Fines follow safety breaches 


Last month, technology firm Dyson was fined £1.2 million after a 1.5 tonne milling machine fell and struck an employee, causing him head and chest injuries, at the company’s Wiltshire factory in 2019. An HSE investigation found Dyson Technology Limited failed to provide suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training to workers who were attempting to move the machine. They also failed to adequately assess the task and devise a safe system of work. HSE inspector James Hole said the incident could have been fatal.


The previous month, B&M Retail Ltd was fined £1 million after an electrician working for a contractor suffered serious burns when he was caught in an explosion at the company’s Speke warehouse. An HSE investigation found the electrical work being undertaken was complex and involved several contractors, but B&M failed to appoint a suitably competent person to plan and carry out the work. 


Also in July, Recycle Cymru company director Stephen Jones was found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter and given a nine year prison sentence following the death of Norman Butler. He was killed after falling into a baling machine in 2017.