Who was sanctioned, and for what?

On 17 September 2026 the Shatin Magistrates' Courts (a Hong Kong magistrates' court), on prosecutions brought by the Labour Department (Hong Kong's labour authority), fined four companies for breaches of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Regulations, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Electricity) Regulations and the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations (Hong Kong workplace safety rules). The case concerned a fatal accident on 10 September 2023 at Hong Kong Science Park, in which a worker received an electric shock while carrying out electrical work. China Power International Development Limited and Towngas - China Power (HK) Integrated Energy Company Limited pay 908,000 HKD each, A. Kourage Limited 904,250 HKD and Skynet Engineering Company Limited 417,000 HKD, 3,137,250 HKD in total.

Authority / court

Shatin Magistrates' Courts, Hongkong (Anklage: Labour Department)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Factories and Industrial Undertakings Regulations; Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Electricity) Regulations; Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Published

17 Sep 2026

Original amount 3,137,250 HKD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

A 24-year-old labourer working as a temporary worker for a scaffolding company fell, in his second week of work on the developer's housing site, through a stairwell opening that was neither securely covered nor guarded, dropping one storey onto concrete and suffering serious spinal injuries. The court found the company guilty on three counts because it had neither adequately planned nor supervised work at height and had not taken suitable measures to prevent falls. Fine of £300,000 plus costs. The company is a micro-enterprise with fewer than 10 employees.

Authority / court

Leeds Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Work at Height Regulations 2005

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Employees

Under 50

Published

21 Sep 2026

Original amount 300,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

While decommissioned powder extinguishers were being discharged in Oldbury in 2023, a cartridge-type extinguisher exploded and struck a 37-year-old employee on the head, fatally injuring him. There was no risk assessment, no safe system of work, no suitable storage and no restraint system for discharging; the recycling business (20 employees according to its annual accounts) was fined 40,000 GBP plus 17,034.25 GBP in costs.

Authority / court

Birmingham Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Employees

Under 50

Published

17 Sep 2026

Original amount 40,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 14 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

At the Kettleby Foods plant in Melton Mowbray, an employee and a contractor were scalded with hot water while replacing a leaking gasket on an isolation valve of a steam line (burns to 4–5 % and 9 % of their body surface respectively). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the task had neither been assessed nor documented as a safe system of work, isolation and lock-off procedures had not been applied, fall protection was missing and supervision was inadequate. Following a guilty plea, a fine of £594,000, plus £6,000 compensation for the injured employee, costs and a victim surcharge.

Authority / court

Birmingham Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

16 Sep 2026

Original amount 594,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In Construction was fined HKD 640,000 for breaches of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the regulations on lifting appliances and safety management. On a foundation construction site in Tai Po on 30 September 2025, a female worker had been trapped between the rear end of a slewing crawler crane and the railing of a steel platform and later died.

Authority / court

Shatin Magistrates' Courts, Hongkong (Anklage: Labour Department)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance; Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear) Regulations; Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

4 Sep 2026

Original amount 640,000 HKD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In the 24th naming round of the National Minimum Wage scheme, B&Q was listed first: the company had underpaid 4,530 workers by a total of £456,934.72 (period according to the list: 15 May 2020 to 31 March 2025). Named employers had to pay the arrears and additionally received penalties whose amount per employer is not published (around £7m for the whole round). The amount is the arrears ordered to be repaid, not a fine.

Authority / court

Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade / Fair Work Agency (Ermittlung: HM Revenue and Customs)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Published

3 Sep 2026

Original amount 456,934.72 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 3 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The restaurant and takeaway business with branches in Auckland and Cromwell did not pay five employees the minimum wage, denied holiday, public holiday and sick pay, made unlawful deductions from wages and kept no accurate wage, time and leave records. After the Employment Relations Authority (ERA, New Zealand's employment tribunal) had already ordered arrears of 147,001 NZD, it imposed a penalty of 90,000 NZD against the company following an investigation by the Labour Inspectorate (labour standards enforcement unit of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment). Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Authority / court

Employment Relations Authority (Verfahren des Labour Inspectorate, MBIE)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

The company acknowledged its wrongdoing.

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

3 Sep 2026

Original amount 90,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 3 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In February 2025, a pile of scrap collapsed on a father and his son at the metal recycler's site while an excavator had been working near them for around 20 minutes; one of them suffered a broken leg. Pedestrians were separated neither from machinery nor from unstable stockpiles, even though there had been a near miss involving the same excavator shortly before. Fine of £40,000 plus £6,181 costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2025, the company had around 18 employees.

Authority / court

Grimsby Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Employees

Under 50

Mitigating circumstances

After the accident, a separate unloading zone, signage, supervised procedures and fenced-off walkways were introduced.

Published

2 Sep 2026

Original amount 40,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 1 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

In March 2024, a CO2 hose on a vacuum mixer ruptured in the deli area of the plant in Brampton; around 16,000 pounds of carbon dioxide escaped and one worker suffered life-threatening injuries. There was no CO2 sensor with an alarm. Following a guilty plea, a fine of CA$500,000 plus a 25 % victim fine surcharge.

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Brampton (Ermittlung: Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 25(2)(h) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea; permanently installed CO2 sensor after the incident.

Published

27 Aug 2026

Original amount 500,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

A lily and tulip grower with an average of around 50 (at peak 75) employees, where Polish migrant workers are employed (anonymised in the judgment), was unable to produce sufficient records of hours worked and wages paid for 18 employees for September 2020 to February 2021. The Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment (Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid) imposed 118,000 EUR in 2024 (112,100 EUR after objection); the North Netherlands District Court (Rechtbank Noord-Nederland) reduced the fine to 95,587.50 EUR, partly because of measures taken and excessively long proceedings.

Authority / court

Rechtbank Noord-Nederland (Bußgeld: Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid / Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Art. 18b Abs. 2 Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag (Wml)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

reduced

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

50 to 249

Mitigating circumstances

Reduction of 12.5 % for appropriate measures, 5 % for delay and 2,500 EUR for exceeding the reasonable length of proceedings.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Between February 2018 and September 2019, five leaks of highly flammable hydrocarbons occurred at the Mossmorran major hazard site (COMAH upper tier), all caused by corrosion under insulation; around 82 tonnes escaped in one leak. During a routine inspection in May 2019, inspectors of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) smelled escaping gas – the company had known about this leak for around four months and had continued production without additional precautions. The inspection arrangements for insulated pipework were inadequate; fine of 267,000 GBP.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg. 6(2); Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 33(1)(c)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

26 Aug 2026

Original amount 267,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie (Netherlands Labour Authority) imposed fines totalling 316,875 EUR on a gym chain in Amsterdam that is not named in the release. For 25 foreign workers the required work permit or combined residence and work permit was missing, and for three people identity had not been established (Wav, Foreign Nationals Employment Act, 234,375 EUR); because of deficient records it could not be verified whether the minimum wage had been paid for all hours worked (WML, Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act, 60,000 EUR), plus a breach of the Arbeidstijdenwet (Working Hours Act, 22,500 EUR). The company also received two warnings that work may be preventively halted if the same or similar breaches recur.

Authority / court

Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Wet arbeid vreemdelingen (Wav); Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag (WML); Arbeidstijdenwet (ATW)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Published

24 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

At the food plant in Janesville (Wisconsin), the lids of pressurised industrial kettles opened in February and March 2026, scalding workers with steam and hot liquid; three people died. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed a total of $364,100 for both inspections combined, including repeat violations relating to fall protection and lockout/tagout.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; 29 CFR 1910 (u. a. Lockout/Tagout, Absturzsicherung, persönliche Schutzausrüstung)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

yes

Published

20 Aug 2026

Original amount 364,100 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

According to the HSE, the sawmill failed to protect employees from wood dust (no face-fit testing for respiratory protective equipment, no health surveillance) and let staff drive lift trucks without training; three improvement notices from the HSE (Health and Safety Executive, Britain's workplace safety regulator) were not complied with. The court fined the company, a micro-entity, 20,000 GBP plus 5,000 GBP in costs.

Authority / court

Truro Crown Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) und Section 33(1)(g) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Employees

Under 50

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

21 Aug 2026

Original amount 20,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

At a site for two-storey residential units in Kelston (Auckland), workers were working on the upper floor without adequate fall protection, and the site also had temporary platforms, partially removed scaffolding and unsecured ladders; WorkSafe (New Zealand's workplace health and safety regulator) therefore prohibited work at height on the second floor by a prohibition notice on 30 August 2024. Because work continued there on 2 and 4 September 2024 nonetheless, the Waitakere District Court imposed a fine of 38,500 NZD on 20 August 2026, plus costs of 1,099.10 NZD.

Authority / court

Waitakere District Court (Anklage: WorkSafe New Zealand)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, s 107(1), (2)(b)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Liability of senior managers

The prohibition notice had been issued to one of the directors.

Published

4 Sep 2026

Original amount 38,500 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Aug 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie (Netherlands Labour Authority) imposed fines totalling 153,300 EUR on a platform for freelancers and nine companies that used it to deploy foreign workers without a right to work in hospitality and education: 146,500 EUR under the Wav (Foreign Nationals Employment Act) (platform 66,000 EUR, the nine hirers 4,000 to 27,000 EUR each, together 80,500 EUR) and 6,800 EUR under the Waadi (Placement of Personnel by Intermediaries Act) (platform 3,400 EUR, two hirers 2,000 and 1,400 EUR). The platform regarded itself merely as an intermediary; based on how it actually operated, the Labour Authority classed it as an employer under the broad Wav definition.

Authority / court

Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Wet arbeid vreemdelingen (Wav); Wet allocatie arbeidskrachten door intermediairs (Waadi)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Media and online platforms

Published

13 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

At roadworks on the R238 in Donegal in August 2020, one wheel of a car dropped onto the unfinished hard shoulder; when the driver steered back, the car slid on the freshly laid surface and went into Lough Foyle; three occupants drowned and one was injured, and appropriate temporary traffic management was lacking. The company pleaded guilty to breaching its duties towards non-employees under s. 12 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and was fined €1,200,000.

Authority / court

Letterkenny Circuit Criminal Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Authority)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

s. 12 i. V. m. s. 77(9)(a) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

31 Jul 2026

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In July 2020 a farmer on a dairy farm in County Limerick was fatally injured by a pneumatically operated milking parlour gate designed and manufactured by Dairymaster. The company pleaded guilty to six counts; the court imposed €200,000 each for breaches of s. 16(3) and s. 16(1)(a) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (duties of designers and manufacturers), totalling €400,000, with the remaining counts taken into consideration.

Authority / court

Limerick Circuit Criminal Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Authority)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

s. 16(1)(a), 16(3) i. V. m. s. 77(2)(a), 77(9)(a) Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Published

28 Jul 2026

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link

According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), inspectors found on 21 January and 10 March 2026 at two residential construction sites in Rockledge that employees of the roofing contractor were working on roofs without fall protection; training records, eye protection when using nail guns and ladders extending sufficiently above the roof edge were also missing. The company had been inspected seven times since 2023, each time with citations for fall protection. OSHA proposed penalties of $349,754 (2 violations classified as wilful, 4 as repeat); the violations are alleged and may be contested.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

29 CFR 1926 Subpart M (Fall Protection), Subpart X (Ladders)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Culpability

intentional

Repeat case

yes

Published

23 Jul 2026

Original amount 349,754 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

In 2021 a 35-year-old employee was crushed by a 1.6-tonne concrete weight at the cement bagging plant in Sharpness. A large section of the perimeter fencing had routinely been removed over a prolonged period, leaving dangerous moving parts freely accessible. The company – with 12 employees according to its 2024 annual accounts – was fined 1 million GBP plus 9,621 GBP in costs.

Authority / court

Bristol Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Employees

Under 50

Published

21 Jul 2026

Original amount 1,000,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

During an inspection in December 2024, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found dust escaping from machinery, blowing down with compressed air and dry sweeping at the bakery ingredients factory; measurements confirmed that workplace exposure limits had been exceeded, with a risk of asthma. In addition, employees lifted 25 kg sacks by hand every day. The site had already been cited in 2021 for the same deficiencies; fine of 120,000 GBP plus 6,270 GBP in costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2024, the company had around 116 employees.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 2(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

50 to 249

Repeat case

yes

Published

20 Jul 2026

Original amount 120,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

At the truck parts distributor's Corpus Christi (Texas) site, an employee was asphyxiated while inspecting a tank trailer. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found no confined space programme, deficiencies in the respiratory protection programme and electrical hazards, and proposed $264,380 (16 serious, 3 other violations).

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

29 CFR 1910.146 (Permit-required confined spaces); 29 CFR 1910.134 (Respiratory protection)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Published

15 Jul 2026

Original amount 264,380 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

During a Christmas lights event at the factory shop in Hanley in November 2024, an unsecured artificial snow machine fell from a window; shards of glass injured a twelve-year-old girl on the head. The ceramics manufacturer had not assessed the risks and, contrary to the manufacturer's instructions, had not secured the machine; fine of 266,666 GBP plus 4,931 GBP in costs. According to its annual accounts (financial year to April 2025), the company had an average of 345 employees.

Authority / court

Birmingham Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Regulation 10(1) Work at Height Regulations 2005; Section 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Employees

250 to 999

Published

7 Jul 2026

Original amount 266,666 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

Following an investigation by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Traffic Commissioner (regulator of commercial vehicle operators) found that the sole director of TMA Haulage Ltd had driven using the driver card of a former employee, thereby falsifying the records, three times in June and July 2025 and – after being interviewed by the DVSA – twice in April 2026; on one of those days he continued driving in this way without taking the break that was due. The operator's licence was curtailed immediately from five to four vehicles and revoked with effect from 6 October 2026. Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Authority / court

Traffic Commissioner (Western Traffic Area); Ermittlung: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995, ss. 26(1)(f), 27(1)(a) und (b); Road Traffic Act 1988, ss. 115, 117; Tachografen- und Lenkzeitvorschriften

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Culpability

intentional

Mitigating circumstances

According to the decision, points in the company's favour were: most compliance systems in place, drivers properly employed, an MOT pass rate in line with the national average, and the re-engagement of a consultant and legal representation.

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

22 Jul 2026

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

After around one million gallons of sulphuric acid were released at the BWC Terminals site in Channelview (Texas) in December 2025, OSHA proposed penalties totalling 3,520,703 USD against three employers. Staffing contractor One Way Environmental Services accounts for 3,045,452 USD for 18 violations classed as wilful and egregious and five as serious, because it sent workers to the clean-up without adequate training, respirator fit tests and safety measures; the hazardous waste contractor Coastal Environmental Solutions faces 392,501 USD and BWC Terminals, which had mixed fresh and spent acid despite warnings, 82,750 USD. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment. The decision is not final.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Occupational Safety and Health Act (u. a. Vorschriften zu Gefahrstoffeinsätzen und Notfallmaßnahmen sowie Atemschutz)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

not yet final

Sector

Other

Published

26 Jun 2026

Original amount 3,520,703 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The Supreme Court of Victoria sentenced Risham Nominees Pty Ltd, operator of Centenary Bakehouse, after a guilty plea for workplace manslaughter to a fine of 3.4 million AUD, the highest penalty to date for a single offence under the workplace safety laws of the state of Victoria. During ceiling works at the bakery in Reservoir in August 2021, a worker fell around four metres and suffered fatal head injuries. The company had taken no measures against falls and did not require the use of harnesses that were available, although an independent scaffold would have been reasonably practicable.

Authority / court

WorkSafe Victoria

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Workplace-Manslaughter-Bestimmungen des Arbeitsschutzrechts von Victoria (fahrlässiges Verhalten unter Verletzung einer geschuldeten Pflicht mit Todesfolge)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

negligent

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

25 Jun 2026

Original amount 3,400,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

An explosion and fire at a heated mixer machine at Stars Engrg Pte Ltd's Tuas worksite on 24 February 2021 killed three workers and injured seven; the company was fined a total of SGD 500,000 under the Workplace Safety and Health Act. According to investigations by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM, Singapore's labour ministry) and an inquiry committee, the machine had been kept running despite repeated warning signs such as overheating, oil leaks, smoke and a fire shortly beforehand, and there were failures in risk assessment, safe work procedures, maintenance, supervision and training. After the incident, messages significant to the investigation were also deleted.

Authority / court

Ministry of Manpower (MOM); Verurteilung durch ein Singapurer Strafgericht

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006 (WSHA); Penal Code (Behinderung der Justiz, gegen Einzelpersonen)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

25 Jun 2026

Original amount 500,000 SGD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

At the warehouse and distribution centre in Listowel (around 130 employees at the site), a worker fell around 1.2 m while climbing down a ladder at high-bay racking. He had not been adequately informed, instructed and supervised on the safe use of ladders. Fine of CA$70,000 plus victim fine surcharge.

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Stratford (Ermittlung: Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Sections 25(2)(a), 66(1) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

8 Jul 2026

Original amount 70,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In the teaching hospital's virology laboratory, the lid of a centrifuge fell on an employee who had to hold it open by hand because of a defective gas spring; she was seriously injured. Maintenance reports from 2023 and 2024 had already called for the spring to be replaced. Fine of CA$65,000 plus victim fine surcharge.

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Hamilton (Ermittlung: Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 25(1)(b) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Healthcare

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea; repair two days after the accident.

Published

21 Jul 2026

Original amount 65,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

SCS Railways, a joint venture of Skanska, Costain and Strabag on the HS2 rail project, was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay £8,974 in costs. On 27 July 2021 at the Copthall North site near Uxbridge, a 20-tonne tipper truck belonging to a contracted haulage company fell from an excavation ramp and the driver was injured. The Health and Safety Executive found neither signage nor edge protection on the vehicle routes; a traffic route changed on the morning of the incident had left an unprotected edge and had been neither properly planned nor communicated in time.

Authority / court

Uxbridge Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

26 Jun 2026

Original amount 400,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Despite improvement notices from September 2024 and February 2025, the manufacturer of skips and metal containers failed to implement any measures against carcinogenic welding fume (mild steel) – with neither extraction nor respiratory protection; in addition, there was no health surveillance for hearing for employees exposed to noise. Fine of £30,000 plus costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2024, the company had around 17 employees.

Authority / court

Warrington Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 33(1)(g) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Nichtbefolgung von Improvement Notices)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Steel and metals

Employees

Under 50

Repeat case

yes

Published

18 Jun 2026

Original amount 30,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

Esso was fined £1m and ordered to pay £12,277 in costs. On 8 November 2022, a corroded steel tower at the Fawley refinery partially collapsed, damaged pipework and released around 2,400 kg of liquefied petroleum gas over 33 hours; workers were exposed to the risk of falling debris and potential burns. According to the Health and Safety Executive's investigation, the corrosion had been known since 2010 without appropriate action being taken.

Authority / court

Southampton Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea; no injuries.

Published

15 Jun 2026

Original amount 1,000,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Siemens Gamesa was fined £600,000 and ordered to pay £7,980.80 in costs. At the blade factory in Hull on 18 July 2024, a prefabricated component weighing around 800 kg fell onto an employee after support poles had been removed; she has since been paralysed from the waist down. The Health and Safety Executive found inadequate risk assessment, no safe system of work and insufficient training.

Authority / court

Grimsby Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea; after the accident the supports were secured with a key-controlled system.

Published

26 May 2026

Original amount 600,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

At the Port of Aberdeen, an employee loosening a lorry curtain was struck by a reversing forklift truck and suffered multiple fractures and a degloving injury. Pedestrians and vehicles were not separated during simultaneous loading and unloading. Fine of £146,700. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2025, the company had around 236 employees.

Authority / court

Aberdeen Sheriff Court (Ermittlung: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Regulation 17(1) Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992; Section 33(1)(c) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Employees

50 to 249

Published

28 May 2026

Original amount 146,700 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

In October 2024, an employee of the egg producer climbed between two running manure conveyors to check a noise and was caught at the in-running nip; he suffered nerve damage to both arms. The drive had no fixed or interlocked guards – instruction and clothing rules alone were not sufficient. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution resulted in a fine of 53,000 GBP.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Aberdeen Sheriff Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg. 11(1) und (2); Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 33(1)(c)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

13 May 2026

Original amount 53,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 7 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Following an investigation by SafeWork NSW, the District Court of NSW fined LiveBetter Services Limited 675,000 AUD for a breach of ss 32/19(2) of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. In February 2022, a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was placed in a bath with excessively hot water, suffered serious burns and died from her injuries.

Authority / court

SafeWork NSW

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) ss 32/19(2)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Healthcare

Original amount 675,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 30 Apr 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Cardiff University was fined £280,000 and ordered to pay £11,745 in costs after two employees developed occupational asthma from exposure to animal allergens. According to the Health and Safety Executive, the university failed from 2008 to 2025 to identify and implement suitable controls against allergen exposure, although the COSHH regulations and relevant guidance had long been in place.

Authority / court

Cardiff Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Public sector

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

1 May 2026

Original amount 280,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 30 Apr 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Following complaints, the labour inspectorate found, among other things, outstanding minimum wages at the temporary staffing agency in Leamington; an audit for 2022 showed that hundreds of employees were owed a total of CA$234,212 in regular wages, public holiday pay and vacation pay. The company did not comply with the 2023 orders to pay; in proceedings held in its absence, the court imposed CA$100,000 on the company (plus victim fine surcharge).

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Windsor (Ermittlung: Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Ontario), ss. 103(8), 106, 132, 136

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

3 Jun 2026

Original amount 100,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Apr 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

In 2019, an employee stepped into a puddle of caustic soda; his safety boots offered no protection, and his leg had to be amputated below the knee. In 2022, another worker suffered chemical burns during manual decanting. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found leaking pipes and valves, a lack of maintenance, no risk assessment for decanting and untested safety footwear; fine of 3.8 million GBP plus 124,748 GBP in costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2024, the company had around 469 employees.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Southwark Crown Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, reg. 7(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

250 to 999

Published

24 Apr 2026

Original amount 3,800,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Apr 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

The court fined Sun Shine Decoration HKD 500,000 and Wai Tat Aluminium & Glass Engineering HKD 230,000, HKD 730,000 in total, for breaches of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations. The case arose from a fatal accident on 16 May 2025 at a house in Kwu Tung, in which a worker fell into the swimming pool of the neighbouring house while fixing insulation boards on a metal canopy.

Authority / court

Fanling Magistrates' Courts, Hongkong (Anklage: Labour Department)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance; Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

14 Apr 2026

Original amount 730,000 HKD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 14 Apr 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

While unloading stuck air cargo skids ahead of Valentine's Day 2023, an employee's leg became trapped in a 10 cm gap in the roller deck and was struck by a skid that slid forward; the leg had to be amputated. Employees had to free stuck loads by hand, and the gap had never been identified; fine of 134,000 GBP plus 4,908 GBP in costs. According to its annual accounts (financial year to August 2025), the flower supplier had an average of 882 employees.

Authority / court

Peterborough Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

250 to 999

Published

13 Apr 2026

Original amount 134,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Apr 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM, Singapore's labour ministry) issued Twelve Cupcakes Pte. Ltd. a formal stern warning because 80 employees were not paid their salaries for 1 to 29 October 2025 after the company closed on 29 October 2025. The parent company Dhunseri Ventures Limited had placed it into liquidation because of an acute cash-flow shortfall; the ministry regarded the case as a genuine business closure in financial distress rather than a deliberate attempt to evade salary obligations and therefore limited its action to the warning.

Authority / court

Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapur

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Employment Act (EA), Singapur (fristgerechte Lohnzahlung)

Action

Reprimand or warning

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

50 to 249

Mitigating circumstances

Salaries paid in full up to and including September 2025 despite continued losses, union informed on the day management learned of the liquidation, liquidator appointed; salary claims rank ahead of other unsecured debts in the insolvency.

Published

1 Apr 2026

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

At Herringswell sawmill in 2024 a labourer was crushed by a pack of timber weighing around three tonnes after a colleague started the conveyor without seeing him inside the conveyor framework. The company knew that workers were entering the danger zone – CCTV showed 19 occasions between 14 April and 23 May 2024 – but only put up stickers; fine of 2.2 million GBP plus 9,929 GBP in costs. According to its 2025 annual accounts, the company had an average of 4,570 employees.

Authority / court

Chelmsford Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Published

27 Mar 2026

Original amount 2,200,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Mar 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

In August 2024 two employees of the Leeds plastics fabricator lost parts of fingers within ten days – one on an unguarded sanding machine, the other on a table saw. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive, Britain's workplace safety regulator) found inadequate guarding, insufficient saw training, no safe systems of work and no suitable risk assessment; fine of 16,000 GBP plus 6,534 GBP in costs for the business, which had 17 employees according to its annual accounts.

Authority / court

Leeds Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Regulation 3(1) Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Employees

Under 50

Published

26 Mar 2026

Original amount 16,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Mar 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

The UK Department for Business and Trade publicly named the nursery operator Busy Bees Nurseries Limited in round 23 of the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme. According to investigations by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the company had paid a total of 9,056 workers less than the statutory minimum wage between April 2017 and October 2022 and had to repay £485,374.05 – on average around £54 per person. According to the ministry, the 389 employers named in this round also received penalties totalling around £12.6 million; the amount per company is not published.

Authority / court

Department for Business and Trade (DBT) und HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Britisches Mindestlohnrecht (National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage); National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Published

19 Mar 2026

Original amount 485,374.05 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Mar 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In June 2024 timber kicked back from an inadequately guarded stack saw at the Gisborne sawmill and seriously injured a worker's arm; seven weeks later another worker was crushed between two forklifts and suffered spinal and pelvic fractures. WorkSafe (New Zealand's workplace health and safety regulator) found systemic failings in machine guarding, risk assessment, traffic management, training and maintenance; the company had not notified the first incident and had not acted on earlier formal directions to fix the risks. On 18 March 2026 the Gisborne District Court imposed a fine of 601,250 NZD and 100,754 NZD in reparation.

Authority / court

Gisborne District Court (Anklage: WorkSafe New Zealand)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, ss 36(1)(a), 48(1), 48(2)(c)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Published

30 Mar 2026

Original amount 601,250 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Mar 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In June 2025, an employee in San Jose lost a finger on a press brake without guarding – identical to an accident in June 2024 for which the business had already been fined $43,500. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) imposed $212,850 (including a wilful repeat violation); the employer appealed.

Authority / court

California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

California Code of Regulations, Title 8 (Maschinenschutz)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Steel and metals

Culpability

intentional

Repeat case

yes

Published

26 Feb 2026

Original amount 212,850 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Feb 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In December 2023, a machinist was caught by a lathe and fatally injured while finishing a rotating workpiece with emery cloth. The forge had not prohibited manual work with emery cloth, had not prevented access to moving parts and had not carried out a risk assessment; the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution resulted in a fine of 750,000 GBP plus 38,314 GBP in costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2025, the company had around 136 employees.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Walsall Magistrates' Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 2(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Employees

50 to 249

Published

18 Feb 2026

Original amount 750,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Feb 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link

Following the COVID death of a farmworker in employer-provided housing, the California Labor Commissioner's Office sued the agricultural business in Santa Maria in 2021: more than 10,000 farmworkers, including H-2A seasonal workers, had not been informed of their entitlement to paid sick leave; in addition, there was unpaid travel time as well as overtime and minimum wage violations. The settlement of $6,175,000 (of which $4.2 million goes directly to workers) includes posting and reporting obligations.

Authority / court

California Labor Commissioner's Office (Division of Labor Standards Enforcement)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Paid Sick Leave, COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, Mindestlohn, Überstunden)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

4 Feb 2026

Original amount 6,175,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Feb 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

At the Linford plant in 2022 an employee's legs were trapped between metal frames weighing over a tonne because the interlocked access gate did not cut the power to the preceding sections of track. Previous near misses and a risk assessment from years earlier that called for additional control measures were not acted upon; fine of 633,300 GBP plus 5,583 GBP in costs. According to its 2025 annual accounts, the company had an average of 596 employees.

Authority / court

Chelmsford Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Employees

250 to 999

Published

30 Jan 2026

Original amount 633,300 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 29 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

While flange bolts were being removed from a steam trap in November 2023, a corroded isolation valve failed and high-pressure steam escaped; the contractor's fitter narrowly escaped serious injury. The agrochemicals group had not maintained work equipment and had not assessed the risk despite known corrosion (only single instead of double isolation). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution resulted in a fine of 400,000 GBP plus 8,288 GBP in costs.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Leeds Magistrates' Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg. 5(1); Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg. 3(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

28 Jan 2026

Original amount 400,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

During the repair of a tipper truck, a JCB bucket without a quick hitch or retaining pin was used to prop up the raised tipper body; the one-tonne bucket fell and seriously injured a mechanic. The business (11 employees according to its micro-entity accounts) had not used suitable props; fine of 10,000 GBP plus 3,475.90 GBP in costs.

Authority / court

Warrington Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Employees

Under 50

Published

4 Feb 2026

Original amount 10,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

Long Island roofing contractor DME Construction Associates entered into a settlement with the US Department of Labor affirming all citations issued after an employee fell to his death through an unprotected skylight in August 2021, including nine wilful violations, eight of them cited per instance for each unprotected employee. The company will pay 600,000 USD and must introduce a written safety plan, ensure sufficient fall protection for all workers, notify OSHA of jobs in advance, allow inspections without a warrant and have supervisors complete a 30-hour course. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Occupational Safety and Health Act (Absturzsicherung im Bauwesen)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Construction and real estate

Culpability

intentional

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

26 Jan 2026

Original amount 600,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In 2021 a 45-year-old employee in Penistone became entangled in an unguarded wire drawing and recoiling machine and died. There was no risk assessment, no safe system of work, no fixed guards or interlocks and no formal training, only verbal instruction; after the accident eight prohibition notices were served. Fine of 140,000 GBP plus 6,652 GBP in costs for the business, which had 17 employees according to its annual accounts.

Authority / court

Sheffield Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Steel and metals

Employees

Under 50

Mitigating circumstances

Early guilty plea

Published

23 Jan 2026

Original amount 140,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

Between June and December 2023, a logistics and transport business withheld a total of around 2,000 EUR in minimum wages from several employees, breached reporting and immediate notification obligations, and in July/August 2023 employed a foreign national without a residence permit. The fines: 5,231 EUR (minimum wage), 750 EUR each (reporting obligations) and 7,000 EUR (unauthorised employment of foreign nationals), totalling 13,731 EUR (date = publication).

Authority / court

Hauptzollamt Karlsruhe (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

§ 21 Abs. 1 Nr. 11 MiLoG; § 111 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 SGB IV; § 404 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 SGB III

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Published

22 Jan 2026

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

After a fatal accident on 19 August 2023 at a construction site in Chek Lap Kok, in which a worker received an electric shock while carrying out electrical work on a false ceiling, Hip Seng Builders had been fined HKD 261,000 on 23 January 2025. On the prosecution's application, the court reviewed the sentence and on 21 January 2026 increased the fines to HKD 521,000. The conviction was under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and two regulations on construction site and electrical safety.

Authority / court

West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts, Hongkong (Anklage: Labour Department)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance; Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations; Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Electricity) Regulations

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

21 Jan 2026

Original amount 521,000 HKD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

During an improvised relocation of a 4.5-tonne machine without lifting points, using a forklift and skates, the load slid off the forks at the East Kilbride plant in 2023 and struck an employee working underneath it on the head; he suffered permanent damage to his sight, hearing and facial nerves. The lifting operation had not been planned by a competent person; fine of 433,333 GBP. According to its 2024 annual accounts, the company (now Smurfit Westrock Consumer Packaging UK Limited) employed an average of 1,397 people in the United Kingdom.

Authority / court

Hamilton Sheriff Court (Ermittlung: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Regulation 8(1)(a) und (c) Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Published

21 Jan 2026

Original amount 433,333 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

During a public order training exercise in February 2021, police officers wearing flame-retardant protective clothing had petrol bombs thrown at them; four officers suffered burns with permanent scarring. There was no information on the service life and testing of the PPE, no risk assessment for the manufacture and use of the petrol bombs, and no safe systems of work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution resulted in a fine of 60,000 GBP plus 9,470 GBP in costs.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Sheffield Magistrates' Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 2(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Public sector

Published

20 Jan 2026

Original amount 60,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

A Bulgarian construction company that worked as a subcontractor for a German firm on a major construction site in the district of Tuttlingen between January and May 2023 paid below the minimum wage, recorded only the duration of working time rather than its start and end, and did not register the posting. Around 215,000 EUR was imposed on the company, corresponding to the economic benefit obtained by paying below the minimum wage; the decision issued in September 2025 has been final since the end of 2025 (date = publication; exact date of the decision not specified).

Authority / court

Hauptzollamt Singen (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Minimum wage and undeclared work

Legal basis

Mindestlohngesetz; Arbeitnehmer-Entsendegesetz (Aufzeichnungs- und Meldepflichten)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

9 Jan 2026

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

In June 2023, a lamp post dating from the 1950s/60s, whose steel at the base was at least 60 % rusted through, fell over and seriously injured a pedestrian. The post had been rated as poor in 2022 but was not scheduled for replacement until 2024; the council's visual inspections did not identify the acute risk of collapse. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution resulted in a fine of 80,000 GBP.

Authority / court

Health and Safety Executive (Glasgow Sheriff Court)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 3(1)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Public sector

Published

12 Jan 2026

Original amount 80,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Jan 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link