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Every month, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecutes organisations and individuals for safety failures that were entirely foreseeable and preventable. January 2026 was no exception.
This month’s prosecutions included life-changing injuries, six-figure fines, a suspended prison sentence and personal accountability for directors and site managers. Many of the risks involved, working at height, lifting operations and site management, remain common across UK workplaces today.
Below, we break down the most significant January HSE prosecutions and the lessons employers should act on now.
Why HSE Prosecutions Matter
HSE prosecutions provide a clear picture of where safety management breaks down in real working environments. They highlight:
- Gaps between risk assessments and what actually happens on site
- Poor planning of high-risk or non-routine tasks
- Failures to act on known hazards or enforcement action
For employers, these cases offer practical insight into what HSE expects, and the consequences when controls are missing or ignored.
Sole Trader Sentenced After Worker Falls Through Fragile Roof
One of January’s most serious cases involved a sole trader whose worker suffered life-changing injuries after falling through a fragile rooflight.
What happened
The incident occurred at an industrial estate in High Wycombe while the worker was carrying out gutter cleaning and repairs. Working alone, he stepped onto a fragile roof covering and fell approximately four metres onto a concrete surface below.
The injuries included:
- Fractured skull and cheekbone
- Broken leg
- Broken wrist
Why HSE prosecuted
HSE’s investigation found:
- No fall prevention measures
- No fall mitigation systems
- No controls for fragile surfaces
- Inadequate consideration of lone working
The sole trader received an eight-month suspended prison sentence.
Key lesson
Working at height remains one of the leading causes of fatal and serious injury. Fragile roofs and rooflights must be identified, access controlled, and suitable fall protection measures implemented, particularly where lone working is involved.
Builder Fined for Obstructing HSE Inspectors
In another January prosecution, a site manager was fined after obstructing HSE inspectors who had identified unsafe work.
What happened
Inspectors observed workers accessing a roof from the bucket of an excavator, a clearly unsafe practice. When inspectors attempted to intervene, the site manager:
- Refused to identify himself
- Denied inspectors access
- Made threats of violence
Inspectors later returned with police support.
Outcome
The site manager was fined:
- £3,000
- £6,450 in costs
- £1,200 victim surcharge
Key lesson
HSE inspectors have legal powers to enter and inspect workplaces. Obstructing inspectors or refusing to cooperate is a criminal offence, even where no injury has yet occurred.
Packaging Company Fined £433,333 After Lifting Operation Failure
A packaging manufacturer was fined £433,333 after a worker suffered permanent injuries during a poorly planned lifting operation.
What happened
A 4.5-ton machine was being relocated using an improvised method involving a forklift and skates. The machine had no lifting points and the lift had:
- Not been planned by a competent person
- Not been properly risk assessed
- Already failed on previous attempts
The worker was positioned underneath the suspended load when it slipped from the forks and struck him on the head.
Why HSE prosecuted
HSE found no safe system of work was in place for a non-routine, high-risk lifting task.
The worker has been left with permanent vision loss, hearing damage and facial palsy.
Key lesson
All lifting operations, especially non-routine tasks, must be properly planned, assessed and supervised. Improvised lifting arrangements significantly increase the risk of catastrophic injury.
Director and Company Fined for Ignoring Enforcement Notices
In a further January prosecution, a construction company and its director were fined after failing to comply with multiple HSE enforcement notices.
What happened
Inspectors identified work at height risks and inadequate site management during a proactive inspection. Despite Prohibition and Improvement Notices being served, further visits over the following 12 months identified ongoing safety breaches.
Outcome
- The company was fined £7,200
- The director was personally fined £10,800
Key lesson
Failure to comply with enforcement notices is treated extremely seriously. Directors can be held personally accountable where safety failures occur through neglect or inaction.
Common Themes Across January 2026 HSE Prosecutions
Across all January cases, several clear patterns emerge:
- Working at height remains a major cause of serious injury
- Non-routine tasks are often poorly planned
- Informal or improvised systems of work are unacceptable
- Enforcement notices must be acted on immediately
- Individuals, not just companies, can face prosecution
These are not unusual scenarios. They reflect everyday activities where controls were missing or ineffective.
What Employers Should Do Now
To avoid similar outcomes, employers should:
- Review risk assessments for high-risk activities
- Identify and control fragile surfaces
- Ensure lifting operations are planned by competent persons
- Act immediately on HSE enforcement notices
- Train site managers on legal responsibilities and inspector cooperation
- Regularly review systems of work, especially for non-routine tasks
Learning from HSE prosecutions is one of the most effective ways to identify gaps before an incident occurs.
Final Thoughts
January’s HSE prosecutions show that serious harm often results from known risks that were not properly controlled. In many cases, the difference between compliance and prosecution is not complex legislation, it is planning, supervision and taking action before something goes wrong.
If these scenarios feel familiar, now is the time to review your controls, not after an incident.
