Two construction firms have been fined a combined total of more than £1m after a worker died when an unsupported 3-metre trench collapsed at a demolition site in Banstead, Surrey. The Health and Safety Executive and Surrey Police found that basic excavation safety measures were not in place, including trench support and proper spoil placement.
A cross-border plant safety campaign has been launched in Ireland to reduce the risk of workers being struck or run over by moving machinery. The initiative follows 25 fatalities recorded between 2016 and 2025 in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and will involve site inspections focused on traffic management, exclusion zones, operator competence and communication.
A builder has been jailed for 32 months after admitting multiple fraud offences linked to building and home improvement work across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. The case involved abandoned projects, poor workmanship and unsafe conditions, with victims left to pay for remedial works and completion by other contractors.
The government has laid regulations to increase compensation for dependants of people who die from asbestos-related and other dust diseases, bringing their payments into line with awards available to affected workers. The changes also simplify the compensation calculation framework and are expected to take effect on 31 October 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
The HSE has issued Morris & Spottiswood with an immediate prohibition notice after it said the contractor failed to carry out suitable and sufficient asbestos surveys before intrusive works at a Northampton site. The company later stated that further intrusive checks found no asbestos present and that it had provided additional assurance to the regulator.
Green Steel & Cladding Ltd has appeared in court facing a corporate manslaughter charge following the death of a worker in April 2021, alongside related Health and Safety at Work Act offences. A company officer, Paul Gaines, is separately charged with gross negligence manslaughter and related health and safety offences, with the case now moving to Leicester Crown Court.
Ainscough Crane Hire is pursuing a £1.3m claim against Keltbray Plant over alleged damage to a 750-tonne mobile crane during lifting work on a wind turbine in Hull. The dispute centres on responsibility for rigging, supervision and planning under the CPA Crane Hire Agreement, after the crane’s hoist rope allegedly failed and the machine was out of service for 147 days.
