• Aaron Back, 41, fell from tipping bucket while dismantling pipework
• No suitable arrangements were in place to manage their contractors and ensure safety on their construction site
• Falls from height remain leading cause of death and injury.

A principal contractor has been fined after a man was left ‘physically ruined’ after falling from a tipping bucket on a fork lift truck in Kent.

Aaron Back, 41, a father of four, spent months in hospital after the incident at the EMIR site on Wotton Road in Ashford on 28 March 2023. The then 38-year-old had been contracted by South East Refurbishment Limited to carry out work dismantling pipework. He was in a raised tipping bucket on a fork lift truck at the time when he fell out of it to the concrete floor below.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that a scissor lift had been ordered to undertake the work but was too tall to enter the area where it was taking place – so the fork lift truck was used instead.

In a victim personal statement, Aaron Back said:

“Since the incident I am physically ruined.

“My left hand side doesn’t work properly. I can’t push off from my toes on my left so I struggle to get up and walk around.  My back also causes me excruciating pain.

“This accident has destroyed me as a person it has taken away my identity. I miss taking my kids to football.

“I have worked hard to improve and get better I want to be that person again.

“I worked hard for the company and I have been given a lifetime sentence.  I would give anything to be normal again to be back to being me.”

The HSE investigation found that no suitable arrangements were in place to manage the company’s contractors and ensure safety on the site. No actions had taken by the company either to ensure a different safe system of working was undertaken.

Although the company provided equipment to its labour-only subcontractor there was no training in place for relating to the fork lift truck or scissor lift for Mr Back or his sub-contractor. There was no instruction or procedure in place to ensure only trained operatives could get access to these and no adequate supervision on site.

HSE found significant failings by the company relating to unsafe work at height over a prolonged period of time, relevant advice and enforcement was given to them from 2013 regarding control of contractors and unsafe working at height.

Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury with the latest statistics from HSE showing that they account for over a quarter of all work related deaths in 2025/26.

HSE guidance states what an employer must do to protect their employees from falls from height including making sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.

South East Refurbishment Limited of Unit 5 Aja Business Centre Laker Road, Rochester, Kent, pleaded guilty to Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, section 3(1).  The company was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £27,241 at Margate Magistrates Court on 7 July 2026.

HSE inspector Joanne Williams said:

“Falls from height continue to be the leading cause of workplace fatalities in Great Britain, with 31 people losing their lives in the past year.

“The construction industry remains the sector that accounts for the greatest number of workers killed each year.

“These figures do not include those individuals that have sustained serious, life changing injuries, resulting from a fall from height.

“In this case Aaron and his family have had their lives changed forever following what was a completely avoidable incident.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and assisted by paralegal Jason Dix.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Driver of dumper truck was instructed not to wear seatbelt
• Incident happened on housing construction site near Wigan in 2022
• Excavations on the site were not adequately protected

A groundworks company based in Warrington has been fined after a worker was seriously injured when a dumper truck overturned.

The incident happened on 10 October 2022 on a construction site in Ince. The driver had been reversing the one-tonne truck when it entered an unprotected excavation and overturned. The man, 27 at the time, was thrown from the vehicle as he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time. He sustained crushing injuries to his leg, resulting in a broken foot and ankle.

An investigation into the incident by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the man had not been wearing a seatbelt – despite HSE guidance and the dumper truck’s manufacturer’s instructions to do so.

Investigators discovered Jim Yates Limited had instructed workers not to wear seat belts while operating one-tonne dumper trucks. Instead, operators routinely fastened the seat belt behind them before sitting on top of it. This disabled the vehicle’s seat belt warning system and gave the false impression that the restraint was being worn correctly.

The investigation also found that open excavations on the site were not adequately protected to prevent vehicles from entering them

HSE guidance highlights that one-tonne dumper trucks are particularly vulnerable to overturning. Employers should ensure excavations are suitably protected to prevent vehicle access and operators should always wear seat belts so they remain within the protection provided by the vehicle’s rollover protection structure if an overturn occurs. Guidance on dumpers is available at hse.gov.uk.

Jim Yates & Sons Limited of Warrington Road, Risley, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £4,824 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 14 July 2026.

HSE Inspector Seve Gomez-Aspron MBE said:

“Incidents involving workplace transport continue to cause death and life-changing injuries every year, and overturning remains one of the biggest risks when using dumper trucks.

“This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been prevented. Suitable protection should have been in place to stop vehicles entering the excavation, and operators should never be instructed not to wear a seat belt.

“Seat belts are a vital safety feature. They keep operators inside the protective zone created by the vehicle’s rollover protection structure if a dumper overturns, significantly reducing the risk of serious injury or death.

“Had suitable edge protection also been installed around the excavation and the operator been wearing the seat belt, these serious injuries could have been avoided.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Mathew Reynolds and paralegal officer Benjamin Stobbart.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: Dumpers – HSE.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

• Worker killed after being crushed by a 1.6 tonne concrete weight at a cement bagging plant.
• A section of perimeter fencing had been routinely removed, exposing dangerous moving parts of machinery.
• Employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.

A cement company in Sharpness has been fined £1,000,000 after an employee was killed when he was crushed by machinery in a cement bagging plant.

Martin Bennett, 35 was working for Dragon Alfa Cement Limited at its facility in Gloucestershire, on 4 August 2021 when he was found crushed to death by a 1.6 tonne concrete weight, which was used to raise pallets full of 25 kg bags of cement.

In a victim personal statement, Martin’s wife, Layla, paid tribute to his kindness and generosity:

“He was kind, I mean right down to the very bones of him kind, he would always put himself last even if you didn’t want him to. He would give you the shirt off his back, last pound in his pocket, whatever you needed it was yours.”

One of Martin’s daughters said that answering the door to police officers bringing the news of her father’s death had such a profound impact on her that she is still unable to answer the door without feeling anxious.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a large section of the equipment’s perimeter fencing had routinely been removed over a prolonged period. This allowed full access into the dangerous parts of the machinery, including moving parts that presented a risk of serious injury or death.

HSE found that Dragon Alfa Cement Limited failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees, including Martin Bennett, by failing to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery.

HSE guidance states employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery. Wherever possible this should be through fixed guards. Further guidance can be found here.

Dragon Alfa Cement Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £1,000,000 and ordered to pay £9621 in costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 21 July 2026.

HSE inspector Oliver Guiver said:

“Martin Bennett lost his life in an incident that should never have happened.

“The company repeatedly failed to ensure dangerous parts of this machinery were properly guarded, despite suitable safeguards being available. Had those measures been in place, Martin would not have died.

“Our thoughts remain with Martin’s family. He went to work expecting to return home at the end of the day, but because of the devastating consequences of these failings, he never did.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes, supported by paralegal officer Lynne Thomas and external Barrister Jemima Lovatt, of Cornerstone Barristers.

Further Information

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Guidance on the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) can be found here.
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences in England can be found here; and those for Scotland here.

A food manufacturer has been fined after employees were at risk of developing occupational asthma a factory in Buckingham.

Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court heard how workers at Puratos Limited were at risk after HSE found the levels of inhalable dust at the site could cause illnesses such as occupational asthma.

A HSE inspection carried out on 03 December 2024 identified a number of unsafe practices, including dust escaping from machinery due to leaks, the use of compressed airlines to blow down dust deposits and dry sweeping using brushes and brooms.

A workplace dust monitoring report from18 December 2024 confirmed that employees were exposed to inhalable dust concentrations above the workplace exposure limits set by HSE during the testing undertaken.

HSE has been carrying out a series of inspections at inspections at large bakeries across Great Britain from January 2026. Inspectors have been checking that employers are properly protecting workers from the dangers of dusty ingredients including flour dust.

The investigation also found that workers were required to manually lift 25kg sacks of ingredients on a daily basis. Repeated manual handling of heavy loads can lead to musculoskeletal injuries and should be avoided where reasonably practicable.

The site had also previously been inspected in 2021 with enforcement action being taken in relation to employees’ exposure to dust as well as manual handling risks arising from its food manufacturing activities.

Puratos Limited, of Buckingham Industrial Park, Buckingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6270 at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on 17 July 2026.

Following the hearing, HSE inspector Emma Page said:

“Too many workers in bakeries are suffering from unnecessary exposure to dusty ingredients, including flour. When employers prevent exposure, the risk of occupational asthma is removed.

“In the food and drink industries, around one-third of reportable injuries are acute injuries caused by handling and lifting. Employers must ensure they are properly protecting workers from the dangers of dusty ingredients and the manual handling of heavy materials.”

Notes to Editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: Flour (Bakers and millers) – COSHH
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continues to support Farm Safety Week, with new figures for 2025/26 revealing that children and older workers remain disproportionately at risk on Britain’s farms. Agriculture remains the industry with the highest rate of work-related fatalities.

Provisional data for 2025/26 shows that 29 people were killed in agriculture, forestry and fishing, including seven members of the public, three of whom were children. Over the last five years, nine children have lost their lives on Britain’s farms, representing 6% of all work-related fatal injuries in the sector. At the other end of the age spectrum, over 65s accounted for half of all worker fatalities in 2025/26 — a stark reminder that older farmers face particular risks in what remains a challenging working environment.

Over the last five years, the sector has averaged 28 work-related deaths per year. Measured per 100,000 workers, the fatal injury rate is five times higher than construction and 21 times higher than the all-industry average. Vehicles, falling objects, falls from height, animals and machinery continue to be the main causes of death, with moving or overturning vehicles alone claiming eight lives in 2025/26.

Wayne Owen, HSE inspector for agriculture said:

“The continued loss of life, particularly the deaths of nine children on Britain’s farms over the last five years, is both tragic and unacceptable.

“These are not inevitable accidents; many result from risks that could and should be controlled.

“Children, particularly young children, should not be in the farm workplace — they should be in a safe, fenced area such as a farmhouse garden.

“We are also deeply concerned about the number of older workers losing their lives. Over 65s account for half of all worker fatalities

“Meaningful and lasting improvement will only come through a significant cultural change across the industry — one that starts on every farm and with every farmer.

“HSE will continue to work with industry partners, including Britain’s Farm Safety Partnerships, to drive the cultural change that is so desperately needed.”

Free guidance, including , including What a good farm looks like and Farmwise Great if we can include these two publications as links (also available in Welsh), with both available at Agriculture – HSE.

Further information:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
3. Guidance for the agriculture industry is available – Agriculture – HSE.