An Essex-based tyre refurbishment company has been fined £54,000 following a worker sustaining significant injuries after being drawn into a machine.  Neal Hetherington was working for D&D Commercial Services Limited at its premises on Lamson Road in Rainham, when the incident happened on 19 August 2021.

A North London food manufacturer has been fined £150,000 for failing to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.  The failings came to light following a routine inspection by Britain’s workplace regulator – the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in October 2023.

MD Safety comment: An unfortunate and yet totally avoidable incident.

A company has been fined after a man died while working inside an excavation at a construction site in Glasgow.  Derek Caddie lost his life when part of the excavation wall collapsed on 25 November 2019.

The National Grid has been fined more than £3million after its failures left a father-of-two with life-changing injuries from working on a pylon in South Wales.

Following the publication of the final report from the Grenfell Tower inquiry, Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), said:

“We are very concerned by the findings in the final report from the Grenfell Tower inquiry, particularly the flagrant disregard of safety from those involved. Let’s be clear, chances should never be taken when it comes to people’s safety.

THE Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) marked its 50th anniversary in July – Usdaw and TUC call for the Government to build on its success.

The global chartered body for health and safety professionals has called on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his government to invest further in legislation which prevents workers from being harmed.  

The pre-1974 system had evolved piecemeal over 150 years. Individual inspectorates had been created on an ad hoc basis, industry-by-industry. Initially, they were forced into being as egregious problems became social concerns and the state – reluctant to intervene – came under pressure to do something.  Starting with the Factory Inspectorate in 1833, a model was established, but it was dependent upon persuading employers to make changes. Enforcement action was relatively limited and very much a last resort. Even when new inspectorates were created, most working people were not covered by the relevant bodies or legislation.

MD Safety comment:  Another avoidable accident from poorly planned work at height.

A logistics company has been fined £1m after an employee fell 36ft (11 metres) on to a concrete floor.  Christopher Hooper, from Winchester, was 29 when he fell through an open hole in the driver's cab of a straddle carrier at DP World Southampton's terminal on 20 September 2022.

MD Safety comment:  This unfortunate case highlights the essential need to properly plan lifting operations.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the incident was “entirely avoidable” and Russell Hartley, 48, would still be alive had this work been planned, managed and monitored to a sufficient standard.  Both Premier Engineering Projects Ltd and M&M Mobile Crane Hire Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.