HSE prosecutions: over £6 million in three recent cases

Published on

November 2, 2026

Director

John Southall

Bronze statue of Lady Justice holding balanced scales in a courtroom

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TL:DR

Three recent cases, and the control that was missing in each:

£2 million: Transport operator, bus kills woman at pedestrian crossing, no monitoring to ensure the route was safe.
£4 million: Electrical wholesaler and manufacturer, 231kg unsecured load falls on forklift ‘spotter’, no risk assessment or lift plan.
£48,000: Sheet metal fabricator, worker loses part of thumb following serious crushing incident, no safe system of work in place.

£2 million fine for fatal bus collision at pedestrian crossing

A transport operator received a £2 million penalty following the death of a woman at a bus station pedestrian crossing.

The 74-year-old was walking on the authorised crossing when a double-decker bus rounded the corner and struck her. The crossing sat at the apex of a bend, meaning buses could turn without a clear view of its full length.

Despite pedestrians having priority, the layout made right of way unclear. A pedestrian had been struck by a bus in similar circumstances in April 2022, and CCTV footage captured five near misses in the two days before the woman was killed.

An HSE investigation revealed that the operator had failed to risk assess the crossing and adequately monitor bus drivers operating at the station.

This case should raise red flags for any business where vehicles and people routinely share space, such as warehousing and logistics, builders merchants, and garden centres. Under the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, traffic routes should be clearly marked, avoiding sharp or blind bends where possible.

When assessing your site layout, use physical barriers, signage, and one-way routes to segregate pedestrians and vehicles. If crossings can’t be avoided, look at where they’re positioned, not just whether you have them. A crossing on a bend, or where nobody knows who gives way, is a risk in itself.

Lack of lifting plan costs electrical wholesaler £4 million

A worker now lives in a care home requiring 24-hour support following a crushing incident at an electrical wholesaler and manufacturer. His employer was fined £4 million plus £6,304 in costs.

The man had been working as a ‘spotter’, steadying heavy switchboard equipment while a forklift loaded it onto a flatbed lorry. The unsecured 231kg load fell on top of him, causing devastating brain and spine injuries. The employee can no longer care for himself and is unable to communicate with others.

The HSE inspector described the incident as completely avoidable. The company had repeatedly used employees as spotters. In this instance, they had failed to ensure the lifting operation was properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and conducted safely. The investigation also showed there was no risk assessment, lift plan, or staff instructions about the lifting operation. In addition, the load’s lifting eyes would have allowed the lorry’s crane to be used as a safer alternative to the forklift truck.

Even routine lifting operations require careful assessment and planning. To minimise risks and protect workers, HSE guidance states that lift plans should address identified hazards, specify the right tools and people for the job, and outline clear procedures and responsibilities.

£48,000 fine after a welder injured handling a 133kg hopper alone

An employee suffered serious hand injuries during a manual handling task involving a 133kg hopper. The worker was carrying out a welding task alone, holding up the larger side of the hopper while the smaller side rested on a desk.

The hopper slipped on the desk and came down onto his hand, causing a crush injury and partial loss of his right thumb.

An HSE investigation showed that there was no safe system of work in place. The company had not conducted a risk assessment for the task nor given workers clear instructions on how to perform it safely. A near-identical incident had happened just days earlier.

The employer was fined £48,000 and ordered to pay £10,089 in costs.

For manufacturers, merchants, and stockholders, handling heavy, awkward items is part of the job. Whether the task requires one person or a full team, you need to assess the risks and take steps to avoid hazardous manual handling operations.

The HSE’s Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC Tool) is a good place to start, helping you quickly assess the most common risk factors related to lifting and carrying activities.

To learn what a similar safety breach would mean for your business, use our free Fine Estimator to calculate potential penalties by incident type, sector, and turnover.