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Real firms. Real fines. Most of them thought they were covered.

HSE prosecutes firms every week. The fines below are criminal penalties, not civil claims, and no insurance policy pays them. For a small firm, the sentencing guideline starting point for the most serious cases is £250,000 (Sentencing Council definitive guideline, micro organisation, high culpability, harm category 1). These 127 cases are drawn from HSE's own published press releases, most recent first, East Midlands cases shown first below.

Near Derby and the East Midlands

20 cases from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and the rest of the East Midlands, newest first.

Manufacturing · Melton Mowbray

Samworth Brothers Ltd fined £594,000 after workers were scalded by steam while repairing pipework

£594,000 + £5,834 costs · 2026-09-04

Two workers suffered burns when hot water sprayed from steam pipework during a gasket repair at a food factory.

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Machinery · Hinckley

Power Plane Limited fined £92,450 after a worker's leg was amputated by an unguarded milling drum

£92,450 + £6,781 costs · 2026-05-13

A road milling machine operated without its protective guard caught a worker's foot, resulting in a right leg amputation at the scene.

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Forklift and plant · Shepshed

Winbro Group Technologies Ltd fined £170,000 after a fitter's hand was trapped under a dropped machine

£170,000 + £7,999 costs · 2026-05-12

A fitter's hand was trapped under a three-tonne machine when forklift forks unexpectedly dropped, resulting in two amputated fingers.

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Construction · Aston-by-Stone

BHG (Stone) Limited fined £18,000 after a labourer fell through an unprotected stairwell opening

£18,000 + £5,386 costs · 2026-04-01

A labourer fell through an unprotected stairwell opening while fitting wall insulation, fracturing a skull and back.

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Other · Worksop

Bassetlaw District Council fined £50,000 after an employee was injured when a mower rolled over a wall

£50,000 + £5,139 costs · 2026-03-30

A ride-on mower slid down a steep bank and rolled over a wall with an employee aboard, fracturing several ribs.

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Asbestos · Cannock

Sohan Group Limited and Maize Metals Limited fined £88,300 after large-scale asbestos disturbance during unlicensed demolition work

£88,300 + £10,917 costs · 2026-03-06

A demolition site had 218 square metres of asbestos-containing material disturbed after an unlicensed contractor was used for the clearance.

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Manufacturing · Immingham Dock, Immingham

Drury Engineering Services Ltd fined £44,000 after workers developed vibration-related illness from unassessed tool use

£44,000 + £8,062 costs · 2026-02-26

Seven workers developed vibration-related illness including finger blanching and nerve damage after risks went unassessed and uncontrolled.

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Manufacturing · Sandiacre

Flowchem UK Ltd fined £50,000 after a worker was doused with corrosive drain cleaner

£50,000 + £7,247 costs · 2026-02-12

An agency worker was doused with corrosive drain unblocker from an uncapped container during decanting, causing burns to the face, eye, neck and arm.

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Other · Ripley

Derbyshire Constabulary fined £60,000 after officers were burned during a riot training exercise

£60,000 + £9,470 costs · 2026-01-19

Four officers suffered burns, some requiring hospital treatment, during a simulated riot drill involving thrown petrol bombs.

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Other · Calow, Chesterfield

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust fined £40,000 after staff developed hand-arm vibration and carpal tunnel syndrome

£40,000 + £4,911 costs · 2026-01-12

Staff using vibrating tools with no risk assessment or monitoring developed Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

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Working at height · Derby

AP Tree Specialists Ltd fined £20,000 after a worker fell over 30 feet from a malfunctioning platform

£20,000 + £6,956 costs · 2025-12-03

A worker fell more than 30 feet attempting to abseil from a malfunctioning platform basket with no rescue plan in place.

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Manufacturing · Swadlincote

Isoma Limited fined £16,000 after an apprentice's arm was entangled in a manual lathe

£16,000 + £4,358 costs · 2025-11-20

An 18-year-old employee deburring components by hand became entangled in a manual lathe and broke an arm.

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Working at height · Moulton Park, Northampton

Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited fined £16,650 after a worker fell through an uncovered skylight opening

£16,650 + £7,205 costs · 2025-11-20

A worker fell through a skylight opening left uncovered on a flat roof extension, requiring surgery and long-term treatment.

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Machinery · Langley Mill

Reflex Flexible Packaging Ltd fined £277,500 after a worker was fatally trapped in unguarded machinery

£277,500 + £20,000 costs · 2025-11-05

A worker entered an opening giving access to dangerous moving parts on a plastic conversion machine and died at the scene.

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Other · Nottingham

Nottingham City Homes Limited fined £32,000 after more than ten workers developed hand-arm vibration syndrome

£32,000 + £6,226 costs · 2025-11-03

Tradespeople using drills, breakers and vibrating plates for years without proper controls developed Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome in more than ten cases.

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Other · Kettering

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust fined £480,000 after an employee was found unconscious in an unassessed manhole

£480,000 + £4,286 costs · 2024-01-09

An employee unblocking a drain was found unconscious in a manhole that had not been identified as a confined space.

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Manufacturing · Boston

W.S. Barrett & Son Limited fined £10,000 after unresolved exposure to welding fume and coating dust

£10,000 + £3,625 costs · 2023-11-22

Improvement notices on welding fume and powder coating dust extraction were issued twice without the failures being fixed.

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Machinery · Easton

McCain Foods (G.B.) Limited fined £700,000 after a worker's fingers were amputated clearing a batter machine

£700,000 + £6,509 costs · 2023-11-22

A night-shift worker's hand was drawn into batter system machinery while clearing dangling string, amputating two fingers.

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Forklift and plant · Newark

The Barcode Warehouse Ltd fined £500,000 after a worker was fatally trapped under an overturned forklift

£500,000 + £7,040 costs · 2023-11-08

A forklift struck a kerbstone and overturned, trapping and killing a driver who was not wearing a seatbelt.

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Manufacturing · Holbeach St Marks, Spalding

Bakkavor Fresh Cook Ltd fined £130,000 after a worker was crushed inside an overridden cooking machine

£130,000 + £2,607 costs · 2021-10-19

An employee clearing a blocked water inlet was crushed inside an industrial cooking machine whose safety systems had been overridden.

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All 127 cases

Filter by industry, or read the full list. Newest first.

Warehousing · Hull

Smith & Nephew Medical Ltd fined £230,000 after a 1.2-tonne crate fell from a forklift and injured a contractor

£230,000 + £111,000 costs · 2026-09-14

An improperly planned and supervised forklift unloading operation dropped a 1.2-tonne crate onto a contractor, causing life-changing injuries.

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Waste and recycling · Oldbury

Fire Protection Recycling Limited fined £40,000 after a worker was killed by an exploding fire extinguisher

£40,000 + £17,034 costs · 2026-09-14

A pressurised fire extinguisher being processed for disposal exploded and fatally struck a worker in the head.

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Construction · Banstead

Appledorn Developments Limited and T Vaughan Limited fined £1,150,000 after a worker was buried and killed in an unsupported trench collapse

£1,150,000 + £40,000 costs · 2026-09-09

An unsupported trench collapsed and buried a worker under two tonnes of soil, causing fatal injuries.

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Machinery · Knowsley

Factory Services UK Limited fined £160,000 after a maintenance engineer's arm was pulled into an unguarded conveyor

£160,000 + £4,728 costs · 2026-09-08

A night-shift maintenance engineer reached into an unguarded conveyor to clear a blockage and suffered catastrophic arm injuries.

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Manufacturing · Melton Mowbray

Samworth Brothers Ltd fined £594,000 after workers were scalded by steam while repairing pipework

£594,000 + £5,834 costs · 2026-09-04

Two workers suffered burns when hot water sprayed from steam pipework during a gasket repair at a food factory.

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Agriculture · Wyesham

A farmer near Wyesham fined £5,500 after a passenger was fatally ejected from an overturning ATV

£5,500 + £5,813 costs · 2026-09-02

An ATV with no doors overturned on a hillside and ejected a passenger, who died at the scene.

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Waste and recycling · Scunthorpe

PPS Metal Recycling Ltd fined £40,000 after workers were struck by falling scrap metal from an unstable stockpile

£40,000 + £6,181 costs · 2026-09-01

A father and son unloading scrap metal were struck by material falling from an unstable stockpile, one breaking a leg.

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Machinery · Leeds

David Wood Baking Limited fined £333,333 after a worker's arm was pulled into an unguarded conveyor roller

£333,333 + £7,644 costs · 2026-09-01

A worker cleaning a sausage roll production line suffered multiple fractures when an arm was drawn into an unguarded roller.

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Machinery · Lerwick

Pelagia Shetland Limited fined £420,000 after a supervisor was repeatedly struck by a restarting palletiser

£420,000 · 2026-08-26

A supervisor bypassing a damaged safety gate on a palletiser was struck repeatedly when the machine restarted, breaking ribs and a pelvis.

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Machinery · Redditch

The Micro Spring and Presswork Company Limited fined £40,000 after a worker was struck by an unstable pillar drill

£40,000 + £5,032 costs · 2026-08-25

A 500kg pillar drill became unstable during an unplanned forklift lift and struck a worker, breaking twelve ribs.

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Manufacturing · Fife

ExxonMobil Chemical Limited fined £267,000 after repeated undetected hydrocarbon leaks from corroded pipework

£267,000 · 2026-08-25

Five leaks of flammable hydrocarbons over 18 months were traced to corrosion under insulation that inspections had failed to detect.

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Manufacturing · Truro

Truro Sawmills Limited fined £20,000 after repeated failure to protect staff from wood dust

£20,000 + £5,000 costs · 2026-08-20

The sawmill ignored improvement notices on wood dust and lift truck safety, leaving staff without proper training or protection.

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Machinery · Marlow

Tradebe Healthcare National Limited fined £300,000 after a worker's arm was severed by an autoclave door

£300,000 + £18,710 costs · 2026-08-19

A night-shift worker clearing an obstruction from an autoclave had an arm crushed and severed when a colleague restarted the machine.

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Waste and recycling · Basildon

Clearaway Recycling Limited fined £400,000 after a worker was crushed by a mobile shredder

£400,000 + £10,259 costs · 2026-08-13

A site operative was trapped between a gate post and a mobile shredder in a yard with no pedestrian segregation, suffering life-threatening injuries.

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Construction · Ince, Ellesmere Port

A self-employed telehandler operator in Ince, Ellesmere Port fined £800 after a lift supervisor was fatally struck by a reversing telehandler

£800 + £2,000 costs · 2026-08-11

A telehandler operator reversed over a lift supervisor walking back from the site welfare compound, causing fatal injuries.

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Working at height · Heswall

Wirral Council fined £6,000 after an employee fell when a stepladder collapsed

£6,000 + £4,000 costs · 2026-08-11

A stepladder collapsed as an employee tried to access a loft space, fracturing a collarbone and ribs.

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Construction · Oldham

Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited fined £30,000 after a bricklayer fell through a collapsed unsupported floor

£30,000 + £4,883 costs · 2026-08-11

An overloaded upper floor collapsed beneath a bricklayer, causing a fall and fracturing a leg, hip and hand.

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Machinery · Telford

Reflex Flexible Packaging Limited fined £60,000 after a worker's hand was drawn into a laminator's nip point

£60,000 + £4,464 costs · 2026-08-10

A laminator operative's hand was drawn into an unguarded nip point while cleaning rollers, causing severe crush injuries.

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Working at height · Beadnell

Len Smith & Son Building Contractors Limited fined £20,000 after a bricklayer fell through a fragile roof sheet

£20,000 + £5,744 costs · 2026-08-06

A bricklayer fell around eight feet through a polycarbonate roof sheet during farm repairs, fracturing vertebrae and a sternum.

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Working at height · Fulham, London

Lowndes Lumb Construction Limited fined £60,000 after a worker fell through an unprotected roof light

£60,000 + £6,070 costs · 2026-08-03

A worker fell through an unprotected roof light while passing materials during a refurbishment, suffering life-changing injuries.

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Construction · Leatherhead

iSkate Limited fined £12,000 after a steel beam fell and struck an employee

£12,000 + £6,949 costs · 2026-07-28

A ratchet strap not designed for lifting failed during dismantling work, dropping a steel beam onto an employee.

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Construction · Bradford

Adam's Building Construction Ltd fined £10,000 after leaving a family exposed to a dangerous gas installation

£10,000 + £4,263 costs · 2026-07-22

A domestic extension was built over gas pipework and a boiler flue without relocating them, leaving the installation immediately dangerous.

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Working at height · London

B&O Developers Ltd fined £4,020 after roof work carried out with no fall protection

£4,020 · 2026-07-22

Workers carried out roof work on a pub refurbishment from a makeshift platform with no fall protection in place.

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Machinery · Sharpness

Dragon Alfa Cement Limited fined £1,000,000 after a worker was crushed to death by a falling concrete weight

£1,000,000 + £9,621 costs · 2026-07-21

Routinely removed machine guarding gave unrestricted access to a 1.6-tonne concrete weight that crushed an employee to death.

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Manufacturing · Buckingham

Puratos Limited fined £120,000 after ongoing exposure to dust and manual handling risk

£120,000 + £6,270 costs · 2026-07-17

Workers were exposed to inhalable dust above exposure limits and lifted 25kg ingredient sacks daily without mechanical help.

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Warehousing · Middlesbrough

Bertschi UK Limited fined £425,000 after a supervisor fell from an unguarded loading ramp and died

£425,000 + £119,258 costs · 2026-07-17

A warehouse supervisor fell from a mobile loading ramp with no handrails fitted, later dying in hospital.

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Machinery · Thetford

Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd fined £100,000 after a worker's hand was entangled in an unguarded conveyor

£100,000 + £6,468 costs · 2026-07-17

An employee removing a box from a running conveyor had a hand caught in unguarded machinery, breaking a finger.

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Construction · Risley

Jim Yates & Sons Limited fined £20,000 after a dumper truck overturned into an unprotected excavation

£20,000 + £4,824 costs · 2026-07-14

A dumper truck was driven into an unprotected excavation and overturned after workers were told to disable seatbelt warnings.

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Working at height · Padiham, Burnley

Romero Catholic Academy Trust fined £32,000 after a site supervisor fell from an unsecured roof

£32,000 + £6,360 costs · 2026-07-14

A site supervisor climbed an unsecured ladder onto an unprotected roof to collect footballs and fell to a concrete playground below.

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Working at height · Putney High Street

Add Prop Limited fined £20,000 after a scaffold tower blew over and struck passers-by

£20,000 + £7,000 costs · 2026-07-10

An incorrectly assembled mobile scaffold tower, sheeted over, acted as a sail in the wind and struck two members of the public.

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Construction · Bangor

Varcity Living Limited fined £50,000 after an apprentice was fatally crushed by falling boards

£50,000 + £10,080 costs · 2026-07-09

An unsupervised apprentice working alone was fatally crushed when a stack of unsecured wooden boards fell on her.

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Working at height · Ashford

South East Refurbishment Limited fined £90,000 after a worker fell from a forklift's tipping bucket

£90,000 + £27,241 costs · 2026-07-07

A worker fell from a forklift tipping bucket substituted for an unsuitable scissor lift, causing permanent paralysis.

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Other · Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

Emma Bridgewater Limited fined £266,666 after a falling snow machine sent glass toward a child

£266,666 + £4,931 costs · 2026-07-06

An improperly secured snow machine fell during a Christmas event and shattered glass that cut a young visitor.

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Working at height · Renfrew

Food Process Engineering Limited fined £50,000 after a worker was ejected from a scissor lift when walls collapsed

£50,000 · 2026-07-06

Cleanroom wall panels collapsed during dismantling work, ejecting a worker from a scissor lift and causing fatal injuries.

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Waste and recycling · Tre Marl Industrial Estate

World Care (Wales) Limited fined £36,000 after long-term welfare failures and undisclosed asbestos exposure

£36,000 + £8,867 costs · 2026-07-06

Workers sorting waste by hand had no washing facilities and were never told asbestos had been brought onto the site.

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Construction · Vant Road, London

Cavendish Basements Limited sentenced after a worker was buried when an excavation wall collapsed

No fine (custodial/other sentence) + £4,608 costs · 2026-06-26

An unplanned and unmonitored excavation collapsed in the rain, pinning a worker against the wall and causing life-changing injuries.

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Working at height · New Malden

Lima Construction Limited fined £50,000 after a labourer fell through an unglazed window void

£50,000 + £11,347 costs · 2026-06-18

A labourer fell from scaffolding through an unglazed window void onto a concrete floor and later died of the injuries.

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Other · Birmingham

An unregistered gas fitter in Birmingham sentenced after fraudulent gas work left a dangerous boiler installation

No fine (custodial/other sentence) · 2026-06-17

An unregistered handyman falsely claimed Gas Safe credentials and installed a boiler with a gas leak inspectors ruled immediately dangerous.

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Manufacturing · Cardiff

GNW 2023 Realisations Limited fined £400,000 after a worker was fatally struck by an ejected wrench

£400,000 + £17,854 costs · 2026-06-17

A door spring being re-tensioned unwound uncontrollably and ejected a wrench that struck and fatally injured a worker.

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Other · Portsmouth

Parkwood Community Leisure Ltd fined £60,000 after a worker was electrocuted by a faulty floodlight

£60,000 + £40,000 costs · 2026-06-16

A worker was electrocuted retrieving a ball from a five-a-side pitch after a floodlight's worn wiring went unrepaired.

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Machinery · Lathom, Ormskirk

Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited fined £150,000 after an electrician was fatally struck by fan blades

£150,000 · 2026-06-16

An electrician was struck by the blades of a modified ventilation fan positioned closer than the required safety clearance.

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Waste and recycling · Oldham

SRCL Limited fined £300,150 after an employee's foot was caught in an unguarded conveyor

£300,150 + £3,932 costs · 2026-06-16

An 18-year-old employee's foot slipped into an unguarded conveyor channel, causing several serious leg fractures.

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Manufacturing · Thornton-Cleveleys

Samson Containers Ltd fined £30,000 after unprotected welding fume and noise exposure

£30,000 + £4,571 costs · 2026-06-16

Welding was carried out without ventilation, welfare facilities or a noise assessment despite two earlier improvement notices.

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Working at height · Preesall, Poulton-le-Fylde

A self-employed landscaping and building contractor near Preesall sentenced after an employee fell through a fragile roof light

No fine (custodial/other sentence) + £700 costs · 2026-06-16

An uninsured employer sent a worker to replace skylights with no safety measures, causing a fall through a fragile roof light.

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Workplace transport · Uxbridge

SCS Railways Limited fined £400,000 after a tipper truck fell off an excavation ramp

£400,000 + £8,974 costs · 2026-06-16

A 20-tonne tipper truck drove off an unprotected excavation ramp at an HS2 site after an unannounced change to the working area.

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Workplace transport · Wolverhampton

Jack Moody Landscaping and Civil Engineering Limited fined £125,000 after an employee was struck by a reversing flatbed truck

£125,000 + £150,000 costs · 2026-06-15

An employee walking across the site was struck by a reversing flatbed truck, suffering serious head and eye injuries.

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Other · Fawley

ESSO Petroleum Company Limited fined £1,000,000 after a corroded tower partially collapsed and released LPG

£1,000,000 + £12,277 costs · 2026-06-15

A steel tower with long-uncorrected corrosion partially collapsed at Fawley Refinery, releasing around 2,400kg of liquefied petroleum gas.

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Construction · Ewell

Roots Contractors Limited fined £19,333 after a worker was struck by collapsing timber platforms

£19,333 + £5,548 costs · 2026-06-15

Temporary wooden platforms collapsed during refurbishment work, dropping concrete debris onto a drilling operative and fracturing a neck and back.

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Working at height · Keighley

STM360 Limited fined £53,300 after a scaffolder fell through a roof skylight

£53,300 + £3,167 costs · 2026-06-10

A scaffolder installing edge protection stepped on a roof skylight and fell more than 6 metres to a warehouse floor.

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Waste and recycling · Bristol

Bateman Skips Ltd fined £64,666 after a worker was drawn into an unguarded conveyor

£64,666 + £4,657 costs · 2026-06-08

A worker clearing a blockage was drawn into an unguarded conveyor belt tail-end, suffering fractures and nerve damage.

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Construction · Borehamwood

Alchemist DB Limited fined £20,000 after a labourer drowned in a flooded excavation

£20,000 + £5,000 costs · 2026-05-29

A labourer fell into a rainwater-filled excavation crossed only by makeshift boards and drowned, found around sixteen hours later.

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Other · Dalgety Bay

Shell UK Limited fined £450,000 after a ship's engineer was burned by a propane release

£450,000 · 2026-05-27

An accidental remote-control trigger released liquid propane under pressure during loading, causing cold burns to a nearby ship's engineer.

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Construction · Liverpool

City Fencing Contractors Limited fined £10,000 after an employee was burned striking a live underground cable

£10,000 + £5,487 costs · 2026-05-26

An employee digging for a fence post struck an unidentified live underground cable, suffering burns to the stomach, chest and arms.

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Working at height · Altrincham

JLM Solutions Limited fined £8,000 after a joiner fell through an unsecured skylight opening

£8,000 + £5,850 costs · 2026-05-26

A joiner fell through an unsecured skylight opening while building a roof frame, causing complete spinal cord injury and paralysis.

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Construction · Hull

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Ltd fined £600,000 after a worker was paralysed by a collapsing turbine blade section

£600,000 + £7,981 costs · 2026-05-26

An 800kg wind turbine blade section collapsed after support poles were removed too early, leaving a worker paralysed from the waist down.

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Forklift and plant · Aberdeen

Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited fined £146,700 after a yard operative was struck by a reversing forklift

£146,700 · 2026-05-22

A yard operative unclipping a trailer curtain was struck by a reversing forklift's wheel, suffering multiple fractures and a de-gloving injury.

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Working at height · Aberdeen

Ensco Offshore UK Limited fined £267,000 after a worker fell through unsecured deck grating and was lost at sea

£267,000 · 2026-05-18

An offshore worker fell through unsecured deck grating on a rig and was lost to the North Sea in deteriorating weather.

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Other · Peterhead

Tetra Technologies UK Limited fined £350,000 after a rope access technician was injured by a ruptured chemical tank

£350,000 · 2026-05-14

A 30-year-old bolted steel tank with uncorrected corrosion catastrophically ruptured, causing spinal fractures, organ injuries and chemical burns to a technician.

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Machinery · Hinckley

Power Plane Limited fined £92,450 after a worker's leg was amputated by an unguarded milling drum

£92,450 + £6,781 costs · 2026-05-13

A road milling machine operated without its protective guard caught a worker's foot, resulting in a right leg amputation at the scene.

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Forklift and plant · Shepshed

Winbro Group Technologies Ltd fined £170,000 after a fitter's hand was trapped under a dropped machine

£170,000 + £7,999 costs · 2026-05-12

A fitter's hand was trapped under a three-tonne machine when forklift forks unexpectedly dropped, resulting in two amputated fingers.

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Working at height · Waterlooville

Willow Services (Southern) Ltd fined £20,000 after a roofer fell through an unprotected loft hatch

£20,000 + £5,607 costs · 2026-05-08

A roofer fell around 11 feet through an unprotected loft hatch during re-roofing work, fracturing a vertebra and hip.

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Agriculture · Turriff

Duncan Farms Limited fined £53,000 after a worker's clothing was caught in a running conveyor

£53,000 · 2026-05-07

A worker's clothing caught in an unguarded conveyor nip while investigating a noise without stopping the machine, causing serious nerve damage.

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Other · Royal Wootton Bassett

Upton Specialised Tree Services Ltd fined £60,000 after a worker was burned by an overhead powerline strike

£60,000 + £6,237 costs · 2026-05-05

A mobile lighting tower being moved at night contacted an 11,000-volt overhead powerline, causing life-threatening burns to a worker.

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Other · Cardiff

Cardiff University fined £280,000 after employees developed occupational asthma from animal allergens

£280,000 + £11,745 costs · 2026-05-01

Two employees developed lifelong occupational asthma after prolonged, unassessed exposure to animal allergens despite guidance available since 1989.

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Machinery · Blackburn

WEPA Professional UK Limited fined £60,000 after a machine operator's hand was crushed clearing a blockage

£60,000 + £5,107 costs · 2026-04-30

A lead machine operator's hand was crushed in tissue-making rollers while clearing a blockage with no safe system of work in place.

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Other · Widnes

Mill House Metals Ltd fined £1,000 after a lapse in employers' liability insurance

£1,000 + £2,000 costs · 2026-04-27

The company had no valid employers' liability insurance certificate in place for over five months.

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Forklift and plant · Redditch

BA Mobile Fleet Services Limited fined £30,000 after a worker's leg was amputated when falling concrete blocks trapped it

£30,000 + £4,325 costs · 2026-04-15

An untrained forklift operator nudged a stack of one-tonne concrete blocks onto a worker's legs, resulting in a foot and leg amputation.

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Construction · Telford

Ling Developments Limited fined £15,858 after repeated failure to provide welfare facilities

£15,858 + £3,858 costs · 2026-04-15

The company failed to provide hot water and rest facilities on site, repeating earlier breaches of the same regulation.

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Warehousing · Huntingdon

MM Flowers Limited fined £134,000 after a worker's leg was crushed and amputated by a cargo skid

£134,000 + £4,908 costs · 2026-04-13

A worker's leg was trapped and crushed by a shifting cargo skid while unloading a delivery trailer, leading to a through-knee amputation.

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Construction · Aston-by-Stone

BHG (Stone) Limited fined £18,000 after a labourer fell through an unprotected stairwell opening

£18,000 + £5,386 costs · 2026-04-01

A labourer fell through an unprotected stairwell opening while fitting wall insulation, fracturing a skull and back.

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Other · Worksop

Bassetlaw District Council fined £50,000 after an employee was injured when a mower rolled over a wall

£50,000 + £5,139 costs · 2026-03-30

A ride-on mower slid down a steep bank and rolled over a wall with an employee aboard, fracturing several ribs.

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Machinery · Rotherham

MTL Advanced Ltd fined £140,000 after an apprentice's thumb was crushed by guillotine clamps

£140,000 + £5,013 costs · 2026-03-30

A 17-year-old apprentice's thumb was crushed in an inadequately guarded guillotine that the company failed to fix even after the incident.

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Machinery · Leeds

Commercial Lines Limited (T/A HLN Supplies) fined £16,000 after two workers lost fingers in separate machinery incidents

£16,000 + £6,534 costs · 2026-03-26

Two workers suffered finger amputations within ten days, one in a sanding machine and the other on a table saw.

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Warehousing · Bury St Edmunds

Huws Gray Limited fined £2,200,000 after a worker was fatally crushed by a restarted conveyor

£2,200,000 + £9,929 costs · 2026-03-26

A worker inside a conveyor framework was crushed by a moving pallet after a colleague restarted the machine unaware anyone was inside.

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Construction · London

Jerram Falkus Construction Limited fined £40,200 after a labourer fell six floors through a covered shaft

£40,200 + £5,000 costs · 2026-03-18

A teenage labourer stepped onto a ventilation shaft covered only with plasterboard and foam and fell six floors, dying from the injuries.

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Waste and recycling · Oving, Chichester

Woodhorn Group Limited fined £14,000 after a worker fell clearing a blocked compost screening machine

£14,000 + £6,500 costs · 2026-03-16

A worker fell from a compost screening machine while clearing a blocked fan housing with no guardrails fitted, breaking a leg.

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Working at height · Bolton

Greenhalgh's Craft Bakery Limited fined £16,667 after an employee fell disposing of waste from a pallet box

£16,667 + £4,334 costs · 2026-03-13

An employee standing on a pallet box to dispose of food waste into a skip fell and fractured a hip.

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Waste and recycling · Burnley

Sheridan Skips Burnley Limited fined £24,000 after a worker was crushed by a reversing telehandler

£24,000 + £4,777 costs · 2026-03-11

A telehandler reversed into a worker sorting waste, crushing him against a wall and causing multiple fractures and partial sight loss.

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Asbestos · Cannock

Sohan Group Limited and Maize Metals Limited fined £88,300 after large-scale asbestos disturbance during unlicensed demolition work

£88,300 + £10,917 costs · 2026-03-06

A demolition site had 218 square metres of asbestos-containing material disturbed after an unlicensed contractor was used for the clearance.

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Other · Willand, Cullompton

Willand O&M Ltd fined £51,000 after a worker was fatally electrocuted by an overhead powerline

£51,000 + £28,467 costs · 2026-03-03

A cherry picker struck an 11,000-volt overhead powerline during biogas maintenance work, fatally electrocuting one worker and injuring a colleague.

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Manufacturing · Immingham Dock, Immingham

Drury Engineering Services Ltd fined £44,000 after workers developed vibration-related illness from unassessed tool use

£44,000 + £8,062 costs · 2026-02-26

Seven workers developed vibration-related illness including finger blanching and nerve damage after risks went unassessed and uncontrolled.

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Workplace transport · Worcester

Office of Chief Constable West Mercia Police fined £85,800 after a student officer was struck by a passing vehicle

£85,800 + £9,402 costs · 2026-02-20

A student police officer managing a collision scene on an unlit road was struck by a passing vehicle, suffering life-threatening injuries.

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Machinery · Halesowen

Somers Forge Limited fined £750,000 after a machinist was fatally entangled in a lathe

£750,000 + £38,314 costs · 2026-02-18

A machinist became entangled in a 20-metre lathe while hand-finishing a rotating component and could not be saved.

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Agriculture · Bishop Auckland

MHS Countryside Management Limited fined £27,000 after an employee drowned when a mower entered a pond

£27,000 + £11,166 costs · 2026-02-17

A ride-on mower with its roll-over protection removed descended a steep incline into a village pond, drowning the operator.

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Working at height · High Wycombe

Bow Tie Construction Limited fined £24,000 after a worker fell from a stepladder using a nail gun

£24,000 + £4,101 costs · 2026-02-13

A worker fell around 1.65 metres from a stepladder while using a nail gun during staircase formwork, injuring both elbows and a wrist.

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Other · Parkstone, Poole

An unregistered gas fitter in Parkstone, Poole sentenced after an unregistered tradesman left a dangerous gas installation

No fine (custodial/other sentence) + £7,064 costs · 2026-02-13

An unregistered and untrained tradesman relocated a gas boiler and flue, leaving the installation immediately dangerous before anyone was harmed.

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Manufacturing · Sandiacre

Flowchem UK Ltd fined £50,000 after a worker was doused with corrosive drain cleaner

£50,000 + £7,247 costs · 2026-02-12

An agency worker was doused with corrosive drain unblocker from an uncapped container during decanting, causing burns to the face, eye, neck and arm.

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Warehousing · Bingley

Space Productiv Ltd and Collins Site Services Ltd fined £157,500 after workers were fatally struck by a collapsing racking system

£157,500 + £27,669 costs · 2026-02-11

An industrial racking system collapsed during a load test and struck a mobile platform nearby, killing two workers.

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Machinery · Manchester

Carter Brothers International Limited fined £10,000 after a worker's finger was amputated by a rotating lathe

£10,000 + £3,759 costs · 2026-02-09

A worker's glove was caught in a rotating lathe while polishing metal by hand with emery cloth, amputating a finger.

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Other · London

An unregistered gas fitter in London sentenced after fraudulent gas work left a pensioner at risk

No fine (custodial/other sentence) · 2026-02-04

An unregistered fitter falsely claimed Gas Safe credentials and kept working on a pensioner's boiler after an immediately dangerous notice was issued.

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Machinery · South Kirkby, Pontefract

Askern UK Limited fined £24,395 after an employee's fingers were severed by unguarded rollers

£24,395 + £5,000 costs · 2026-02-04

An employee cleaning a logo printing machine overrode an interlock and had two fingers partially severed by unguarded rollers.

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Working at height · Ashford

A self-employed demolition contractor in Ashford sentenced after a worker fell through an unprotected roof opening and died

No fine (custodial/other sentence) · 2026-01-30

A worker removing roof tiles during a garage demolition fell through an unprotected opening and died five weeks later from head injuries.

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Manufacturing · Linford

Tarmac Building Products Limited fined £633,300 after a worker's legs were crushed between two metal frames

£633,300 + £5,583 costs · 2026-01-29

A worker's legs were crushed between two one-tonne metal frames after an interlocked gate failed to stop them moving.

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Manufacturing · Hartlepool

Exwold Technology Limited fined £50,000 after an employee's fingers were severed by unisolated rotary blades

£50,000 + £10,492 costs · 2026-01-29

An employee's fingers were severed by rotary valve blades that were not isolated during start-up, and a second worker was later struck by a forklift.

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Stone and silica · Larkhall

Blyth Marble Limited fined £50,000 after a worker was fatally struck by falling granite slabs

£50,000 · 2026-01-28

A worker offloading granite slabs alone was struck and killed when safety posts that should have held them had been removed.

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Manufacturing · Huddersfield

Syngenta Ltd fined £400,000 after an uncontrolled release of high-pressure steam during repairs

£400,000 + £8,288 costs · 2026-01-28

An isolation valve failed during steam trap replacement, releasing high-pressure steam while a fitter narrowly escaped serious injury.

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Workplace transport · Tyldesley

Salford Grab Hire Limited fined £10,000 after a worker was struck by a dislodged JCB bucket

£10,000 + £3,476 costs · 2026-01-27

A one-tonne JCB bucket propping up a raised tipper body dislodged and fell on a worker, causing multiple fractures.

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Construction · London

Connect Property Services Limited fined £400,000 after a worker was fatally overcome by toxic adhesive fumes

£400,000 + £9,677 costs · 2026-01-26

A damaged glue canister released toxic adhesive fumes into a poorly ventilated bathroom, and a worker lost consciousness and died.

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Other · Ulverston

An unregistered gas fitter in Ulverston sentenced after unqualified gas work caused three gas leaks

No fine (custodial/other sentence) + £2,000 costs · 2026-01-23

An unregistered gas fitter's boiler installation caused three gas leaks, forcing the gas supply off for six weeks.

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Machinery · Penistone

Stanley Wire Limited fined £140,000 after a worker was fatally entangled in an unguarded machine

£140,000 + £6,652 costs · 2026-01-22

A worker became entangled in an unguarded wire drawing and recoiling machine, suffering a fatal head injury.

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Working at height · High Wycombe

A self-employed roofing contractor in High Wycombe sentenced after a worker fell four metres through a fragile rooflight

No fine (custodial/other sentence) + £500 costs · 2026-01-21

A worker fell four metres through a fragile rooflight while clearing gutters on an unguarded roof edge, fracturing a skull and leg.

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Other · Ripley

Derbyshire Constabulary fined £60,000 after officers were burned during a riot training exercise

£60,000 + £9,470 costs · 2026-01-19

Four officers suffered burns, some requiring hospital treatment, during a simulated riot drill involving thrown petrol bombs.

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Other · Bishopston, Bristol

A landlord in Bishopston, Bristol fined £20,000 after a guest fell when a staircase handrail gave way

£20,000 + £4,522 costs · 2026-01-13

A guest at a rented property fell around 11 feet when an external staircase handrail gave way, causing head trauma.

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Other · Calow, Chesterfield

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust fined £40,000 after staff developed hand-arm vibration and carpal tunnel syndrome

£40,000 + £4,911 costs · 2026-01-12

Staff using vibrating tools with no risk assessment or monitoring developed Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

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Construction · Rugeley

A self-employed site manager in Rugeley fined £3,000 after obstructing an HSE investigation into unsafe roof access

£3,000 + £6,450 costs · 2026-01-09

A site manager refused to cooperate with inspectors investigating unsafe roof access, gave a false identity and made threats.

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Machinery · Great Gransden, Sandy

Tracel Ltd, trading as The Engineering Quest fined £27,200 after unresolved metalworking fluid exposure despite repeated warnings

£27,200 + £30,000 costs · 2026-01-08

The company failed to fix poor control of metalworking fluids on CNC machines despite earlier improvement notices requiring it.

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Other · Glasgow

Glasgow City Council fined £80,000 after a man was struck by a collapsing corroded lamppost

£80,000 · 2026-01-08

A severely corroded 1950s lamppost collapsed onto a man and was then dragged further by cables snagged on a passing vehicle.

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Construction · London

VNP Constructions Limited fined £7,200 after work at height risks left unaddressed for months

£7,200 + £900 costs · 2026-01-07

The company and its director ignored multiple work-at-height enforcement notices for around 12 months at a London site.

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Manufacturing · Wigton

Futamura Chemical UK Ltd fined £200,000 after a worker was fatally overcome by hydrogen sulphide gas

£200,000 + £20,000 costs · 2026-01-06

A worker collapsed and died after hydrogen sulphide built up in a pump room, and a colleague who helped was also overcome.

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Other · Egham

Oxford Active Ltd fined £6,000 after a young child nearly drowned under a pool float

£6,000 + £12,000 costs · 2026-01

A child who could not swim became trapped beneath a float during free play and was resuscitated by staff.

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Working at height · Burton

Ace Infra Ltd fined £60,000 after a worker fell through an unprotected floor opening

£60,000 + £4,799 costs · 2025-12-23

An employee sweeping debris was propelled through an unprotected floor opening when a newly built wall collapsed, fracturing bones and dislocating a shoulder.

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Construction · Stockport

Stockport Development Limited fined £45,000 after multiple safety failures across a construction site

£45,000 + £6,297 costs · 2025-12-12

A Manchester construction site had missing edge protection, damaged fencing and no fire safety equipment, repeating failures from four earlier sites.

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Construction · Poole

Matrod Frampton Limited fined £100,000 after a steel-fixer was crushed by a collapsing wall

£100,000 + £8,242 costs · 2025-12-05

An unset breeze block wall backfilled too early collapsed into an excavation and crushed a steel-fixer against the floor.

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Working at height · Derby

AP Tree Specialists Ltd fined £20,000 after a worker fell over 30 feet from a malfunctioning platform

£20,000 + £6,956 costs · 2025-12-03

A worker fell more than 30 feet attempting to abseil from a malfunctioning platform basket with no rescue plan in place.

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Manufacturing · Swadlincote

Isoma Limited fined £16,000 after an apprentice's arm was entangled in a manual lathe

£16,000 + £4,358 costs · 2025-11-20

An 18-year-old employee deburring components by hand became entangled in a manual lathe and broke an arm.

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Working at height · Moulton Park, Northampton

Kingsley Roofing Contractors Limited fined £16,650 after a worker fell through an uncovered skylight opening

£16,650 + £7,205 costs · 2025-11-20

A worker fell through a skylight opening left uncovered on a flat roof extension, requiring surgery and long-term treatment.

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Machinery · Langley Mill

Reflex Flexible Packaging Ltd fined £277,500 after a worker was fatally trapped in unguarded machinery

£277,500 + £20,000 costs · 2025-11-05

A worker entered an opening giving access to dangerous moving parts on a plastic conversion machine and died at the scene.

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Other · Nottingham

Nottingham City Homes Limited fined £32,000 after more than ten workers developed hand-arm vibration syndrome

£32,000 + £6,226 costs · 2025-11-03

Tradespeople using drills, breakers and vibrating plates for years without proper controls developed Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome in more than ten cases.

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Working at height · Farnborough

Skyladder Construction Limited fined £33,500 after a man fell through an unprotected skylight and died

£33,500 + £8,472 costs · 2025-10-31

A man fell around 2.5 metres through an unprotected skylight while covering a new roof in the rain and later died.

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Waste and recycling · High Wycombe

Biffa Waste Services Ltd fined £2,480,000 after a worker was fatally struck by a reversing skip wagon

£2,480,000 + £5,768 costs · 2025-10-15

A sort line operative crossing a weighbridge was struck from behind by a reversing skip wagon and died of crush injuries.

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Workplace transport · Telford

Northwood Consumer Limited fined £240,000 after an engineering manager was fatally struck by a reversing HGV

£240,000 + £6,917 costs · 2025-10-06

An engineering manager walking across a shared service road was struck and killed by a reversing HGV.

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Other · Kettering

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust fined £480,000 after an employee was found unconscious in an unassessed manhole

£480,000 + £4,286 costs · 2024-01-09

An employee unblocking a drain was found unconscious in a manhole that had not been identified as a confined space.

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Machinery · Cupar

Kettle Produce Limited fined £360,000 after a worker's jacket was entangled in an unisolated roller

£360,000 · 2023-11-23

A hygiene operative's jacket hood was caught in an unguarded roller on carrot processing machinery that had not been isolated first.

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Manufacturing · Boston

W.S. Barrett & Son Limited fined £10,000 after unresolved exposure to welding fume and coating dust

£10,000 + £3,625 costs · 2023-11-22

Improvement notices on welding fume and powder coating dust extraction were issued twice without the failures being fixed.

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Machinery · Easton

McCain Foods (G.B.) Limited fined £700,000 after a worker's fingers were amputated clearing a batter machine

£700,000 + £6,509 costs · 2023-11-22

A night-shift worker's hand was drawn into batter system machinery while clearing dangling string, amputating two fingers.

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Forklift and plant · Newark

The Barcode Warehouse Ltd fined £500,000 after a worker was fatally trapped under an overturned forklift

£500,000 + £7,040 costs · 2023-11-08

A forklift struck a kerbstone and overturned, trapping and killing a driver who was not wearing a seatbelt.

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Manufacturing · Holbeach St Marks, Spalding

Bakkavor Fresh Cook Ltd fined £130,000 after a worker was crushed inside an overridden cooking machine

£130,000 + £2,607 costs · 2021-10-19

An employee clearing a blocked water inlet was crushed inside an industrial cooking machine whose safety systems had been overridden.

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