HSE prosecutions: Workplace fatalities and seven-figure fines

Poor safety practices cost the lives of 124 employees each year. A further 680,000 staff are injured on the job.

Recent HSE cases shine a light on the simple errors, accepted workarounds, and systemic safety failings that place employees and the public at risk.

Learn from real-world enforcement action to level up standards and avoid life-changing incidents.

Esso fined £1 million following major fuel vapour release

Esso, the operator of the Fawley oil refinery in Hampshire, has been fined £1 million after a structural collapse caused the release of around 2,400kg of highly flammable liquid petroleum gas (LPG).

A partial collapse of a large steel tower caused pipework to rupture, resulting in an uncontrolled LPG release. It took approximately 33 hours to contain the escaped LPG and safely vent the remaining substances.

Nearby workers were exposed to the risk of serious injury from falling debris, as well as the potential for burns had the gas ignited. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.

An HSE investigation found that the structural collapse was caused by longstanding corrosion, identified as early as 2010. Esso had failed to take appropriate action to control the risk.

HSE guidance states that duty holders must:

• Ensure the integrity of plant and pipework is maintained
• Keep equipment in a safe condition
• Identify and manage risks to prevent loss of containment of hazardous substances

The case highlights the importance of implementing robust systems to maintain critical infrastructure, including clear oversight of asset integrity, regular inspection regimes, and the management of corrosion risks.

Siemens ordered to pay £600,000 after employee left paralysed

A Siemens worker lost the use of both legs after a wind turbine structure collapsed on top of her. The web section of the wind turbine blade fell towards her after support poles were removed.

The HSE found that the workers had adopted unsafe practices to complete the task because of broader compliance failings. These included:

• Failure to adequately assess the risks arising from the work
• Failure to devise and implement a robust safe system of work to prevent employees from removing the support poles
• Failure to adequately train employees in safe working methods.

Following the incident, Siemens introduced a locking system for the support poles. This involves keeping the poles locked in place until a nominated person releases them once the relevant stage of the build is complete.

This case underlines the need to conduct suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all hazardous work activities – and to develop, implement, and monitor safe systems of work to control identified risks. Where critical safeguards are in place, reinforce them with secondary controls – such as lock-off procedures – to prevent the adoption of dangerous workarounds.

Printing firm fined £400,000 for fatal health and safety offences

A maintenance worker was killed while attempting to repair an industrial overhead door.

The employee’s wrench slipped while he was fixing the door’s spring. The spring unwound uncontrollably, ejecting the tool and striking the employee, causing catastrophic and ultimately fatal injuries.

The company received a £400,000 penalty for a catalogue of health and safety breaches:

• The doors were inadequately maintained, despite two previous employee injuries.
• There was no routine inspection schedule or preventative maintenance programme, allowing the doors to deteriorate into a poor condition.
• The employee had repeatedly been allowed to repair the doors despite not being suitably trained to undertake the work.
• The business had failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment, establish a safe system of work, or provide appropriate tools and equipment.

Under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), equipment must be suitable for use, correctly maintained, and inspected by a competent person to ensure it poses no risk to safety.

Employee’s fingers crushed by three-tonne machine

An experienced machine tool fitter had two fingers amputated after a poorly planned lifting operation at a manufacturing machinery company.

The worker’s right hand became trapped under the foot of a three-tonne machine during a lifting operation involving a forklift truck. His fingers were crushed beneath the machine when the forklift’s forks unexpectedly dropped to the floor.

The HSE revealed that the company had failed to ensure the lifting operation was properly planned and safely performed. Regulatory guidance states that where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid people working beneath suspended loads, employers should implement safe systems of work to minimise the risk:

• Properly plan every lifting operation before work begins
• Keep employees clear of suspended loads wherever possible
• Secure loads and follow robust safe systems of work throughout the lift

The company was fined £170,000 and ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £7,999, along with a victim surcharge of £2,000.

Avoid the high cost of non-compliance

Every case featured here could have been avoided with the right planning, controls, and safety culture.

Opus helps employers strengthen compliance, reduce risk, and create safer workplaces through practical risk assessments, tailored training, and expert consultancy support. Whether you’re reviewing existing processes or addressing specific safety challenges, our specialists help you build a sustainable approach to health and safety.

To chat through your requirements, call 0330 043 4015 or email hello@opus-safety.co.uk.

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