News and Knowledge

Tata Chemicals fined following young father’s death

Tata Chemicals Europe Limited has been fined following the tragic death of Michael Densmore, a young father, at their chemical plant in Northwich.   Michael Densmore, 37, from Halewood in Merseyside, sustained fatal injuries on 30 November 2016 while erecting scaffolding at Tata’s Lostock Hall site.     During his work, he stepped over a…

Openreach fined £1.34 million after engineer  ‘swept away’ in river

One of the UK’s largest broadband networks has been fined £1.34 million after an engineer slipped and fell into a river whilst trying to repair a telephone line.   Alun Owen, from Bethesda, Bangor was working for Openreach when he died on 6 October 2020. The 32-year-old, who has been described by his family as…

Farmer suffers serious injuries after being crushed by haybales

A farming partnership in Surrey has been fined £36,000 after a young father was seriously injured.   Christopher Rolfe from Horsham in West Sussex, sustained four rib fractures when five hay bales, each weighing 600kg, toppled and fell on top of him at Polesden Lacey Farm on 28 April 2022.     Just 26 at the time, Christopher had…

Company fined £200k after electrical explosion left worker with serious burns

A company has been fined more than £200,000 after an electrical explosion caused a worker to suffer serious burns, a broken arm and fractured ribs.   The incident occurred at Copper Hill industrial estate in Lincolnshire in July 2021 when a worker was tasked with moving heavy-duty electrical wires, with a metal crowbar on an…

Yorkshire recycling company fined £1.2m after worker struck by wagon

A Yorkshire metals recycling company has been fined £1.2m after a worker was injured after being struck by a wagon at a processing site.   The incident occurred on 10 August 2020 when an employee of CF Booth Limited in Rotherham was walking across the site yard when he was struck by a moving 32-tonne…

Company fined £16k after worker loses finger in accident

A company which provides shipping services, cargo handling and storage has been fined more than £16,000 after a worker severed part of his finger in a workplace accident.   Dundee Sheriff Court heard that on 13 July 2021 Gordon McMillan, 55 at the time of the incident, works as a ‘stevedore’ (steve-eh-door), a role which…

Hughes Mushrooms: Company fined £73k after worker’s leg was amputated after getting trapped in machine

A company that grows mushrooms has been fined after an employee’s leg became trapped in a machine and was later amputated.   Luka Ilic’s right leg was caught by the rotating blades of a mushroom filling machine and became stuck in the device’s moving parts on 16 October 2019. He was part of a team…

Gogglebox star George Gilbey dies in tragic workplace accident

Gogglebox star George Gilbey, 40, has died after being involved in a fatal accident at work.   The TV star, who had also appeared on the 14th series of Big Brother in 2014, reportedly died following an accident at work on Wednesday which saw him ‘fall from a height’ while carrying out his job. Essex…

Bakery company fined £400,000 after employee has leg amputated

A food manufacturing company on the Wirral has been fined £400,000 after one of its employees had to have her leg amputated.   Sharon Bramhall lost a leg following a serious incident at Baker & Baker Products, which is based in Bromborough. The 58-year-old had to have her left leg amputated below the knee following…

Company fined after 22-year-old crushed to death at work

A company has been fined after an employee was crushed to death while carrying out his day job.   James Rourke, 22, lost his life after being struck and run over by an excavator at Sarazen Gardens, Brampton on 18 November 2019.     James and his family had celebrated his sister Katie’s 21st birthday the…