News and Knowledge

Council fined £2million after ‘devastating’ death of worker

Newport City Council has been fined £2million after “a hardworking man who loved his family very much” was killed while carrying out road repair works.   Stephen Bell,57 was barrowing tarmac from the back of the local authority’s tipper lorry when he was struck by a farm vehicle passing the road works. Cardiff Crown Court…

Textiles firm fined £100,000 after worker loses hand in tumble dryer incident

A linen services company has been fined £100,000 after a worker’s hand had to be amputated due to an accident at work.   Scott Drummond, from Rhyl, North Wales, suffered serious injuries to his hand after it became trapped in machinery at the laundry operated by Johnsons Textile Services Limited in Bumpers Lane, Chester, on…

Roofing firm fined and sentenced after two workers left seriously injured

A roofing company has been fined a total of £881,000 after two workers were seriously injured during two separate incidents.   Billy Hewitt, a worker at Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited, fractured his pelvis after falling through a factory roof in Newcastle. Meanwhile, a 24-year-old labourer employed by RM Scaffolding broke his femur after falling through…

Renowned cider manufacturer fined £1.4m after security barrier kills worker

A cider manufacturer has been fined after a much-loved grandfather was killed on his 65th birthday.   Tommy Manns, from Dymock, Gloucestershire, was driving for H Weston and Sons Limited, the manufacturer of Henry Westons Cider, when he was killed by the end of a security barrier on 28 September 2020.     H Weston…

Company fined £200,000 after worker fatally crushed at Müller Yoghurt Factory

A company has been fined £200,000 after a worker was crushed to death at the factory that makes Müller yoghurts and desserts.   24-year-old Lewis McFarlin worked at a lift engineer for Lift Monitoring Systems Limited who were attempting to repair a goods lift at Müller’s Market Drayton factory on 14 January 2020.    …

135 employees killed in work-related accidents this year, figures reveal

More than 100 employees were killed in work-related accidents over the past year, new figures show.   Meanwhile, the statistics, released by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also revealed that more than half a million workers sustained self-reported non-fatal injury in the workplace during the same period.     The annual statistics have shown…

McCain Foods fined £700,000 after employee loses two fingers

McCain Foods has been fined £700,000 after an employee lost his fingers following a work-related accident.   McCain is known for its frozen potato products, including oven chips, roast potatoes and jacket potatoes. But an accident occurred at the firm’s Lincolnshire premises in September 2019 which left an employee with a life-changing injury. Tom Matthews…

Company fined £233,000 after tragic death of teenager at ‘first real job’

A mother has spoken out after her only child was killed after working at a poultry farm for just two weeks.   Nineteen-year-old Ben Spencer had been working for Sunrise Poultry Farms n Loughborough when he was crushed between a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and a wall on April 12 2021.     The HGV…

Entertainment company fined £16,000 after worker falls to death

An entertainment company has been fined £16,000 after a worker fell through the roof of a temporary stage and died.   Russell Bowry, 52, was working as a self-employed rigger for ELP Broadcast and Events Ltd’s Cardington Hangar Studios in Bedfordshire when he fell from a height in 2018.     He was part of…

Almost 2 million workers suffered from ‘work-related’ illness this year, figures reveal

Almost two million workers in Great Britain reported suffering from work-related ill health over the past year.   The statistics, revealed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also showed that almost half of the cases were down to stress, depression or anxiety. The figures show that from 2022 to 2023 1.8million workers reported that…