Two UK companies have been honoured for their innovative workplace safety designs that reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in their operations. 

Ainscough Crane Hire has won the MSD Risk Reduction through Design Award 2024/25, while UPM Raflatac Ltd has received the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Recognition Award. Both awards, sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF), were presented at CIEHF’s annual awards ceremony on 28 April 2025. 

Ainscough Crane Hire developed a specialised brake and hub assembly tool set that eliminates the need for workers to manually handle heavy components weighing up to 52kg during crane maintenance. Previously, plant fitters had to adopt awkward postures in restricted spaces beneath crane wheel arches, placing significant stress on their lower backs. 

“Taking the strain out of crane maintenance has been a priority for us,” said an Ainscough Crane Hire spokesperson.

“Our maintenance and engineering colleagues collaborated to design a solution that eliminates the need to handle brake and hub assembly components.” 

A worker at Ainscough Crane Hire added: “The new tools mean brake inspections are much easier to carry out. There is no need to lift the heavy drums by hand, which previously took two people.” 

UPM Raflatac Ltd, based in Scarborough, created an ingenious trolley system for handling heavy paper reels weighing between 20kg and 90kg. The solution was proposed by a worker to eliminate manual lifting and stacking of offcut reels. 

“Our solution was truly collaborative,” said a UPM Raflatac spokesperson. “A worker proposed an initial idea, and our in-house production and engineering departments worked together to design a solution that would transform our handling processes.” 

Chris Quarrie, Chartered Ergonomist and Human Factors specialist and chair of this year’s judging panel, said: “We applaud both Ainscough Crane Hire and UPM Raflatac for their contributions towards reducing workplace MSD risks to their workers. These awards demonstrate how MSD risks can be designed out of daily work activities.” 

Iris Mynott from CIEHF added: “Through these recognitions, we highlight the impactful contributions of businesses in advancing workplace safety. Congratulations to our winners and all the entrants for their dedication to ergonomic improvements.” 

For further details on the winners and their innovative designs, visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/msd-awards.htm 

Further information: 

1. For more information on the award winners visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/msd-awards.htm.
2. More information about Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) can be found here: https://ergonomics.org.uk/.
3. 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. 
4. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk.

A construction company has been fined after a kitchen fitter was crushed to death by a pack of concrete blocks at a site in the Cotswolds.

Martin Dunford, who was 33, was ‘very much loved’ by his family who say they miss him ‘every day’ since the incident on 23 January 2020. Martin, from Pocklington in Yorkshire, was killed after being pinned against the side of a lorry loader as two stacks of concrete blocks fell onto him.

Martin’s sister, Tracey Hunter, provided a statement on behalf of his family.

She said: “Martin went to work and never came home. His life was unjustly cut short.

“Little did he know on that date that he was going to work on a site that had ongoing issues and was not following HSE guidelines for working safely on a construction site.

“Martin was very much loved by his family and friends. He is missed every day and nothing can ever fill the hole that is left by him no longer being here.

“We, his family, and friends are still all navigating throughout this endless period of grief and today’s verdict is the start of some sense of justice towards his senseless death.”

Martin had been working at Ebrington Rise, near Chipping Campden – a development of 16 three, four and five bedroomed houses being built by Piper Homes Construction Limited.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Martin had walked around a lorry loader to talk to a driver about how long he would be on site, as he needed access to one of the properties being built.  A stack of concrete blocks which had been placed on top of another stack of blocks, which was also supported by a wooden pallet, toppled over onto him, pinning him against the side of the lorry. He sustained severe internal and head injuries and died on site.

Piper Homes Construction Limited, who were the principal contractor on the site, had failed to ensure that a suitable, level storage area was provided for the safe offloading of construction materials.  The company had also failed to ensure that wooden pallets in a suitable condition were used for the storage of construction materials and that persons were excluded from delivery areas. HSE guidance on pallet safety is available.

Piper Homes Construction Limited, which is currently in liquidation, of Lace Market Square, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £5,236 in costs at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 29 April 2025.

HSE inspector James Lucas said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident and our thoughts remain with Martin’s family.

“Storage of construction materials should be properly planned and managed, to ensure that if materials are stored at height the necessary measures are in place to prevent them from falling and potentially injuring persons.

“Storage areas should be level and accessories such as wooden pallets should be regularly inspected to ensure that they are in suitable condition to be used to store materials.

“Had this been done on this particular site, Martin would have returned home safely to his family.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and paralegal officer Jason Dix

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. HSE guidance on pallet safety is available.
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 Gloucestershire farmer has been fined after the shepherdess he employed was killed in a quad bike crash.

Laura Simmons, was working alone on 2^nd June 2023, spraying weed killer along fence lines, using the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at a farm in Charlton Abbots near Cheltenham.

The overloaded quad bike overturned. The 22-year-old was found by a jogger several hours later.

Laura, described by her mother as “lively, caring and adventurous,” died from fatal spine injuries. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the ATV overturned due to an overloaded front rack, uneven tyre pressure, unstable load from lack of baffles in the spray tank and the potential for the spray lance to be used during movement.

Toby Baxter failed to provide suitable equipment, ensure pre-use checks were conducted, implement a system to fill the spray tank, formally train his employees and properly assess the risks.

Laura’s mother paid tribute to her daughter from Shetland, saying: “She was a lively person who loved animals, was very caring, was a hard worker, was plucky, intelligent, practical, adventurous and she had a beautiful smile.”

HSE guidelines emphasise that safety checks for ATVs must include checking tyre pressures, which are crucial for vehicle stability. Even a small 1 psi difference can cause dangerous control problems. Proper ATV operation requires appropriate training, suitable helmets, and careful route planning. The risk of overturn is significantly higher when carrying loads that destabilise the vehicle, especially on uneven terrain or slopes as these conditions require reduced loads and increased caution.

Guidance on safe use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture and forestry can be found on HSE website.

Toby Baxter, of Chedworth pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £6161.72 costs at a hearing at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 29^th April 2025.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Emily O’Neill said: “This was a tragic incident, and a much-loved young woman has lost her life. It could have easily been avoided with the right controls in place.

“We found several failures, so Mr Baxter’s previous suggestion that Laura was a victim of ‘unfortunate circumstances’ is, frankly, offensive.

“This prosecution highlights ongoing safety concerns in the agricultural sector, which remains one of Britain’s most dangerous industries for workers. Proper equipment, training and risk assessment are essential to protect workers.”

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi and supported by paralegal officer Rebecca Foreman.

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. 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.
5. Guidance on safe use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in agriculture and forestry can be found here.

A window manufacturer has been fined £100,000 after a teenage worker had two fingers severed by a cross-cutting saw.

The 19-year-old was working for Ford Windows Limited at the company’s site in Sheffield when the incident occurred.

He had loaded a cross-cut saw with a length of windowsill, which had been stored outside in the rain. As he went to cut the windowsill, his hand slipped off the wet workpiece into the unguarded part of the blade, resulting in severing parts of two fingers on his left hand.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the company had not conducted a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the cross-cut saw, failed to identify the need to adjust the nose guard of the saw to minimise the amount of blade exposed, and failed to identify the need to dry the materials before cutting.

The investigation also found that the company also failed to provide suitable information, instruction, and training to employees on working safely for this activity.

Guidance on the machinery safety, including maintaining machinery can be found on the HSE website: Introduction to machinery safety – HSE

Ford Windows Limited of Catley Road, Darnall, Sheffield pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and received a fine of £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4227.50.

After the hearing the HM principal inspector Chris Tilley commented: “The company failed in several areas, they had no competent person responsible for health and safety at the site, they failed to conduct a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and therefore did not have a suitable safe system of work for the safe use of the saw, which left the nose guard of the saw incorrectly positioned.

“The company’s failure to risk assess meant that they could not communicate information, instruction, and training to their employees on how to use the saw safely.

“If the company had taken the time to risk assess the required controls, to safely use the cross-cut saw, they would have found that suitable measures could have been implemented for zero cost, as the guard was available on the machine and simply needed manually adjusting to guard the blade.”
The prosecution was bought by enforcement lawyer Arfaq Nabi assisted by paralegal officer Imogen Isaac.

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. 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 paddleboard business owner has been jailed for 10 years and six months for gross negligence manslaughter following the deaths of four people in 2021.

Nerys Lloyd, 39, from Aberavon, who was the owner and sole director of Salty Dog Co Ltd, was charged with the gross negligence manslaughter of Paul O’Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40, following their tragic deaths following the incident in Haverfordwest Town Weir on 30 October 2021.

She admitted all four charges on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, along with one count under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

At her sentencing, the court heard how on 30 October 2021, Lloyd with the assistance of Paul O’Dwyer planned a trip organised through Lloyd’s business.

However, there had been heavy flooding, and severe weather warnings were in place, which were not heeded by Lloyd. The river was running fast, and the weir was in an extremely hazardous condition.  Lloyd did not check the weir or provide a safety briefing to the participants nor inform them of the presence of the weir.  Despite this, Lloyd facilitated the paddleboarders entering the water and she led the group along the river.

As the group approached the weir, apart from Lloyd, all the participants were pulled over the top into its base and became trapped before being ejected from the weir.  Four of the participants survived.

Instructor Mr O’Dwyer, who initially exited the river safely, re-entered the water in an attempt to rescue the others, but was immediately dragged over the top. The four victims died as a result of drowning/immersion.

A joint investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police and HSE found that Lloyd was not correctly qualified to lead a stand-up paddle board river tour.

Guidance and training for water sports instructors and participants is available from national sport governing bodies including the British Stand-Up Paddle Association, British Canoeing and the British Kite Surfing Association.  Anyone organising adventure activities for under-18s must be licenced by the Adventure Activities Licencing Authority.

HSE Inspector Helen Turner said: “I would like to express our sincere sympathy to the families of those who died, and to the survivors whose lives are indelibly affected.

“Four lives were needlessly lost and survivors traumatised by their experience at Haverfordwest weir.

“Nerys Lloyd was solely responsible for the decision to enter the water while the river was in flood, and for the attempt to take even inexperienced paddlers over the weir. This was completely reckless and the risk of death was foreseeable.

“The victims placed their trust in Lloyd to deliver a safe and enjoyable paddle, but through her incompetence, carelessness and complacency she failed to plan or assess the obvious risk at the weir or to take even basic safety measures.  By not discussing the hazards on the route Lloyd robbed the participants of the opportunity to make a reasoned decision on their own participation on the day.

“Health and safety law is not a barrier to adventurous activities, which are enjoyed by people every day in safety. Organisers must take proportionate action to recognise and manage real risks.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Cameron Ritchie, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Firstly, I would like to reiterate my heartfelt sympathies to the families of Paul, Andrea, Morgan and Nicola.

“The incident that took place in Haverfordwest on October 30, 2021, was an extremely tragic case resulting in the completely avoidable deaths of four people. We heard in court how this incident devastated four families, and we hope that lessons will be learned that prevent this from ever happening again.

“This has been a complex and extensive investigation and I’d like to thank my colleagues at Dyfed-Powys Police, The Health and Safety Executive and the Crown Prosecution Service for their professionalism and diligence to secure this outcome.”

The HSE investigation and enforcement was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Kate Harney and Paralegal Officer Helen Jacob.

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. HSE guidance on managing health and safety for leisure and sporting activities can be found at Basics for leisure activities.
5. Guidance on Adventure Activities Licensing can be found at Adventure activities licensing – HSE.
6. 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.