Company fined after worker suffers fractured spine

A construction company has been sentenced after a worker was injured while demolishing a farm building.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 20 September 2017, an employee of Northern Structures Ltd was removing roof sheets from a timber frame farm building when he fell approximately 4 metres through one of the asbestos cement roof sheets onto the ground below, suffering a fractured spine.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that, while a risk assessment and method statement were in place to remove the roof sheets from below, this method was then changed to remove them from above. It was during this process that the employee fell through a roof sheet.

Northern Structures Ltd of Amble Industrial Estate, Amble, Northumberland pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1)(a) and Regulation 4(1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £150,000 with £791.70 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Loren Wilmot said:

“Suitable and sufficient measures should have been in place through the use of alternative access equipment.

“This would have negated the need for the employee to be on the roof of the building, therefore eliminating the risk of a fall from height through the roof sheets.”

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
  2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
  3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.



Logistics company fined after death of worker

A Dudley-based logistics company has been fined after a worker died when he was trapped between a trailer and his vehicle.

Dudley Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 22 January 2016, a Tuffnells Parcels Express Limited employee was fatally injured whilst attempting to attach a trailer to his vehicle. The trailer was parked upon a slight slope, which was enough to allow it to roll forward trapping the employee.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found safety management arrangements for coupling trailers to vehicles failed to take account of the slope.

Tuffnells Parcels Express Limited of Wallows Industrial Estate, Dudley pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and has been fined £1.5 million and ordered to pay costs of £ 32,823.35

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Karl Raw said:

“Had Tuffnells taken the slope into account, simple measures could have been taken that would have prevented this incident. Workplace transport remains a high risk environment, and this case serves as a reminder to industry that assessments of sites should be specific and identify the hazards unique to each yard. It is also a reminder that the slope a vehicle is parked on does not need to be steep for incidents to occur.

“This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to adopt robust management action in both planning and monitoring of the workplace and workplace actions at this site.”

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
  2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
  3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
  4. Further information about health and safety in workplace transport can be                                                                                    found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/driving.htm

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.



Capita announced as preferred bidder for Gas Safe services

Capita Plc will continue to operate the official register of engineers licensed to undertake gas work on behalf of The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

HSE today announced the outsourcing company as the preferred bidder to deliver the five-year contract.

Following a robust public procurement process, Capita Gas Registration and Ancillary Services (CGRAS) – a division of Capita Plc – was declared the preferred bidder to provide Gas Safe registration services from 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2024.

The contract award is now subject to a statutory 10-day standstill period in which other companies can contest the decision.

CGRAS will continue its provision of the service having operated the Register since 2009 but with several service enhancements.

Philip White, HSE’s Director of Regulation, said: “During the procurement process we received several strong bids and we are pleased with the interest the tender opportunity generated.

“The bid from Capita / CGRAS was the strongest on cost and quality and we are confident they will continue to raise the standards of gas safety and provide a gas safe home for everyone.”

HSE said that in addition to the strength of Capita’s bid for the next concession, it felt assured by the way CGRAS had managed GSR services over the last nine years.

Mr White added: “We will continue to employ a thorough governance process, including key performance indicators and service level agreements with potential financial penalties to manage the contract closely to ensure services are delivered in a cost-effective manner and the needs of gas engineers and consumers are met.”

The Gas Safe Register is fully funded by registration fees (it has around 132,000 registered engineers and 75,000 registered businesses) and fees for building regulation notifications.

There is no action required for businesses and engineers currently registered and no change to registrations or renewal dates. All contact numbers will remain the same and registered engineers will be informed by the provider of any changes to the service that may affect them before they are introduced.

Anyone working on a gas appliance without being registered is doing so illegally and could be prosecuted.

Notes to Editors: 

  • The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
  • More about the legislation referred to in this press release can be found at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2451/contents/made  
  • HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk 
  • The Gas Safe Register is the only official list of domestic gas engineers who are competent and can work legally on gas appliances and installations. 
  • The current registration fees are available on the Gas Safe Register website (https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help-and-advice/becoming-registered/registration-fees/) . The initial registration fee is £362, with an annual renewal charge of £152 (if renewing online). 
  • The services the Gas Safe Register provides include:
    • Consumer access to the list of registered engineers (allowing consumers to check that engineers are registered and competent to complete planned work)
    • Technical helpline and advice for engineers
    • An inspection regime to monitor engineers’ competency, with sanctions for unsafe gas work
    • Raising consumer awareness of gas safety and carbon monoxide risks
  • There will be several changes and improvements during the new concession, including:
    • A single UK-wide service that will operate across Great Britain and Northern Ireland
    • Revised inspection targets – by applying a risk-based approach to target inspections where they will have most impact, the number of inspections will reflect the number of businesses registered and the risk these businesses and their engineers represent. This will result in an estimated increase of approx. 20% in the number of inspections in Year 1 compared to the final year of current agreement.
    • Enabling registered engineers to more easily access data held about them (such as inspection history and findings, risk rating).
    • A commitment to explore the benefits of introducing student registration.
    • The introduction of an advisory panel to the Register with representation from across the industry, focussing on the smaller businesses that are not represented on other industry platforms, to improve engagement and communication between the industry and the Register.
  • In 2017, HSE issued more than £800,000 in fines and prosecutions resulted in a combined five years of jail time.
  • Further information about the services provided by Gas Safe Register is available on the HSE website and the Gas Safe Register website.


Car wash company fined for insurance breach

A car wash company has been fined for not having employers’ liability insurance.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how the company was unable to produce a certificate of insurance during an inspection which was part of an initiative with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the discovery in January 2018, found that the company did not have employers’ liability insurance in place so was unable to produce a certificate. Employers’ liability insurance ensures employers have at least the minimum level of insurance to cover against claims brought by employees that are injured at work or become ill as a result of their work.

GMG Car Wash Ltd of Exeter Street, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4(2)(b) of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 and has been fined £650 and ordered to pay costs of £500.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Christopher Maher said: “Employers carrying out a business in the United Kingdom must have Employers’ liability insurance in place. Should an incident have occurred at the premises the failure to have insurance would mean that employees may not get any compensation for any injuries or ill-health attributable to their work.”

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
  2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
  3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
  4. Further information about Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.pdf

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.



Company fined for insurance breach

A company that carries out maintenance and repair of motor vehicles has been fined for not having employers’ liability insurance.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how the company were unable to produce a certificate of insurance during an inspection which was part of an initiative with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the discovery in January 2018, found that the company did not have employers’ liability insurance in place so were unable to produce a certificate. Employers’ liability insurance ensures employers have at least the minimum level of insurance to cover against claims brought by employees that are injured at work or become ill as a result of their work.

A E Motors Birmingham Ltd Florence Street, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4(2)(b) of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 and have been fined £726 and ordered to pay costs of £557.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Karen Sweeney said: “Employers carrying out a business in the United Kingdom must have Employers’ liability insurance in place. There have been over 7,000 injuries and 33 fatalities during the past five years in motor vehicle repair shops. Should an incident have occurred at the premises the failure to have insurance would mean that employees may not get any compensation for any injuries or ill-health attributable to their work.”

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
  2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
  3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
  4. Further information about Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.pdf

Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.