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.

The UK construction sector is vast and varied—from re-pointing a brick wall or fixing a leaking roof, through to complex infrastructure projects like HS2. But one thing is consistent across the entire industry: every project is subject to vital health and safety regulations.

And here lies the problem.

Many smaller developers and builders—especially those operating in the £250k to £800k project range—remain unaware of their legal duties. We see this daily at Compass HSC. Domestic housing schemes, one-off refurbishments, and smaller commercial builds often proceed without proper regard to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), or many of the other key regulations that apply on every site:

• The Working at Height Regulations

• Control of Asbestos Regulations

• Control of Noise at Work Regulations

• Control of Vibration Regulations

• COSHH Regulations (for respirable building materials including wood and silica)

The numbers speak volumes. As of early 2024, around334,000 self-employed individuals were working in the UK construction and building trades—representing roughlyone-third of the sector’s 2.08 million workforce. Many of these workers are operating on sites where developers and clients have little understanding of their duties under CDM 2015 or other regulations.

Real-World Consequences

Two recent cases highlight the risks:

Sherwood Homes was fined£76,000 for multiple health and safety failings on two domestic construction sites in Preston and Tarporley. The company failed to meet basic CDM responsibilities—including inadequate site management and failure to notify projects to the HSE (via F10).

Nofax Enterprises Ltd (London) was fined£63,000 plus costs after multiple serious failures were found on a four-storey residential project in Dalston. The site was closed twice due to:

• Uncontrolled working at height

• Poor fire precautions

• Exposure to silica and wood dust

• Inadequate COVID and welfare controls

Both cases underline a critical truth:lack of awareness is not a defence. Developers and builders are legally accountable for managing health and safety, even on smaller sites.

A New Resource to Help You Comply

Recognising the urgent need to support this under-served part of the construction sector, Compass HSC has created a brand-newDevelopers & Builders landing page. Our goal is to make compliance more accessible, practical, and achievable for smaller developers, builders, and contractors.

This dedicated online hub will provide:

• Clear guidance on CDM 2015 requirements: What you need to know and do as a developer, principal contractor, or designer.

• Summaries of key regulations: Understand your duties under Working at Height, Asbestos, Noise, Vibration, COSHH, and more.

• Real-life case studies: Learn from recent enforcement cases and understand how to avoid similar pitfalls.

• Practical tips and resources: For raising standards on smaller sites without unnecessary bureaucracy.

• Links to additional support: Access further expert advice from Compass HSC where needed.

Our aim is toempower developers and builders to manage health and safety confidently, reduce risks, and comply with their legal duties—without being overwhelmed.

Whether you’re a developer overseeing a domestic build, or a builder working as principal contractor, this new resource will help you stay on the right side of the law—and protect everyone working on your site.

The new landing page will be live shortly—watch this space and be ready to take advantage of the resources and guidance on offer.

The construction industry continues to hold the unwanted title of one of the most dangerous sectors in the UK. New figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) paint a sobering picture: of the 138 work-related fatalities reported across all sectors in 2024, 51 occurred in construction alone.

This is the third consecutive year of rising construction fatalities:

• 2022: 42 deaths

• 2023: 47 deaths

• 2024: 51 deaths

To put this in wider context:

Falls from height continue to be the leading cause, accounting for approximately 50% of all construction fatalities.

But the physical event—the fall—is not the root cause.

The deeper factors that consistently drive these tragic outcomes are:

• Lack of proper supervision
• The prevalence of self-employed workers operating without oversight
• Cost-cutting at the expense of safety

And often, all three factors combine to create the perfect storm.

The cultural challenge

Too many construction sites continue to prioritise programme and budget over safe working practices. In small and medium-sized projects—and in many domestic refurbishments—there remains a dangerous mindset: “We’ve done it this way for years” or “It’s only a quick job.”

This mindset is what drives shortcuts, inadequate planning, and a lack of leadership at site level.

At Compass HSC, we see this daily in our work with developers, small builders, and contractors. A lack of clarity around roles, supervision, and culture is often the biggest contributor to unsafe acts on site.

What needs to change?

• Leadership matters. Site managers and supervisors must be trained and empowered to drive safe behaviour.
• Supervision matters. Self-employed workers must not be left to manage high-risk tasks unsupervised.
• Culture matters. If the priority is “get it done” rather than “get it done safely,” accidents will continue.

Compass HSC can help

Our tailored consultancy services help developers, builders, and contractors strengthen their site culture, improve supervision, and embed a safety-first mindset—not just compliance on paper, but leadership on site.

Whether through site audits, leadership coaching, or hands-on CDM and compliance support, we work with businesses to tackle the real causes behind these statistics.

If you want to be part of the change—and not the next HSE headline—get in touch.

Call Compass HSC today on (01253) 735755 or visit compasshsc.co.uk.

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.

In the world of workplace safety, preventing injuries is about far more than ticking compliance boxes. It’s about understanding human behaviour and predicting how people are likely to act under pressure—especially when deadlines loom.

Over recent weeks, I’ve observed several instances where workers put their lives at risk simply because they were trying to speed up the job. One particularly shocking case involved someone working at a height of four metres on a tower scaffold—without any handrails on the working platform. A fall from that height would almost certainly result in death.

This wasn’t an isolated case of recklessness—it was the product of a wider cultural issue. According to Heinrich’s Domino Theory, accidents are rarely random. Instead, they result from a chain of interconnected factors:

Each factor is like a domino: knock one over, and the others are likely to follow. The key to preventing incidents lies in breaking that chain before it gets to the accident stage.

This is where leadership matters. The Managing Director and board are the primary influencers of workplace culture. It’s their responsibility to foster a positive and proactive safety culture—one in which unsafe acts or conditions are not ignored but addressed immediately.

Culture doesn’t grow overnight. It develops slowly, shaped by shared attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours. But when health and safety become a collective value—when no one walks past an unsafe condition without taking action—the results are tangible: fewer incidents, fewer injuries, and fewer tragedies.

Take that scaffold incident: more than 20 workers, including the site manager, saw what was happening and did nothing. This wasn’t a failure of rules or regulations—it was a failure of culture.

If we’re serious about preventing harm, we must stop rewarding speed over safety. We must challenge unsafe practices—even when it’s uncomfortable. And we must lead by example, every day.

Because when we rush to meet deadlines without thinking about safety, we aren’t saving time—we’re gambling with lives.�

Need help improving your site’s health and safety culture? At Compass HSC, we work with directors, managers, and site leaders to instil a safety-first mindset across every level of your organisation. Whether you need a culture audit, tailored training, or a clear roadmap for regulatory compliance and behavioural change, we can help.

📞 Call us today on (01253) 735755 or use the form below to arrange a free consultation.

Build a culture where no one walks past an unsafe act—and everyone gets home safe.