• Worker suffered life-changing crush injuries to arm after being pulled into a conveyor belt.
• Contact with moving machinery is one of the most common causes of workplace fatalities in Great Britain.
• HSE investigation found that the business had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.

A Bristol-based waste and recycling business has been fined after a worker was drawn into machinery and suffered life changing-injuries.

On 27 January 2024 a worker undertaking duties at Bateman Skips Ltd waste and recycling facility in Bristol slipped and made contact with the unguarded tail-end of a conveyor belt that was carrying waste materials.

The worker was attempting to clear a blockage that had occurred on the plant when their arm was dragged into the machine causing crush injuries that resulted in bone fractures, severe lacerations to the arm, nerve damage and a fractured rib.

In a victim personal statement, the injured worker said:

“I used to enjoy riding my bike, playing darts and snooker with my sons, working on cars and I am now unable to do any of these tasks.”

“This has been the most traumatic thing I have ever experienced both physically and mentally, and I know it will continue to affect me for the rest of my life.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bateman Skips Ltd failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees by failing to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery and by failing to implement a safe system of work for clearing a blockages within its waste recovery facility.

HSE guidance on the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) states that if part of a machine could present a reasonably foreseeable risk of harm, that part is considered a dangerous part of machinery.

Employers must protect their employees from dangerous parts of machinery by ensuring a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk is undertaken and safeguarding arrangements are in place such as the installation of guards and the implementation of a system of work which includes isolation of the plant ahead of any maintenance or cleaning activity, clear instructions, training and adequate supervision. PUWER guidance is freely available on the HSE website: PUWER 1998: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Open learning guidance – HSE

Bateman Skips Ltd, of Broadmead Lane Industrial Estate, Bristol, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 and breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company was fined £64,666 and ordered to pay £4,657 in costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 5 June 2026.

HSE Inspector Laura Artosi said:

“Workers coming into contact with moving machinery is one of the most common causes of workplace fatalities in Great Britain. Quite often, this relates to poorly guarded machines and the lack of a robust health and safety management system.

“This wholly preventable incident caused this person and their family physical and emotional pain which has been affecting their lives ever since.

“Employers have a duty to create a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. In this instance, had Bateman Skips Ltd ensured guarding was installed to the tail-end of the conveyor machine and had the company implemented a safe system of work for clearing a blockage within their waste and recycling facility, this incident would not have occurred”.

This HSE prosecution was brought before the Court by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Jonathan Bambro and Paralegal Officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

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 are available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here: Safe use of work equipment – HSE;  Machinery – 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.

• Mykhalio Hustei, 35, had been working and living on the site.
• He fell down an exposed excavation hole after returning from a night out.
• Company only made site safe after his tragic death.

A construction company has been fined after a man drowned  when hefell into an exposed excavation hole described as a ‘death trap’, at  a building site in Hertfordshire.

Mykhalio Hustei had been working for Alchemist DB Limited as a labourer on a project building several flats on the High Street in Bovington. The 35-year-old had been living in a property adjoining the site when he attempted to make his way home from a night out on 22 October 2021. However, as he tried to access his own home he fell into one of the exposed excavation holes that was filled with rainwater. His body wasn’t found until around 2pm the following day.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Alchemist DB Limited had been acting as a contractor to build the flats as part of a family-run property development business. New excavation foundations had been dug for the building footings. However, they were crisscrossing the construction site without any designated safe walkways.

The investigation also found the company had failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of those moving around and working at the site. At best, large boards and planks were used as bridges over excavations. The boards and planks were slippery and bowed when walked across. The site was also open to the weather, making it highly likely it would be slippery after rain, increasing the risk to those at site. There was also no dedicated lighting to the site and the boards and planks didn’t have handrails and weren’t secured.

The company only made the site safe after HSE inspectors visited the site following Mr Hustei’s death and took enforcement action. This included them installing dedicated walkways bridging over exposed excavations using scaffolding framework to prevent falls.

HSE guidance clearly states that no work should take place until all excavations are made safe. This includes protecting the edges of excavations with substantial barriers where people are liable to fall into them. Our guidance on excavation is available at hse.gov.uk.

Alchemist DB Limited of Devonshire House, Manor Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, were sentenced in absence for breaching Regulation 22(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs at a hearing in Luton Magistrates Court on 29 May 2026.

Alchemist DB Limited of Devonshire House, Manor Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, were sentenced in absence for breaching Regulation 22(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs at a hearing in Luton Magistrates Court on 29 May 2026.  Since the incident, the company is now in liquidation.

HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed said:

“As always, our thoughts remain with the family of Mr Hustei, a young man who was just setting out on his career in construction.

“He had been simply returning to his flat after socialising with friends.

“However, the site was quite literally a death trap.

“The measures put in place by the company after his tragic death are a crude reminder about what could and should have been done in the first place.

“We will always take action against those who fail to protect people from risk.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Rebecca Forman.

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 on excavation is available at hse.gov.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.

Britain’s health and safety regulator is part of a landmark project that could transform air travel, and shows how safety expertise drives innovation, not holds it back.

Scientists at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have helped deliver a major milestone in hydrogen-powered flight, in partnership with Rolls-Royce – after the successful test of the first jet engine to reach full take-off power running on 100% hydrogen.

The project was part of a world-first programme of hydrogen aviation research for Rolls-Royce, which demonstrates how Britain’s science-led regulatory expertise is helping to unlock the technologies needed to achieve net zero flight.

HSE’s specialist team of scientists at its state-of-the-art Science and Research Centre in Buxton worked with Rolls-Royce to design, manufacture and install high-flow, high-pressure hydrogen control and monitoring gas supply infrastructure. The program culminated in the Engine GH2 test – the first time in the world that work of this type has been performed.

At the heart of HSE’s contribution was its support for Rolls-Royce’s rig test programme. HSE’s scientists provided rigorous safety analysis of the test design, combining deep technical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience of safe working with hydrogen in demanding environments. This enabled the programme to move from initial design through to commissioning and live testing at pace, without compromising on safety.

HSE’s hydrogen research team has been at the forefront of hydrogen research across multiple sectors for over 20 years. The team has worked with major UK aerospace companies including Airbus and Rolls-Royce, supporting projects that work closely with the Aerospace Technology Institute and directly advance the UK Government’s growth agenda.

This programme exemplifies HSE’s ambition to enable industry to innovate safely – demonstrating that strong safety foundations are not a barrier to growth, but one of the essential conditions that makes it possible.

Dr Nigel A Moss, Aerospace Sector Manager at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, said:

“Safety is always front and centre within the aerospace sector and the development of hydrogen as an alternative to hydrocarbon-based jet fuel presents challenges across many different technical fronts.

“Our team’s work here is not about slowing innovation down – it is precisely what enables it to proceed at pace and with confidence. Getting the safety foundations right is what makes breakthroughs like this possible.”

Adam Newman, Chief Engineer, Hydrogen Demonstrator Programme, Rolls-Royce, commented:

“This programme has given us the clearest understanding in the industry of how hydrogen behaves in a modern aero gas turbine. Through a collaborative, staged testing approach, we have validated combustion, fuel and control system technologies, and demonstrated the safe use of hydrogen through design, commissioning, maintenance and testing.

“We have explored a wide range of operating conditions, including fault scenarios, enabling operation at maximum power and across a full flight cycle. The pace of delivery has been critical, and the insights gained, many of which are fuel agnostic, will now be applied across our future programmes, including UltraFan®, strengthening our confidence that the gas turbine will remain at the forefront of sustainable aviation’s future.”

Further Information

• 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.
• HSE’s Science and Research Centre is based in Buxton, Derbyshire. It is a world-leading centre for applied science, engineering and research in health and safety.
• Rolls-Royce plc is a world-leading industrial technology company. Its aerospace division develops and manufactures power and propulsion systems for civil and defence aviation.

Construction company fined after joiner suffers life-changing injuries in skylight fall

• Joiner suffered a complete spinal cord injury after falling through an unsecured skylight opening.
• Principal contractor failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work.
• Worker found by his son, the only other person present on site.

A mechanical and engineering construction company based in Manchester has been fined after a joiner suffered life-changing injuries when he fell through a skylight opening while carrying out work on a domestic property in Altrincham.

Adam Kirkpatrick had been subcontracted by JLM Solutions Limited to construct the timber frame for a new roof. On 22 November 2023, the 53-year-old was walking across a piece of plyboard that had been placed over roof light openings in the roof structure. The board had not been secured and gave way beneath him, causing him to fall from height.

Mr Kirkpatrick’s son was the only other person present on site at the time of the incident, after the rest of the workforce had left for the day. He called an ambulance, and Mr Kirkpatrick was taken to hospital, where he was found to have suffered multiple injuries including a head injury, fractured ribs, a fractured sternum and a complete spinal cord injury. He is now paralysed from the waist down.

He said: “I have worked in the construction industry since leaving school. I loved my job.

“I have always been able to provide for my family. Before the accident my wife had gone part time and we were making plans for retirement and spending more time with our grandchildren. This all changed due to the accident.

“It has gone from me being provider for the family to having to rely on other people.

“This accident has impacted my health. I have no feeling below my belly button, I suffer with severe nerve pain and have to self-catheter.

“Only for the NHS I wouldn’t be here today — they have saved my life.”

Mr Kirkpatrick’s wife Julie said: “On the day I was told that Adam would never walk again our world was turned upside down.

“Adam just loved to work. He lived for what he did and did it all for his family.

“It breaks my heart that Adam will never chase after his grandchildren again. He will never be able to play football with the boys or dance with his granddaughter. Everything my husband worked so hard for was to enjoy retirement and spend time with his grandchildren. That dream has been shattered since the accident.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that JLM Solutions Limited, acting as the principal contractor, failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the roof work. The company did not ensure suitable measures and equipment were in place to prevent or protect against falls from height and there was a lack of adequate site supervision during the work.

HSE guidance states that good management of health and safety in construction is crucial to the successful delivery of a construction project and principal contractors have an important role in managing the risks of construction work.

Principal contractors must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase and ensure subcontractors have effective preventative and protective measures in place, alongside appropriate supervision, Guidance on health and safety management in construction can be found here: Managing health and safety in construction. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Guidance on regulations L153

HSE also has detailed guidance on how to plan and carry out work at height safely which highlights the important of using suitable work equipment and implementing effective control measures to prevent falls available here: Health and safety in roof work.

JLM Solutions Limited, of Elliott Street, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,850 and a victim surcharge of £2,000 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 26 May 2026.

HSE Inspector Karen Farley said: “Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace death and serious injury. The risks are well known throughout the construction industry.

“This prosecution highlights the importance of properly managing work at height activities. Had suitable control measures been implemented, such as a safe working platform combined with appropriate supervision, this incident would not have occurred and Mr Kirkpatrick would not have sustained these significant life-changing injuries.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew 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 Work at height – 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.

• Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited has been fined after a yard operative was struck by a forklift truck at its Aberdeen Harbour premises.
• An HSE investigation found the company failed to ensure adequate separation between pedestrians and vehicles during loading and unloading operations.

A shipping company based in Aberdeen has been fined after an employee suffered serious and life-changing injuries when he was struck by a forklift truck at the company’s yard.

A 43-year-old man was working at Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited’s premises at Palmerston Quay, Aberdeen, when he was struck by a reversing forklift truck driven by a colleague on 26 September 2024. The worker was on foot, unclipping the curtain side of an articulated trailer, when the rear nearside wheel of the forklift made contact with his right leg, pulling him to the ground.

The worker suffered multiple fractures to his right foot and lower leg, as well as a de-gloving injury, undergoing two surgical procedures and skin grafts. He has also required counselling because of the incident and has yet to return to work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited failed to ensure its workplace was organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles could circulate safely. While the company had a traffic management plan in place, it lacked the necessary detail to ensure that loading and unloading – which routinely took place concurrently in the same area – could be carried out safely without putting employees on foot at risk from moving vehicles.

HSE concluded it was reasonably foreseeable that an employee on foot faced a risk of being struck by a moving vehicle when both the pedestrian and driver were concentrating on their respective tasks near each other.

Following the investigation, an Improvement Notice was served on the company. In response, Streamline made a series of improvements to its traffic management arrangements to the satisfaction of HSE.

By law, employers must ensure traffic routes can be used without putting workers at risk. Guidance on managing vehicle movements in the workplace is available on the HSE website.

Streamline Shipping Agencies Limited, of Streamline Terminal, Blaikies Quay, Aberdeen, AB11 5PU, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £146,700 and ordered to pay a Victim Surcharge of £11,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 22 May 2026.

HSE Inspector Nicky Smith said:

“This was a serious and wholly avoidable incident that has had a profound and lasting impact on this worker’s life.

“Employers have a legal duty to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles can move safely within their workplaces, particularly in busy areas where loading and unloading takes place.

“Having a traffic management plan is not enough if it does not contain the detail needed to protect workers on the ground.

“We will not hesitate to hold companies to account when they fall short of their  obligations.”

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: Transport safety in waste and recycling – 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 in Scotland can be found here.