Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) remains one of the most preventable occupational health risks — yet too many employers are still failing to manage it properly.
This latest prosecution highlights the serious consequences of neglecting to assess and control vibration risks in the workplace.

The case: Rowes Garage Ltd
Devon and Cornwall-based Rowes Garage Ltd has been fined £204,000 after two employees were diagnosed with Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) following repeated exposure to vibration from tools used at its Truro body shop.

The workers were regularly using random-orbital sanders and reciprocating saws to carry out car body repairs. One of them reported experiencing symptoms of HAVS for around eight years.

What is HAVS?
Prolonged and regular exposure to vibration can cause painful and disabling disorders affecting the

• Nerves

• Blood supply

• Joints

• Muscles of the hands and arms

These conditions are collectively known as HAVS. The risk of onset or worsening increases with daily exposure and varies between individuals.

HSE findings
An HSE investigation found that Rowes Garage Ltd had failed to implement the basic elements of vibration risk management:

• No suitable and sufficient risk assessment

• No effective control measures

• No programme of monitoring employee exposure

• No information, instruction, or training for employees

• No action taken even after years of reported symptoms by the affected employees

The outcome
Rowes Garage Ltd (now registered at Vertu House, Gateshead) pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £204,000 and ordered to pay £8,099 in costs at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on 8 May 2025.

What this means for employers
HAVS is a preventable condition — but only if employers take their legal responsibilities seriously

• Carry out a vibration risk assessment

• Implement control measures to minimise exposure

• Monitor exposure levels

• Provide suitable training and information

• Conduct health surveillance and act promptly on any signs or symptoms

Exposure to wood dust remains a major occupational health risk — one that is well understood, and fully controllable when the right measures are in place.

Yet despite clear guidance and ongoing HSE campaigns, employers continue to neglect basic protections — with serious legal and financial consequences.

The case: Nat Pal Limited
Fakenham-based Nat Pal Limited has been fined £40,000 after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection in April 2023 uncovered serious failings in its controls for managing wood dust exposure.

HSE inspectors found dust scattered across the floor throughout the site, highlighting both poor control measures and a lack of effective housekeeping.

The inspection led to enforcement action — and the company was ultimately prosecuted under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for failing to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of its employees.

Why wood dust matters
Breathing in wood dust excessively can cause:

• Asthma

• Nasal cancer

Both are well-documented occupational diseases — which is why HSE continues to target this issue through proactive inspections across the woodworking industry.

What the law requires
HSE guidance clearly states that employers must take effective measures to prevent employee exposure to wood dust. This normally includes:

• Providing and maintaining local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems

• Ensuring face-fit tested respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is used where needed

• Carrying out health surveillance to monitor employees’ respiratory health

The outcome
Nat Pal Limited, of Cummings Road, Tattersett Business Park, Fakenham, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,072 at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on 16 May 2025.

The lesson
The woodworking sector remains a key focus for HSE enforcement — and this case highlights how quickly companies can find themselves in court when basic precautions are neglected.

With proactive inspection campaigns ongoing, it’s essential that all businesses handling wood dust review their controls now — before enforcement action is taken.

Since 2012, businesses that breach health and safety law can find themselves footing the bill for their own investigation.
This is the reality of the HSE’s Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme — a powerful mechanism designed to recover the costs of enforcement directly from those who break the law.

With the current FFI rate now set at £183 per hour, the potential cost of non-compliance is higher than ever.

What is Fee for Intervention?
The HSE introduced FFI in October 2012, to shift some of the costs of health and safety regulation away from the public purse — and onto businesses that fail to meet their legal obligations.

Originally set at £124 per hour, the FFI rate has steadily increased and now stands at £183 per hour.

Under the scheme, duty holders — including public and limited companies, self-employed individuals, partnerships, and public bodies — are liable for the HSE’s investigation costs if they are found to be in “material breach” of health and safety law.

What counts as a material breach?
A breach is considered material when, in the opinion of the HSE inspector, it is serious enough to require formal written notification — usually in the form of a Notification of Contravention (NoC).

The NoC will include:

• The law that has been breached

• The reason(s) for the inspector’s opinion

• Notification that a fee is payable to the HSE

How does the fee process work?
Once a NoC has been issued:

• The HSE will begin invoicing every two months until the investigation is concluded.

• The total amount recovered depends on the amount of time it takes for the HSE to identify the breach and assist the duty holder in achieving compliance.

Can FFI charges be challenged?
Yes — duty holders have the right to challenge:

• The finding of a material breach, and/or

• The amount of time charged by the HSE.

To do so, they must raise a query within 21 days of receiving the FFI invoice. The query is initially reviewed by the HSE inspector’s Principal Inspector (line manager).

Recent HSE campaign focus areas
Many recent HSE campaigns have focused on occupational health risks — an area where FFI costs are frequently triggered.

Key focus areas have included:

List:

• Occupational health and exposure to metal cutting fluids (respiratory risk prevention)

• Wood dust control (respiratory risk prevention)

• Machine guarding

• COSHH compliance

• Construction site welfare facilities

• Hand arm vibration prevention

What this means for your business
If your site or workplace is found in breach of any of these focus areas — or any other aspect of health and safety law — you could quickly face significant FFI charges on top of the cost of achieving compliance.

Prevention is always the better path. Ensuring compliance before HSE intervention not only protects your employees — it protects your bottom line.

An engineering firm based in Greater Manchester has been fined £100,000 after a serious incident left one of its employees with multiple crush injuries to his arms, legs, and feet.

On 27 September 2023, Richard Jones was welding a large metal ‘A frame’ at Oldham Engineering Limited’s facility in Oldham. The frame, weighing approximately 1.63 tonnes, was an unusual shape and needed to be repositioned and rotated frequently to allow horizontal welding—an essential requirement for weld quality.

Mr Jones was inside the frame welding a bracket when it suddenly shifted and toppled over. With no physical barrier or restraint in place, the massive metal structure landed directly on him, crushing his left arm, left leg, and right foot. The incident caused catastrophic injuries that will likely impact Mr Jones for the rest of his life.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found significant failings in the company’s approach to risk management. Oldham Engineering Ltd had not conducted a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for the job. There was no clear safe system of work, no documented method for safely rotating the frame, and no evidence of task-specific training or supervision for high-risk activities involving suspended loads.

The company also failed to consider the predictable consequences of performing welding work within and beneath a suspended, heavy structure—a known hazard in fabrication environments. The lack of physical safety measures and procedural controls was a serious breach of duty.

At a hearing on 8 April 2025, Oldham Engineering Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £4,519.90 in costs at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

This case serves as a sobering reminder that when complex or non-routine tasks are undertaken without robust planning, the consequences can be devastating. Employers must ensure that all activities involving heavy loads, unusual structures, or elevated risks are rigorously assessed and controlled.

Are your risk assessments keeping up with the demands of your operations? Compass HSC provides tailored workplace assessments, procedural planning, and onsite support for engineering and manufacturing environments.

📞 Contact us today to strengthen your safety systems and protect your workforce.

A leading social housing provider has been fined £140,000 after two estate assistants were diagnosed with Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) following years of regular exposure to vibrating tools.

Stonewater Limited employed the two men at sites near Tanyard Farm in Coventry between 2018 and 2023. Their roles included extensive grounds maintenance tasks such as grass cutting, hedge trimming, weeding, and litter picking. One of the employees estimated he spent up to 90% of his working day using vibrating equipment such as mowers, strimmers, hedge cutters, and leaf blowers.

HAVS is a painful and often permanent condition that affects the nerves, blood vessels, and joints in the hands and arms. One of the affected workers, Christopher Smith, shared the serious impact the condition has had on his quality of life:

“I have lost my fine motor skills and experience significant difficulty in picking up small objects, using a knife and fork, or even doing up buttons. The pain keeps me up at night. I’m terrified to hold my grandchildren in case I drop them.”

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Stonewater Limited had failed to:

• Carry out a suitable risk assessment for vibration exposure

• Record and monitor exposure levels accurately

• Provide employees with adequate training or information on vibration risks

• Implement a system of health surveillance to detect symptoms early

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. At a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 14 April 2025, Stonewater Limited was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,742.

This case is a stark reminder of the real human impact of poor risk management and the importance of proactive control measures for vibration exposure in the workplace.

A London-based property developer has been fined more than £88,000 after a series of serious health and safety breaches were uncovered at a construction site in Dalston.

Nofax Enterprises Limited was overseeing the construction of a four-storey residential building, including a basement youth club, when the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) made four separate site visits between 2020 and 2021.

What inspectors found was deeply concerning:

• Unsafe work at height

• Poor fire precautions

• Exposure to dangerous levels of silica and wood dust

• Inadequate COVID and welfare controls

The site’s conditions were so severe that HSE shut it down on two separate occasions. In total, Nofax Enterprises was served with nine enforcement notices, including five prohibition notices. Additional inspections at other sites revealed systemic failings and a poor overall health and safety culture within the company.

Exposure to wood and silica dust is not a minor issue—it can lead to long-term, potentially fatal illnesses including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), nasal and lung cancers, and silicosis.

Despite repeated warnings, enforcement notices, and visits, the company failed to make any meaningful improvements. At a hearing on 18 March 2025, Nofax Enterprises Limited pleaded guilty to breaches of sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The firm was fined £63,000 and ordered to pay £25,622 in costs, bringing the total to £88,812.68.

In the judge’s words, there had been a “systemic failure within the organisation” to manage basic safety standards over a prolonged period.

This case serves as a stark reminder that construction companies—including developers—have legal responsibilities under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Design professionals also have a duty to ensure that developers are made aware of their obligations.

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Is your construction site compliant with HSE standards? Compass HSC can support developers, contractors, and design professionals with site audits, dust exposure assessments, CDM guidance, and more. Contact us today to ensure your projects stay safe, legal, and efficient.

April marks Stress Awareness Month, a vital reminder that managing stress in the workplace isn’t just a wellbeing initiative—it’s a legal responsibility.

A widely accepted definition of stress, proposed by psychologist Richard S. Lazarus, defines it as: “A particular relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or exceeding his or her resources and endangering his or her well-being.”

In simpler terms, stress occurs when we believe the demands placed on us outweigh our ability to cope. It’s not just about the pressures of the job—it’s about how individuals interpret and respond to those pressures. This perspective, known as cognitive appraisal, is central to understanding and managing workplace stress.

To support businesses in tackling this issue, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is promoting its Working Minds campaign throughout April, encouraging employers to follow five key steps—the “5 Rs”:

1. Reach out – Start conversations and listen to your team
2. Recognise – Be aware of the signs and causes of stress
3. Respond – Take action to reduce risks where identified
4. Reflect – Assess the impact of your actions
5. Make it Routine – Embed these habits into your daily culture

These steps provide a practical framework for identifying risks, offering support, and promoting a healthier, more resilient workplace.

It’s important to note that managing work-related stress is not just good practice—it’s required by law. Employers have a duty to assess risks and take reasonable steps to protect workers’ mental health.

Whether it’s through conversations, changes in workload, improved communication, or regular check-ins, creating a mentally healthy workplace must be a shared priority.

Need support developing a stress management strategy for your workplace? Compass HSC offers tailored mental health risk assessments, training, and policy guidance to help you fulfil your responsibilities and foster a healthier work culture.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your people and your business.

Wood Manufacturer Fined Over £1 Million After Two Workers Injured

A multinational wood-based product manufacturer, West Fraser (Europe) Ltd, has been fined more than £1 million following two serious workplace incidents at its Cowie plant in 2020. The company, formerly known as Norbord, pleaded guilty to multiple health and safety breaches related to both incidents, which occurred within six months of each other.

First Incident: Worker Entangled in Machinery

In January 2020, Sean Gallagher, a 29-year-old utility operator, suffered severe injuries after his leg became trapped in the moving parts of a storage bunker at the plant’s biomass facility.

Gallagher initially followed company procedures when he entered the bunker to inspect a fault. However, later in his shift, he returned to the bunker without isolating the power. His leg became entangled in the machinery, and he had to use his phone to call for help.

He was eventually freed and taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with compound fractures to his tibia and fibula.

Following the incident, the company implemented a new safety measure by installing a mesh guard across the bunker hatch. This guard is now padlocked and can only be unlocked by a supervisor after the system has been properly isolated.

Second Incident: Scaffolder Falls Over 13 Feet

Just six months later, in July 2020, scaffolder David McMillan, 39, fell more than 13 feet from a rooftop gantry after a rusted plate gave way beneath him. McMillan suffered multiple fractures, including to his neck and ankle, and spent 20 days in the hospital.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that the company had no maintenance schedule or system of checks for the gantry structure. Inspectors found that the steel flooring was corroded, and some welds holding the plates in place were near failure. Following the incident, the gantry was immediately placed out of bounds before being dismantled and permanently removed.

Company Fined for Health and Safety Breaches

As a result of these incidents, West Fraser (Europe) Ltd faced significant legal consequences:

• For the first incident, the company admitted to breaching Regulations 11(1) and (2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £28,000 at Stirling Sheriff Court on 17 February 2025.
• For the second incident, the company pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 4(2) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They received a much steeper fine of £1,040,000 at the same court hearing.

Repeated Safety Failures

This is not the first time the company has faced scrutiny over workplace safety. In 2022, West Fraser (Europe) Ltd was fined over £2 million after an employee suffered fatal burns at the same facility.

Lessons for Employers

These incidents highlight the severe consequences of failing to implement and maintain proper health and safety measures. Regular inspections, effective training, and robust maintenance schedules are essential in preventing workplace injuries and fatalities.

At Compass HSC, we provide expert guidance to ensure your business meets health and safety compliance standards, reducing risk and protecting workers. Contact us today for professional support in workplace safety management.