Last year saw the largest UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) fine issued to date. As 2026 progresses, we review the highest fines issued so far to see if we are on a similar track.
Key takeaways
- There’s been an upward trend in the highest health and safety fines in recent years; training can help avoid workplace accidents (and penalties).
- Falls from height remain the biggest reason for fatal accidents among UK workers, followed by being struck by a moving object.
- In 2024/2025, 124 were killed at work, there were 680,000 non-fatal injuries, 1.9 million workers suffered from work-related ill-health and 40.1 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury.
- The biggest UK health and safety fine in 2026 sits with Huws Gray Limited at over £2m for failure to take effective action and implement proper safety measures.
- Most companies fined this year have failed to have adequate risk assessments in place and lack safe work systems.
Companies that breach regulations face serious consequences, with penalties generally proportional to the severity and harm caused, and acting as a significant deterrent against future violations.
There has been an upward trend in the highest health and safety fines in recent years, with the biggest fine in 2022 being over double the highest fine in 2020.
However, the largest penalty in 2023 broke this trend. Ideally, the number of fines issued year on year would decrease. That being said, 2025 has seen the largest penalty issued by the HSE at £6 million. Health and safety training helps companies avoid workplace accidents and the large penalties that come with them.
According to the most recent HSE statistics, falls from height remain the biggest reason for fatal accidents among UK workers. This accounts for over a quarter of all fatal workplace injuries in 2024/2025.
Construction is still the most dangerous industry in terms of health and safety, with the largest number of deaths attributed to this industry.
Headline HSE statistics
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show that in 2024/2025:
- 124 workers killed at work
- 680,000 non-fatal injuries at work according to self-reports (Labour Force Survey)
- 59,219 non-fatal injuries reported by employers (RIDDOR)
- 1.9 million workers suffered from work-related ill-health
- 40.1 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
Top 10 health and safety breaches of 2026
- Huws Gray Limited: £2.2m + £9.9k costs
- Somers Forge Limited: £750k + £38.3k costs
- Tarmac Building Products Limited: £633k + £5.5k costs
- Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited: £433k + £32.5k costs
- Connect Property Services Limited: £400k + £9.6k costs
- Syngenta Ltd: £400k + £8.2k costs
- Futamura Chemical UK Ltd: £200k + £20k costs
- Space Productiv Ltd pleaded: £97.5K + £17.3k costs and Collins Site Services Ltd: £60k + £10.2k costs
- Stanley Wire Limited: £140k + £6.6k costs
- MTL Advanced Ltd: £140k + £5k costs
Top 2026 health and safety breaches in detail
We have examined the UK's biggest health and safety fines over the past few years to help you understand how to avoid making the same simple mistakes.
1. Huws Gray Limited: £2.2m + £9.9k costs
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1)
A major UK builders' merchant has been fined £2.2 million after a worker was killed in a preventable workplace accident.
Paul Coulson, aged 56, was working at a sawmill in Suffolk in May 2024. His job involved removing plastic wrapping from timber pallets, which required him to enter a conveyor system. While he was inside, another worker, unaware of his presence, switched the machine on.
A heavy timber pallet weighing around three tonnes moved along the conveyor and struck him. In an attempt to fix the issue, the operator reversed and restarted the system, causing the pallet to hit him again. Coulson suffered fatal crush injuries and died at the scene.
An investigation found that the company was already aware that workers had been entering dangerous parts of the machinery. CCTV footage showed this had happened several times in the weeks leading up to the incident. Despite this, the company failed to take effective action and relied solely on warning signs rather than implementing proper safety measures.
After the incident, the company installed guards on the machinery and improved working procedures. However, these changes came too late.
The company admitted breaching health and safety laws and was fined £2.2 million. The investigation concluded that the death could have been prevented if appropriate safety controls had been implemented earlier.
2. Somers Forge Limited: £750k + £38.3k costs
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1)
A forging company was fined £750,000 after a fatal workplace incident. While operating a large industrial lathe, a machinist used emery cloth by hand to smooth a rotating metal component. During this process, he became entangled in the machine and suffered severe injuries. Emergency services attended, but he died that day.
The incident had a profound impact on his family, who described the shock and devastation of losing a loved one who had simply gone to work and not returned. He was remembered as a valued family member, leaving behind his partner, parents, and siblings.
An investigation by the HSE found serious safety failings within the company. The dangerous practice of applying emery cloth by hand to a rotating lathe had not been prohibited, and workers were not adequately protected from moving parts. The company also failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment or implement a safe system of work, leaving employees exposed to avoidable hazards.
"This was an entirely preventable incident which has had tragic consequences. Employers must ensure that safe systems of work are in place and that workers are not exposed to foreseeable risks from dangerous machinery."
The company later admitted breaching health and safety regulations and was fined £750,000, along with additional costs. The case highlights the importance of enforcing strict safety measures in industrial environments and serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting workplace safety.
3. Tarmac Building Products Limited: £633k + £5.5k costs
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 2(1)
A major UK building materials manufacturer, Tarmac Building Products Limited, has been fined over £600,000 after a worker suffered severe, life-changing injuries in a preventable machinery accident at its Essex plant.
The incident involved an employee who entered a fenced-off section of a production line through an interlocked gate to clean and inspect metal frames used in the production process. Although the gate was supposed to make the area safe, it did not fully isolate the machinery.
While he was inside the restricted area, another one-tonne metal frame moved along the track and struck him. He was pinned between moving frames and suffered devastating leg injuries, including fractures and serious tissue damage. He required surgery, spent weeks in the hospital, and faced a long recovery and rehabilitation period.
An investigation by the HSE found serious safety failures. These included inadequate guarding of dangerous machinery, a failure to properly isolate equipment when workers entered hazardous areas, and a failure to act on previous near-miss incidents that had already highlighted the risk. The company had also identified improvements in earlier risk assessments, but did not implement them in time.
"This was a serious and entirely avoidable incident, which has had profound consequences for Mr. Ogunleye, and were it not for the quick action of a fellow worker, the injuries he sustained could have been worse"
— Maria Strangward, HSE Principal Inspector
At Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, the company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety law. It was fined £633,300, plus additional costs and a victim surcharge.
4. Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited: £433k + £32.5k costs
Regulation 8(1)(a) and (c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
A paper packaging company has been fined after a worker suffered severe, life-changing injuries when a 4.5-tonne machine fell on him during a relocation operation at its East Kilbride site.
The employee, Matthew King, was part of a team moving a large industrial machine from a warehouse to a storage area. The job was not routine, and the team used an improvised method involving a forklift and skates because the machine had no proper lifting or anchoring points.
During the operation, Mr King was positioned underneath the suspended machine to attach a wheel when it slipped from the forklift and struck him on the head.
He suffered a serious skull fracture, nerve damage, and lasting disabilities, including double vision, loss of peripheral vision, facial paralysis, and hearing loss. He has undergone multiple surgeries, cannot drive, and requires ongoing support.
An investigation by the HSE found that the lifting operation had not been properly planned or risk-assessed, and no safe system of work had been put in place. The company failed to adequately assess the weight, size, and handling risks of the machine.
The company, Multi Packaging Solutions UK Limited, pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety regulations and was fined £433,333, plus additional costs and surcharges.
5. Connect Property Services Limited: £400k + £9.6k costs
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 2(1)
A UK maintenance company has been fined £400,000 after a worker died from exposure to toxic fumes released by a flooring adhesive during bathroom renovation work.
Darren Nevill was employed by Connect Property Services Limited and was installing a vinyl bathroom floor at a property in Hertfordshire in December 2020. The adhesive being used contained dichloromethane (DCM), a highly hazardous chemical that can quickly produce dangerous levels of toxic vapour, particularly in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.
During the work, a hose connected to a pressurised adhesive container was damaged. This led to a large release of the chemical inside the bathroom. Because the room was small and poorly ventilated, the fumes rapidly built up to dangerous levels. Nevill collapsed after being overcome by the vapour, and despite emergency services attending the scene, he could not be saved.
An investigation by the HSE found that the company had failed to properly control the risks associated with the use of hazardous substances. It had not ensured safe working conditions for the use of the adhesive, had not adequately considered safer alternatives, and allowed the work to take place in an environment where dangerous fumes could quickly accumulate.
The company admitted breaching health and safety law and was fined £400,000 in court, along with additional costs. The case highlighted how quickly exposure to toxic chemicals can become fatal when proper safety measures and ventilation are not in place.
6. Syngenta Ltd: £400k + £8.2k costs
Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and Regulation 3(1) of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
A major global chemicals company, Syngenta Ltd, has been fined £400,000 after a contractor was exposed to a dangerous release of high-pressure steam during maintenance work at its Huddersfield site.
The incident occurred on 6 November 2023 while a 59-year-old mechanical fitter was replacing a faulty steam trap on a steam distribution system. During the work, an isolation valve failed, resulting in a sudden release of high-pressure steam as he was separating pipework. The worker narrowly avoided serious injury, but the event was classified as a dangerous occurrence and investigated by the HSE.
Investigators found significant safety failings. Corrosion had severely affected valves and flange bolts on the system, yet it continued to be operated without adequate maintenance. In some cases, bolts that were too corroded to remove were being cut using power tools, increasing the risk of uncontrolled releases of trapped pressure.
"If a safe system of work had been in place at the site when the maintenance was being carried out, this dangerous incident would not have happened. The company did not appreciate the extent of the risk posed because of the way the maintenance work was being done, and the relatively simple control measures that could have been applied to make it safer."
The investigation also highlighted weaknesses in the company's risk assessments. These did not properly account for the risks of relying on a single isolation method in a degraded system, rather than implementing safer approaches such as double isolation.
At Leeds Magistrates' Court on 28 January 2026, Syngenta pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety law and was fined £400,000 along with additional costs. The case underlines the serious risks posed by poor maintenance and inadequate risk controls in high-pressure industrial systems, even during routine work.
7. Futamura Chemical UK Ltd: £200k + £20k costs
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 2(1) and Section 3(1)
A cellulose film packaging company in Cumbria has been fined after a worker was fatally exposed to a toxic gas at its factory.
The incident took place in December 2021 where a worker was discovered collapsed in a pump room after being exposed to hydrogen sulphide, a highly poisonous gas that can be lethal even at relatively low concentrations. A delivery driver who went to help was also overcome by the gas, though he later recovered. The worker died in hospital the following day.
An investigation by the HSE found that the company had failed to properly assess and control the risk of hydrogen sulphide building up in parts of the site's drainage and effluent system. While safety measures were in place in certain production areas, the risk of gas escaping through drains and confined spaces had not been adequately identified or managed.
The court concluded that these failings exposed workers to a preventable and serious hazard, in breach of health and safety law. The company pleaded guilty and was fined £200,000, along with additional costs.
The case highlights the importance of thorough risk assessments, particularly for hidden or indirect sources of toxic gas in industrial environments, and the need for robust controls to protect workers from confined-space and drainage-related hazards.
8. Space Productiv Ltd pleaded: £97.5K + £17.3k costs and Collins Site Services Ltd: £60k + £10.2k costs
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Sections 2(1) and 3(1)
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 3(1)
Two companies have been fined after a racking system collapse killed two workers during testing at an industrial site in Bingley, West Yorkshire. The incident happened in October 2020 when industrial racking was being loaded with heavy test weights of up to two tonnes.
The structure became unstable and collapsed while both men were working on a mobile elevating platform nearby. The falling racking struck the platform, causing it to overturn and fatally injure both workers.
A HSE investigation found that Space Productiv Ltd and Collins Site Services Ltd failed to properly assess the risks and did not put in place a safe system of work. Workers were also wrongly positioned within the collapse zone during testing.
Both companies admitted breaches of health and safety law. Space Productiv Ltd was fined £97,500 plus costs, while Collins Site Services Ltd was fined £60,000 plus costs, at Leeds Crown Court on 11 February 2026.
HSE inspectors concluded the deaths were preventable and caused by inadequate planning and unsafe working practices.
In total, the fines and costs amounted to just over £170,000.
9. Stanley Wire Limited: £140k + £6.6k costs
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Section 2(1)
A worker at a wire manufacturing company in South Yorkshire suffered a fatal head injury after becoming entangled in machinery. The incident occurred while the operative was working near moving parts that were not properly guarded, leading to a tragic and avoidable accident.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the company had failed to put adequate safety measures in place. The machinery lacked sufficient guarding to prevent access to dangerous areas, and established safety standards were not followed. As a result, the risks to workers were not properly controlled.
The company later admitted breaching health and safety regulations. In court, it was highlighted that the incident could have been prevented if appropriate precautions had been implemented. The business was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay additional legal costs.
“Simple and inexpensive steps could have prevented this devastating incident… Employers must not rely on outdated practices but constantly reassess risks to protect their people.”
This case underlines the critical importance of proper machine safety and risk management. Employers are required to ensure that workers are protected from hazardous equipment, particularly when operating or working near moving machinery, to prevent serious or fatal injuries.
10. MTL Advanced Ltd: £140k + £5k costs
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 Regulation 11(1)
A Rotherham-based company, MTL Advanced Ltd, was fined £140,000 after a 17-year-old apprentice suffered a serious hand injury while training on a metal cutting machine.
The incident happened in November 2024 during a training session. The apprentice was using a guillotine to cut sheet metal when their thumb was crushed. An investigation by the HSE found that the machine had a dangerous gap, allowing access to moving parts.
The company had failed to identify this risk, not only before the accident but even afterwards. Inspectors also discovered wider safety problems in the training workshop, including unguarded machinery and exposed live electrical components.
MTL Advanced admitted breaching safety regulations and was prosecuted. The case highlighted that employers have a greater responsibility to protect young and inexperienced workers, who may not recognise workplace dangers.
The HSE stressed that proper machine guarding and thorough risk assessments could have prevented the injury entirely.
Want to learn more about Health and Safety?
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Emmeline is an experienced digital editor and content marketing manager. She has a demonstrated history of working in both the education management and software industries. Emmeline has a degree in business science, and her skillset includes Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and digital marketing analytics. She is passionate about education and utilising her skills to encourage greater access to e-learning.
