Oct162026
Closed call for comments on a draft risk profile for polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and mixed polybrominated/chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, excluding polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans.
Oct162026
A vehicle recovery driver has pleaded guilty after a runaway Range Rover he failed to secure rolled down a hill in Bournemouth, dragging him beneath the vehicle before crushing a member of the public who attempted to help.
Sean Baker, a vehicle recovery driver for GRS Recovery Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 following the incident on Exeter Crescent, Bournemouth.
CCTV footage shows Sean Baker being dragged beneath the Range Rover after it suddenly rolled away during a recovery operation on a steep hill.
Nearby, Kai Dransfield was on a break from his job at TGI Fridays when he witnessed the incident unfold.
He saw the Range Rover begin to roll down the hill with Sean Baker trapped beneath it and later described him as “hanging on for dear life”.
Mr Dransfield said:
“He made eye contact with me, and my first thought was to just grab him to try and help him.”
In attempting to help, Mr Dransfield was struck by the vehicle and pulled underneath it.
The Range Rover rolled over both of his legs, causing serious injuries including multiple broken bones in his legs and fractures to his spine.
More than four years later, Mr Dransfield continues to suffer constant pain and has difficulty walking.
HSE found that Sean Baker had initially attached a winch to the front of the Range Rover, which would have prevented the vehicle rolling away if the handbrake was released or failed.
However, he later removed the winch, jacked up the vehicle and placed skates beneath the rear wheels.
The wheels were not secured with chocks and no breakaway cables were attached. As a result, when the vehicle was lowered onto the skates there was nothing in place to prevent it rolling away down the incline.
This resulted in Sean Baker becoming trapped beneath the vehicle and being dragged down the road as it rolled downhill.
The investigation concluded that Sean Baker failed to take reasonable care for his own safety and that of others by not following established recovery procedures. HSE found that his actions fell far below the standard expected of a competent and experienced recovery driver.
HSE guidance states that all risks must be properly assessed and safe systems for working at the roadside prepared. Further guidance can be found here: Essential precautions for working roadside.
Sean Baker pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Sean Baker received 14-week prison sentence, suspended for one year at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 16 October 2026.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Alexander Ashen said:
“Sean Baker was an experienced recovery driver. Failing to properly secure a vehicle weighing more than two tonnes on a steep hill was a fundamental error.
“This happened in a busy town centre, close to restaurants and car parks, with vehicles, motorcyclists and pedestrians regularly passing through the area.
“Sean Baker’s failings were substantial, they exposed everyone nearby to risk and resulted in a member of the public, who stepped in to help, suffering life-changing injuries.
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Andrew Siddall and paralegal Officer, Gabrielle O’Sullivan.
Further Information
Oct162026
A Telford-based electrical wholesaler and manufacturer has been fined £4million after an employee sustained life-changing injuries when he was crushed during loading operations using a forklift truck.
The 40-year-old father of one from Telford was working for City Electrical Factors Limited at its Proteus Switchgear Industrial Division on 4 October 2024 when the incident happened.
The man had been acting as a “spotter” while a forklift truck loaded heavy switchboard equipment onto a flatbed lorry. The load, which weighed 231kg, was not secured to the forklift and fell on top of him. He sustained brain and spine injuries and underwent lifesaving surgery. However, he can no longer do anything for himself and is unable to communicate with others. As a result of these injuries, he now lives in a care home and requires 24/7 care.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that City Electrical Factors Limited failed to ensure that the lifting operation was properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner. There was no risk assessment or lift plan, and employees had not been provided with information or instructions about the lifting operation, despite this being a regular activity.
The investigation also found that the load could have been secured to the forklift truck using pre-existing anchor points. The load also had lifting eyes welded to it, which meant that the crane attached to the delivery lorry could have been used as a safer alternative to the forklift truck. Instead, employees were appointed as “spotters” and were expected to steady the loads whilst they were being moved and lifted. This was clearly an unsafe and unnecessary system of work.
HSE guidance states that lift plans should address the risks identified by the risk assessment and identify the resources required, the procedures and the responsibilities so that risks are managed, and any lifting operation is carried out safely. You can read more about our guidance here: Planning and organising lifting operations – HSE.
City Electrical Factors Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £4m and ordered to pay £6,304 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 16 October 2026.
HSE inspector Keeley Eves said:
“This incident had truly tragic consequences.
“To make matters worse it was completely avoidable and caused by a failure to properly plan for the job taking place.
“The company could have used safer alternative methods to lift the load, such as the lorry-mounted crane which was available, instead of using the forklift truck.
“Instead, the employee was placed at unnecessary risk and now has to live with his devastating injuries.
“Loading and unloading operations remain one of the most hazardous transport activities in the workplace. Employers must ensure that lifting operations are properly planned by competent persons, supervised and carried out safely.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Julian White and paralegal officer Lynne Thomas, while the investigation was supported by visiting officer Sarah Ough.
Further information:
Oct162026
Check if your business in Great Britain or one of the Crown Dependencies is approved to export to the EU and find out what your TRACES number is.
Oct162026
One of Britain’s leading fishing industry firms has been fined £100,000 after an apprentice engineer died in the engine room of a trawler in Newlyn Harbour.
Conor Moseley, aged 20, died when fire extinguisher gases left him unable to escape the engine room of a trawler on 15 November 2019.
Conor and three other workers were carrying out work on the Resurgam, a fishing vessel owned and operated by W. Stevenson & Sons Limited, when a fire suppression system being installed by Ocean Engineering (Fire) Ltd unexpectedly activated. It filled the engine room with hot, toxic gases, creating dangerous conditions and making it difficult to see.
The small, enclosed engine room had only one way in and out. Workers had to climb a ladder and pass through a hatch one at a time, passing through a gas jet in excess of 75°C. The other workers managed to climb out, but Conor was overcome by carbon monoxide and other substances, leaving him unable to escape.
His colleagues tried to rescue him, putting themselves at risk in the process, but they were unable to reach him. Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service later rescued Conor from the engine room, but he could not be revived.
Tracy Moseley, Conor’s mother, reflected on her son’s life and the impact his death has had on them.
“Growing up Conor loved nothing better than helping out on his dad’s boat.
“Conor always made himself available to help his father when he came in from sea and would be ready to help him land his catch even after a full day’s work. Now for Steve, my husband, there is just an empty place that cannot be filled.
“All we have now are his ashes which are kept in his bedroom. Every morning I go in and say, ‘morning little man I love you’ and blow him a kiss. I never say ‘good morning’ as it can never be a good morning without him.
“At night I blow him a kiss and say ‘night night little man, I love you’.”
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the risks created by several contractors working in the cramped engine room had not been properly considered. One contractor described the room as a mess, with poor lighting and trip hazards, and said that at one point six or seven people were working in the space. One witness described it as chaos.
There was no safe system of work for installing the fire suppression system and no effective emergency plan. A permit-to-work system could have been used to coordinate the different activities and ensure they were carried out safely. HSE’s Safety in Docks Approved Code of Practice highlights the need for parties to work together and have an overall written plan covering responsibilities, shared risks and emergency arrangements.
At Truro Crown Court on 15 October 2026, W. Stevenson & Sons Ltd entered guilty pleas to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, sections 2(1) and 3(1). The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £27,906.
HSE principal inspector Helena Allum said:
“This was a particularly complicated case requiring significant HSE specialist and scientific input. A number of duty holders played a part in the circumstances leading to the death of Conor; all were investigated.
“While W. Stevenson & Sons Ltd was not responsible for the fire suppression system going off unexpectedly, it was responsible for considering what could go wrong during the installation and maintenance activities, and coordinating them so that as few people as possible were put at risk.
“They had not considered how workers could be quickly rescued in an emergency and receive prompt medical attention. This should be a key consideration when people are working in a restricted space.
“Conor’s death was a tragedy. He need not have been in the engine room at the time. When the worst happened, they couldn’t get him out in time to save him.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE senior enforcement lawyer Jon Mack and paralegal officer Mike Millman.
Further information: