Cook and paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart. The investigation was supported by Visiting Officer Sarah Ough.

HSE | An Oldham-based construction company has been fined after a bricklayer was hospitalised for a month when the floor he was working on collapsed.

On 4 June 2024 at a house under construction on Lynn Street, Oldham, the 25-year-old was bricklaying on the upper level of a house when the floor he was working on collapsed. The worker fell along with multiple concrete blocks that had been stored on the upper floor. He sustained fractures to his right leg, hip and left hand, requiring surgery and a month-long stay in hospital.

The HSE’s investigation found that Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited, as the principal contractor, had failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the construction work on site.

The floor that collapsed had been overloaded with concrete blocks and had not been constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s design.

The investigation also identified a number of other health and safety failings at the site, including unsafe scaffolding, inadequate arrangements for work at height, a lack of fire alarms and inadequate competent site management.

As a result of these failings, HSE inspectors issued multiple enforcement notices.

Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited, of Bath Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4,883 in costs, to be paid within three years.

HSE Inspector Karen Farley said: “The injuries suffered by this worker were the consequence of fundamental failures to manage health and safety.

“Our investigation revealed that this was not an isolated failing but part of a broader pattern of poor health and safety standards across the site.

“The construction industry remains one of the highest-risk sectors and employers must ensure that work is properly planned, supervised and carried out safely.

“This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been prevented had the floor been constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and safe systems of work been in place to ensure it was not overloaded with construction materials.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Arfaq Nabi and Paralegal Officer Hannah Snelling.

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