Blyth Marble Limited has been fined after a worker was killed when granite slabs fell from a lorry loader at the company’s premises in Larkhall.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that on 4 September 2024, Steven White, 61, was offloading granite slabs from a lorry loader at Blyth Marble Limited’s premises at 1 Carlisle Road, Larkhall. Mr White was working on top of the flatbed section of the lorry when two granite slabs, with a combined weight of over 900 kilograms, fell and struck him, causing fatal injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that vertical safety posts, which provide a physical barrier to prevent slabs from toppling, had been removed during the offloading operation. While it was accepted custom and practice for the posts to remain fitted during offloading it was not specified in the company’s Safe System of Work.

The investigation also found that while lifting two slabs at once was regular practice, the company’s Safe System of Work failed to distinguish between single slab lifting and multiple slab lifting and lacked specific instruction for handling multiple slabs. Additionally, Mr White was working alone on the lorry loader, whereas the Safe System of Work specified that two people should be involved in offloading operations.

Further information on the safe handling of stone slabs and lifting operations can be found at Handling and storage of large sheet stone slabs – HSE and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) – HSE.

Blyth Marble Limited, of Carlton Industrial Estate, Carlton In Lindrick, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £50,000 with a victim surcharge of £3,750 at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 28 January 2026.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector Martin McMahon said:

“This was a tragic incident which could have been prevented had the company made sure the   appropriate safety measures were in place and followed during offloading operations.

“Employers must ensure that safe systems of work are not only in place but are sufficiently detailed to address all foreseeable risks, including the requirement for safety equipment to remain in position and for adequate personnel to be present during hazardous operations.

Our thoughts remain with Steven White’s loved ones, and we hope today’s verdict offers them a measure of closure.”

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 Handling and storage of large sheet stone slabs – HSE and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) – HSE.

5.    HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed.

• Unqualified gas work led to three potentially dangerous gas leaks at family home.
• Property left without heating or hot water for six weeks.
• Man sentenced to 200 hours’ unpaid work and £2,000 costs.

A man has been sentenced after his illegal gas work put the lives of an Ulverston family at risk.

Lee Lancaster, 38, installed a gas combi boiler and gas pipework at a family home in in February 2024. After completing the work, one of the occupiers smelled gas near their meter box. They contacted Cadent, who identified three different gas leaks.  As a result, the gas supply to the house was shut off for six weeks, leaving the family of four without heating or hot water.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was alerted to the incident by Gas Safe following their inspection, which classified the work carried out as Immediately Dangerous. A subsequent investigation by HSE discovered that Mr Lancaster did not hold any qualifications in relation to gas work and was not competent to undertake such work safely.  It also identified that he was not on the Gas Safe Register; the official list of gas engineers who are qualified to work legally on gas installations.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require those undertaking gas work to be Gas Safe registered and to hold the relevant qualifications to demonstrate their competence.

Members of the public are reminded that all gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Anyone can check whether an engineer is registered by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk or calling 0800 408 5500.

Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and potentially dangerous, as unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Lee Lancaster, of New Market Street, Ulverston, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(1) and 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order where he must undertake 200 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £2,000 costs at a hearing at Barrow-in-Furness Magistrates’ Court on 23 January 2026.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Matthew Shepherd said:

“The risks from uncontrolled gas leaks are well known and can be fatal.

“Mr Lancaster knew he was unqualified and not Gas Safe registered yet still took on this work, putting a family in very real danger.

“We will not hesitate to take action against anyone undertaking gas work where they are not competent or registered to do so.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Chloe Ward and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas.

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: www.gassaferegister.co.uk
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.

A housing association maintenance company has been fined £400,000 after an employee died from inhaling toxic vapours from flooring adhesive.

Darren Nevill, 38, was working for Connect Property Services Limited laying a vinyl bathroom floor at a domestic property in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire on 9 December 2020.

His employer purchased an adhesive containing Dichloromethane (DCM), a highly volatile solvent. Small volumes will give off large amounts of colourless, low odour vapour, even at room temperature. He used this regularly during his employment.

On the day of his death, the hose to the pressurised glue canister became damaged, releasing a large amount of adhesive into the poorly ventilated bathroom. Mr Nevill lost consciousness and collapsed. Emergency services had to force entry to the bathroom to reach him.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Connect Property Services Limited, of Ealing Gateway, 26-30 Uxbridge Road, London, had failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure substances hazardous to health are not used when safer alternatives are available.

HSE guidance on Dichloromethane (DCM) states to avoid the use of DCM-based products whenever reasonably practicable, by using suitable and safer alternative products or methods. DCM-based products should only be used in well-ventilated areas, to prevent the build-up of vapour. Examples of poorly ventilated areas can include bathrooms, cellars, stairwells and sheeted enclosures.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. At Stevenage Magistrates Court on 26 January 2026, Connect Property Services Limited was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9676.81 with a surcharge of £190.

Prosecutor Jon Mack told the court “HSE scientists calculated that the statutory 15-minute exposure limit for DCM would have been reached within 2-13 seconds, and the final concentration in the bathroom at the time of Mr Nevill’s death would have been 84.5 times the exposure limit. Mr Nevill was found to have three times the fatal concentration of DCM.”

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed said: “Our thoughts today are with the family of Mr Nevill, who was just setting out on his career in construction. He should have returned home safely to his family at the end of his working day but, because of the failings of Connect Property Services Limited, he did not.”

The HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Neenu Bains and paralegal officer Helen Jacob.

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 Dichloromethane (DCM) – COSHH – 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.

• Three-year-old girl found unconscious during swimming pool free-play session.
• Child became trapped beneath large float during holiday camp activity.
• HSE investigation found inadequate safety documentation and communication.

A company that runs holiday camps for children across the country has been fined £6,000 after a three-year-old girl nearly drowned during a swimming pool free-play session.

The incident occurred on 26 July 2023 at Bishopsgate School in Egham, Surrey, where Oxford Active Ltd was running a holiday camp. The three-year-old girl was found face down in the swimming pool underneath a large float and was not breathing. Staff intervened and were able to resuscitate her.

The girl was part of a group of 19 children aged between three and five who were taking part in a free-play swimming session. Most of the children were non-swimmers, including the three-year-old. Staff had fitted her with two sets of armbands and provided her with a foam noodle before she entered the pool. A number of floats were present in the pool, including a large rocket-shaped float, beneath which the child became trapped. When she was found unconscious, she was no longer wearing the armbands or using the noodle.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Oxford Active Ltd’s documentation relating to pool safety and supervision was insufficiently detailed and lacked clarity. The investigation also found that the content of this documentation was not communicated effectively to staff, meaning appropriate control measures were not properly understood or implemented.

HSE guidance on swimming pool management highlights the importance of effective supervision arrangements, particularly where young or non-swimming children are involved. This includes ensuring suitable adult-to-child ratios, clear rules on the use of floats and inflatable equipment, robust risk assessments for free-play sessions, and effective emergency procedures so incidents can be identified and responded to immediately.

Oxford Active Ltd, of Oxford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £12,000 in costs at a hearing at Chichester Magistrates’ Court. A victim surcharge was also applied, amounting to forty percent of the fine, capped at £2,000. In addition, £2,000 compensation was awarded to the child’s family.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Russell Beckett said:

“It is vital that children are able to learn to swim in a safe environment and that parents can trust their children will be properly looked after while doing so.

“Fortunately, the three-year-old child recovered well, but this incident could very easily have had a tragic outcome.”

This HSE prosecution was brought be enforcement lawyer, Neenu Bains and paralegal officer, Farhat Basir.

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: Swimming pool management: Leisure activities
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.

• Three-year-old girl found unconscious during swimming pool free-play session.
• Child became trapped beneath large float during holiday camp activity.
• HSE investigation found inadequate safety documentation and communication.

A company that runs holiday camps for children across the country has been fined £6,000 after a three-year-old girl nearly drowned during a swimming pool free-play session.

The incident occurred on 26 July 2023 at Bishopsgate School in Egham, Surrey, where Oxford Active Ltd was running a holiday camp. The three-year-old girl was found face down in the swimming pool underneath a large float and was not breathing. Staff intervened and were able to resuscitate her.

The girl was part of a group of 19 children aged between three and five who were taking part in a free-play swimming session. Most of the children were non-swimmers, including the three-year-old. Staff had fitted her with two sets of armbands and provided her with a foam noodle before she entered the pool. A number of floats were present in the pool, including a large rocket-shaped float, beneath which the child became trapped. When she was found unconscious, she was no longer wearing the armbands or using the noodle.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Oxford Active Ltd’s documentation relating to pool safety and supervision was insufficiently detailed and lacked clarity. The investigation also found that the content of this documentation was not communicated effectively to staff, meaning appropriate control measures were not properly understood or implemented.

HSE guidance on swimming pool management highlights the importance of effective supervision arrangements, particularly where young or non-swimming children are involved. This includes ensuring suitable adult-to-child ratios, clear rules on the use of floats and inflatable equipment, robust risk assessments for free-play sessions, and effective emergency procedures so incidents can be identified and responded to immediately.

Oxford Active Ltd, of Oxford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £12,000 in costs at a hearing at Chichester Magistrates’ Court. A victim surcharge was also applied, amounting to forty percent of the fine, capped at £2,000. In addition, £2,000 compensation was awarded to the child’s family.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Russell Beckett said:

“It is vital that children are able to learn to swim in a safe environment and that parents can trust their children will be properly looked after while doing so.

“Fortunately, the three-year-old child recovered well, but this incident could very easily have had a tragic outcome.”

This HSE prosecution was brought be enforcement lawyer, Neenu Bains and paralegal officer, Farhat Basir.

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: Swimming pool management: Leisure activities
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.