Health And Safety Fines Bulletin

Please note: This report contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v 2.0.

The fines and costs which may flow from a safety related incident can be significant, not to mention the reputational stigma which the company will suffer. We set out below examples of recent prosecutions which give a flavour of the sentences handed down following conviction. For further information on any of these cases please do not hesitate to contact  Rhys Griffiths of our  Corporate Risk Management Group.

In decreasing fine order

Insulation firm fined £500,000 over pensioner's carbon monoxide death

Injury:  

Death

Fine:

£500,000

Company:

HIS Energy Ltd (now in voluntary liquidation)

Legislation:

Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£24,968.44

Source:  

HSE, 13 February 2015

Tata sentenced over workers' burns in molten metal fire

Injury:  

Severe burns to head and forearms of one worker; two other workers suffered less severe   burns

Fine:

£200,000

Company:

Tata Steel Ltd

Legislation:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£11,190

Source:  

HSE, 16 February 2015

Contractor fined for workman's death on sewerage pipe scheme

Injury:  

Death

Fine:

£130,000

Company:

Cappagh Contractors Construction (London) Ltd

Legislation:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 3(1)(a) of   the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Costs:

£70,000

Source:  

HSE, 12 February 2015

Lake District council prosecuted over bin lorry deaths

Injury:  

Deaths of two women

Fine:

£120,000

Company:

South Lakeland District Council

Legislation:

Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£50,000

Source:  

HSE, 13 February 2015

Firm in court after man died in roof fall

Injury:  

Death

Fine:

£80,000

Company:

Bruce of the Broch 1886 Ltd

Legislation:

Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£60,000

Source:  

HSE, 19 February 2015

Three firms sentenced after worker's death

Injury:  

Death

Fines:

£66,000   (Alumet)

£60,000   (Rugby Scaffolding)

£50,000   (Midlands Solar)

Companies:

Alumet Renewable Energy Technologies Ltd

Rugby Scaffolding Services Limited

Midlands Solar Solutions Ltd

Legislation:

Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Alumet and Rugby Scaffolding)

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Midlands Solar)

Costs:

£12,491 for each company

Source:  

HSE, 6 February 2015

Building firm sentenced after worker's friend suffers devastating injuries

Injury:  

Brain damage and spinal injuries

Fine:

£50,000

Company:

Global Construction (Northwest) Ltd

Legislation:

Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£8,595

Source:  

HSE, 13 February 2015

Firm fined after worker loses forearm

Injury:  

Arm amputated

Fine:

£46,660

Company:

Farnbeck Ltd

Legislation:

Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

n/a

Source:  

HSE, 5 February 2015

Farm worker's death leads to prosecution over exposure to toxic gases

Injury:  

Death

Fines:

£45,000 (Mr Yeatman as partner of CO and RA Yeatman)

£15,000 (Mr Yeatman as director of Biogas Nord UK)

£10,000 (Farmergy)

Individual:

Company:

Clifford Owen Yeatman

Farmergy Ltd

Legislation:

Sections 2(1), 3(1), 4(2) and 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£75,000 in costs (shared between Mr Yeatman and Farmergy)

Source:  

HSE, 23 February 2015

Carpet firm in court after worker breaks leg

Injury:  

Broken left leg in two places and suffered damage to knee

Fine:

£40,000

Company:

Interfloor Ltd

Legislation:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£7,200

Source:  

HSE, 5 February 2015

Firms sentenced after airport worker breaks leg

Injury:  

Broken right thigh, sprained right knee and two sprained ankles

Fines:

£30,000 (ISS)

£10,000 (Lamick Floor Machine)

Companies:

ISS Facility Services Limited

Michael Laryea trading as Lamick Floor Machine

Legislation:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 5(1) of   the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (ISS)

Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Lamick Floor Machine)

Costs:

£5,490 each

Source:  

HSE, 10 February 2015

Farm director gets fine after dangerous work at height

Injury:  

Two men suffered electrical burns

Fines:

£18,000 (for P Mansell)

£6,000 (for the company)

Director:

Company:

Phillip Mansell

Shutt and Mansell Ltd

Legislation:

Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (P Mansell)

Regulation 9(3) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (the   company)

Costs:

£1,495 (for P Mansell)

£800 (for the company)

Source:  

HSE, 12 February 2015

Stevedores fined for worker's severe injuries

Injury:  

Two broken legs

Fine:

£13,000

Company:

Briton Ferry Stevedoring Ltd

Legislation:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£1,497

Source:  

HSE, 5 February 2015

Steel company in court after worker pulled into rotating rollers

Injury:  

Severe burns to the right side of chest, punctured lung, fractured five ribs, collarbone, shoulder blade and elbow and suffered muscle damage from wrist to   elbow.

Fine:

£12,000

Company:

Cooper and Jackson Limited

Legislation:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£1,061

Source:  

HSE, 12 February 2015

Development   failings land multiple defendants in court

Injury:  

None; fine for unsafe work practices

Fines:

£11,000 (Mr Mooney)

£2,000 (Mou Chen)

£1,000 (Yi Chen)

£9,000 (Unicorn Services)

£200 (nominal for Chalice Homes)

Individuals:

Companies:

Steven Mooney

Mou Qiang Chen

Yi Long Chen

Unicorn Services Limited

Chalice Homes (no longer trading)

Legislation:

Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (HSWA) 1974 (Mou Chen, Yi Chen,   Mr Mooney)

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and a single HSWA breach (Unicorn   Services)

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (Chalice Homes)

Costs:

£5,000 (Mr Mooney and Mou Chen)

Source:  

HSE, 10 February 2015

Firm in court after portable building collapses on churchgoers

Injury:  

One person suffered bruising to arm

Fine:

£8,000

Company:

Relocatable Building Systems Ltd

Legislation:

Section 2(1) and Section 3(1)  of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£1,589

Source:  

HSE, 19 February 2015

Flight simulator firm in court over unsafe machines

Injury:  

None; fine for putting workers' lives at risk

Fine:

£6,000

Company:

EDM Ltd

Legislation:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£2,332

Source:  

HSE, 13 February 2015

Suspended sentences for subcontractors for part in worker's death

Injury:  

Death

Fine:

None; both sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, ordered to   carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Individuals:

Stuart Cheesman

Dennis Cheesman

Legislation:

Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Costs:

£3,000 each

Source:  

HSE, 4 February 2015

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.