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

At the Wigton plant in 2021 an employee collapsed in a pump room after exposure to gas and died; a delivery driver who tried to help also lost consciousness. According to the investigation, the cellulose film manufacturer had not assessed that hydrogen sulphide from the production process could enter the drainage system and be released there; fine of 200,000 GBP plus 20,000 GBP in costs. According to its 2025 annual accounts, the company had an average of 283 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 2(1) und 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

250 to 999

Published

8 Jan 2026

Original amount 200,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 Jan 2026.

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

In May/June 2022, the working time records of an asparagus business (anonymised in the judgment) deviated structurally from the hours actually worked; among other things, Sunday work went unrecorded, so compliance with working and rest times could not be checked. The Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Dutch Council of State (Raad van State, Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak) upheld the fine of 11,250 EUR, imposed in 2023 without prior warning, including the increase factor of 1.5.

Authority / court

Raad van State, Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak (Bußgeld: Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

Art. 4:3 Abs. 1 Arbeidstijdenwet

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

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

In February 2024 a flytable was being moved by tower crane at the Oakridge Park construction site; as it was pushed out it accelerated out of the building, fell and fatally struck a worker. WorkSafeBC found that EllisDon, as prime contractor, had not regularly reviewed the subcontractor's safe work procedures, had not confirmed that a risk assessment had been carried out, had not classed the lift as critical, had not ensured written lift plans, had not controlled the exclusion zone on the ground and had not coordinated the health and safety activities of the employers involved. It imposed an administrative penalty of CAD 514,831.53.

Authority / court

WorkSafeBC (Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Arbeitsschutzvorschriften von British Columbia, insbesondere Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) – Pflichten des Hauptauftragnehmers (prime contractor) und Anforderungen an kritische Kranhübe; Verwaltungsstrafe (administrative penalty) von WorkSafeBC

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

12 Dec 2025

Original amount 514,831.53 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Dec 2025.

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

In February 2024 the formwork contractor was moving a flytable by tower crane at the Oakridge Park construction site when it fell out of the building and fatally struck a worker. WorkSafeBC found, among other things, missing written lift plans for critical lifts, inadequate procedures for corner flytables, a lack of risk assessments and inspections, loads being passed over people and insufficient instruction, training and supervision of workers, and imposed an administrative penalty of CAD 112,624.66.

Authority / court

WorkSafeBC (Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Arbeitsschutzvorschriften von British Columbia, insbesondere Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) – Hebepläne, Schalungsarbeiten, Unterweisung und Aufsicht; Verwaltungsstrafe (administrative penalty) von WorkSafeBC

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Published

12 Dec 2025

Original amount 112,624.66 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Dec 2025.

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

While feeding a tube polishing machine that had no guarding and defective rollers, an employee's hand was drawn into the machine; one finger was partially severed and two others were crushed. The business had not prevented access to dangerous machine parts. Fine of £24,000 plus costs. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2025, the company had around 16 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 11(1) Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Employees

Under 50

Published

8 Dec 2025

Original amount 24,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 5 Dec 2025.

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

Shell UK pleaded guilty to two charges under the offshore fire and explosion regulations (PFEER 1995) and was fined £560,000. On 19 May 2017, around 200 kg of gas and 1,550 kg of crude oil escaped into a concrete leg of the Brent Charlie platform from corroded pipework that had originally been installed only temporarily; the ventilation systems had also been inadequately maintained. More than 170 people on board were exposed to a potential fire and explosion risk.

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

Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 (PFEER), zwei Anklagepunkte

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Energy and utilities

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea; the court set the fine after taking mitigating factors into account.

Published

28 Nov 2025

Original amount 560,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Nov 2025.

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

After an employee was fatally injured while cleaning a machine at the fresh-cut vegetable plant in Swedesboro (New Jersey) in May 2025, OSHA cited Taylor Farms New Jersey, a subsidiary of Taylor Fresh Foods, for 16 violations, which it describes as wilful and repeated, and proposed penalties of 1,125,484 USD; the allegations concern missing lockout/tagout procedures and lack of training. The on-site staffing agency PL Solutions Group LLC (People Logistics) received three separate citations with 33,100 USD. The companies could contest the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. 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; OSHA-Standard zur Kontrolle gefährlicher Energien (Lockout/Tagout)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

not yet final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

yes

Published

24 Nov 2025

Original amount 1,125,484 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Nov 2025.

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

While re-covering a flat roof on a residential property in England, an employee fell more than three metres through an open skylight opening and needed surgery. The business (a micro-enterprise with fewer than 10 employees) had not planned the work at height and had provided neither a crash deck nor netting; fine of 16,650 GBP plus 7,205 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 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Employees

Under 50

Published

25 Nov 2025

Original amount 16,650 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Nov 2025.

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

Two employers remunerated part-time workers solely by providing a company car. Germany's Federal Social Court (Bundessozialgericht, BSG) upheld the German pension insurance's claims for additional contributions: the benefit in kind does not satisfy the minimum wage entitlement, and contributions must be paid on the minimum wage owed (B 12 BA 8/24 R, B 12 BA 6/23 R).

Authority / court

Bundessozialgericht, 12. Senat (Betriebsprüfung: Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund)

Area of law

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

Legal basis

§ 1 MiLoG; § 28p SGB IV (Betriebsprüfung)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

final

Published

14 Nov 2025

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

In October 2022 the roof of an industrial cool room gave way while seven workers were moving equipment on it; they fell around five metres into the cool room. The Industrial Court convicted the company of breaching its health and safety duty with a fine of AUD 480,000 and of breaching s 46 of the WHS Act with a further AUD 20,000, a total of AUD 500,000.

Authority / court

SafeWork NSW / Industrial Court of NSW

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

ss 32, 19(1) und s 46 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Published

31 Mar 2026

Original amount 500,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 31 Oct 2025.

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

In July 2022 a 56-year-old worker in the palletising area of a JBS Australia site was struck by a forklift and seriously injured in the leg. Following a SafeWork NSW investigation, the District Court convicted the company of breaching its health and safety duty and fined it AUD 330,000.

Authority / court

SafeWork NSW / District Court of NSW

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

ss 32, 19(1) Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

31 Mar 2026

Original amount 330,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 29 Oct 2025.

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

In 2023 an employee climbed up the side of a sugar beet conveyor to clear a blockage by hand, fell and suffered broken ribs, a lung injury and liver damage. Blockages occurred several times per shift, and there was no safe system for clearing them; fine of 133,000 GBP plus 5,438 GBP in costs. According to its 2024 annual accounts, the company employed an average of 535 people.

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

Transport, logistics and shipping

Employees

250 to 999

Published

30 Oct 2025

Original amount 133,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Oct 2025.

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

More than 90 cleaners in industrial, laboratory and healthcare facilities often worked beyond scheduled hours without overtime pay, received no compensation for split shifts and travel time and were unable to take breaks because of excessive workloads. A web of companies concealed the employer; the Notice of Final Findings of 21 October 2025 established 438,204 USD, with OptumCare jointly liable as the client.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code § 2810.3; Overtime, Split Shift, Meal and Rest Periods, Mindestlohn

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

24 Nov 2025

Original amount 438,204 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Oct 2025.

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

Waste company Biffa was fined £2.48m and ordered to pay £5,768.06 in costs after a worker at its Bradford waste transfer station was struck and killed by a reversing skip wagon on 10 August 2023. The Health and Safety Executive found that the segregation of pedestrians and vehicles was not effectively monitored; CCTV showed that workers routinely bypassed the protected routes.

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

Reg. 5(1) Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Other

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

17 Oct 2025

Original amount 2,480,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 Oct 2025.

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

In 2023 a worker was kneeling in a casting mould when the hydraulic launder arm, weighing around 1.5 tonnes, fell on him as a result of hydraulic failure; he was trapped for more than 20 minutes and has not been able to return to work since. The safety bar was not fit for purpose and the risk of the arm falling had never been assessed; fine of 300,000 GBP plus 8,301 GBP in costs. According to its 2025 annual accounts, the plant had an average of 345 employees.

Authority / court

Cannock 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

250 to 999

Published

20 Oct 2025

Original amount 300,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 13 Oct 2025.

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

In 2023 an employee was killed by a reversing HGV on the service road of the shared industrial estate in Birmingham. The company had not assessed the risks of workplace transport, had neither avoided reversing nor made it safer with banksmen or signage, and had not controlled HGV access; fine of 240,000 GBP plus 6,917 GBP in costs. According to its 2024 annual accounts, the company employed an average of 37 people.

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

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Employees

Under 50

Published

7 Oct 2025

Original amount 240,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 Oct 2025.

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

While a high-pressure jetting system was being primed in freezing conditions in 2022, a pressure release occurred and the end of the hose struck a drainage engineer in the face; he died two and a half weeks later. There was no safe system of work, jetting vices were not properly maintained, monitoring was lacking, and information, instruction, training and supervision were insufficient; fine of 800,000 GBP (reduced from 1.2 million GBP for an early guilty plea) plus 8,680 GBP in costs. According to its consolidated accounts (financial year to July 2024), the company employed 2,268 people and the group 3,610.

Authority / court

City of London 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

1,000 to 9,999

Mitigating circumstances

Early guilty plea (reduction from 1.2 million GBP to 800,000 GBP)

Published

6 Oct 2025

Original amount 800,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 2 Oct 2025.

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

At the Alloa glassworks, a shovel loader used to clear molten glass waste and hot water had been missing the protective cab door for almost two years, although the damage had been reported and other drivers had already been struck. In 2024 material spilled into the cab and scalded a 32-year-old; fine of 600,000 GBP. According to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive, Britain's workplace safety regulator), around 500 people work at the site; according to its 2024 annual accounts, the company employed an average of 642 people.

Authority / court

Stirling Sheriff Court (Ermittlung: Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Regulation 5(1) Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Section 33(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

30 Sep 2025

Original amount 600,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Sep 2025.

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

The warehousing and logistics company Onkar Group Pty Ltd (Bakeology) was sentenced by the County Court in Wangaratta after guilty pleas to five charges, after a delivery driver died in August 2022 when, twelve hours after starting a night shift, his van ended up in front of an oncoming lorry. He had driven the same 796-kilometre route on 17 nights in a row, mostly in shifts of more than twelve hours without sufficient rest. The company received 1.1 million AUD for reckless endangerment and a total of 250,000 AUD for failing to provide safe working conditions; in addition, the offence must be publicised in an industry publication. Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Authority / court

WorkSafe Victoria

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic): rücksichtslose Gefährdung, Pflicht zu sicherem Arbeitsplatz, Schutz von Nicht-Beschäftigten, Haftung als Organ (officer)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Transport, logistics and shipping

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty pleas.

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

22 Sep 2025

Original amount 1,350,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Sep 2025.

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

The Koreatown restaurant regularly denied 48 employees meal and rest breaks, required them to remain available for guests even during the lunch break, did not pay split-shift premiums and did not pay all wages. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office imposed 680,238 USD, of which 538,638 USD for the benefit of the employees.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Meal and Rest Periods, Split Shift Premium, Lohnabrechnung)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Original amount 680,238 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Sep 2025.

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

When restarting a hardening furnace (hydrogen and oil quench bath) that had been shut down for weeks, residual vapours ignited because too much time elapsed between the nitrogen purge and ignition; two workers were seriously injured. Only one was wearing flame-resistant clothing; the other had not been provided with any. Fine of CA$144,000 plus victim fine surcharge.

Authority / court

Ontario Court of Justice 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

Steel and metals

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

21 Aug 2025

Original amount 144,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Jul 2025.

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

On the application of a Labour Inspector, the Employment Relations Authority (New Zealand's employment relations tribunal) ordered Well Sushi Limited to pay a penalty of 30,000 NZD to the Crown. The company had admitted failing to pay an employee on a work visa the minimum wage for all hours worked, miscalculating his annual leave, public holiday and sick leave entitlements and failing to keep complete time and wage records; arrears totalling 53,940.03 NZD had already been paid under a settlement. No penalties were sought against the co-respondent Hutt Food Limited because the time limit had expired.

Authority / court

Employment Relations Authority, Wellington (Antrag: Labour Inspector, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment)

Area of law

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

Legal basis

Employment Relations Act 2000 (ss. 130, 135), Minimum Wage Act 1983 (s. 6), Holidays Act 2003 (u. a. ss. 16, 24, 25, 28A, 40, 49, 50, 60, 71, 72, 81)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Repeat case

no

Mitigating circumstances

Settlement without a hearing, full payment of arrears, changed payroll processes and no previous breaches; the Authority therefore reduced the calculated 40,000 NZD to 30,000 NZD.

Original amount 30,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Jul 2025.

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

Havindustritilsynet (Havtil, Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority) ordered Equinor to ensure and document that work in area L201 of the Hammerfest LNG plant is fully prudent before it resumes, including specialist analyses of exposure conditions at the work site. The order followed three incidents between June 2024 and June 2025 in the Snøhvit Future project in which workers developed symptoms – after the first, 17 people went to an emergency clinic; the authority considered Equinor's own criteria for resuming work to be insufficient.

Authority / court

Havindustritilsynet (Havtil)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

§ 69 i. V. m. § 10 rammeforskriften; §§ 11, 16 und 18 styringsforskriften

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

20 Jun 2025

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

Adidas America reached a settlement with the US Department of Labor for penalties of 235,000 USD after OSHA, during a 2024 follow-up inspection at a warehouse in New York State, found the missing guardrails and unsafe ladder already cited in 2021 still uncorrected and identified a further unsafe ladder. The company must introduce a safety and health management programme at sites in New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico, retrain employees on fall hazards, assess fall risks at each site and stop using overhead storage areas. 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, Leitern)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Repeat case

yes

Published

4 Jun 2025

Original amount 235,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 30 May 2025.

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

In 2023, two employees of the forge in Niagara Falls removed a spacer from a press for the first time; instead of the guide bolts prescribed in the manual, they used makeshift steel bolts and left the piston assembly, weighing around 1.25 t, hanging from the crane. The load swung out, and a worker fell to the ground with it and died. The company had not informed the employees of the dangers of deviating from the operating manual; fine of CA$220,000 plus victim fine surcharge.

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Welland (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)(d) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

20 Jun 2025

Original amount 220,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 May 2025.

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

After a 16-year-old lost a thumb tip on a forming machine at metal components maker Fostermation in Meadville (Pennsylvania) in May 2024, the Wage and Hour Division and OSHA found breaches of child labour regulations and six serious and one other health and safety violation, including missing machine guards and deficient lockout/tagout procedures. The company paid 50,192 USD in civil money penalties for the child labour violations and 14,700 USD under a settlement with OSHA, a total of 64,892 USD. 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 – Wage and Hour Division (WHD) und Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Bundesrechtliche Kinderarbeitsvorschriften (Vollzug durch die Wage and Hour Division); OSHA-Standards zu Maschinenschutz und Lockout/Tagout

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Published

12 May 2025

Original amount 64,892 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 May 2025.

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

The college failed to pay 14 employees wages of almost CA$185,000 and ignored the labour inspectorate's orders to pay from 2019/2020. The court imposed CA$270,000 on the company, in addition to the outstanding wages.

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Toronto (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

28 May 2025

Original amount 270,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Mar 2025.

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

At the Mount Maunganui fertiliser plant in July 2023, a worker cleaning the conveyor system fell onto a moving belt, was dragged under the frame of another conveyor and died. There was no effective, trained and monitored safe system of work for cleaning and maintenance, and no effective guarding or emergency stop devices. On 18 March 2025 the Tauranga District Court imposed a fine of 420,000 NZD (starting point 700,000 NZD, 40% discounts) and made no reparation order because the family had already received 287,202.86 NZD (77,000 NZD directly from the company and 210,202.86 NZD from a group life insurance policy held by the company).

Authority / court

Tauranga 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) ([2025] NZDC 5282)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea, remorse, cooperation and reparation, with discounts totalling 40%; payments to the family totalling 287,202.86 NZD, of which 77,000 NZD was paid directly and 210,202.86 NZD came from the company's group life insurance policy.

Original amount 420,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Mar 2025.

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

The Openbaar Ministerie (OM, Dutch Public Prosecution Service) imposed a penalty order of 50,000 EUR on the supermarket chain Jumbo for breaching Art. 32 of the Arbeidsomstandighedenwet (Dutch Working Conditions Act) after an employee was fatally struck by one of the company’s reversing lorries at the distribution centre in Woerden on 20 October 2021. According to the investigation by the Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie (Netherlands Labour Authority), the designated smoking area was next to the loading docks and lorry traffic without adequate separation, and the lorry’s reversing alarm had been switched off. Jumbo has redesigned the smoking area, had reversing alarms activate automatically at every start, cooperated and is additionally paying a sum to the bereaved family.

Authority / court

Openbaar Ministerie (OM), Functioneel Parket; Ermittlungen Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Art. 32 Arbeidsomstandighedenwet (Arbowet); Strafbefehl des OM

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Mitigating circumstances

Subsequent safety measures, cooperation, payment to the bereaved family.

Published

18 Feb 2025

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

In January 2023, in the warehouse of a manufacturer of industrial doors in Didam (anonymised in the judgment), a 792 kg pallet fell from an unstable stack four high onto a new employee, who died; the forklift used, fitted with fork extensions, had no CE marking of its own and was unsuitable for the load, the risk assessment was incomplete and the instruction of the victim, who did not speak Dutch, was inadequate. The Overijssel District Court (Rechtbank Overijssel, economic division) imposed 100,000 EUR (of which 25,000 EUR suspended) for intentional violations of the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet), plus 17,500 EUR in damages to the mother (ECLI:NL:RBOVE:2025:711).

Authority / court

Rechtbank Overijssel (economische kamer)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Art. 32 Arbeidsomstandighedenwet i. V. m. Art. 5 Abs. 1, 8 Abs. 1 Arbeidsomstandighedenwet; Art. 3.17, 7.2 Abs. 1, 7.18 Abs. 2 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Manufacturing and mechanical engineering

Culpability

intentional

Mitigating circumstances

No previous convictions of the company; part of the fine suspended.

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

In July 2024, nitrogen dioxide above the exposure limit was released during chemical processing at the plant of Zep subsidiary AFCO in Chambersburg (Pennsylvania); twelve employees were examined in hospital and two were admitted. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) criticised the lack of an emergency action plan, deficient respiratory protection and hazard communication programmes and a delayed evacuation, and proposed $161,310 (including one repeat violation).

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 1910.120, 1910.134, 1910.1200

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Repeat case

yes

Published

14 Jan 2025

Original amount 161,310 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 14 Jan 2025.

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

OSHA and Amazon.com Services entered into a company-wide settlement resolving ten cases over ergonomic hazards – such as lower back and other musculoskeletal disorders – arising from inspections at ten facilities since summer 2022, which were due to be tried before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission in 2025. Amazon will pay 145,000 USD, according to OSHA more than 90 per cent of the penalties assessed, and must assess ergonomic risks annually at fulfilment, sortation and delivery centres, evaluate and implement controls and resolve employee complaints through a dispute resolution process. 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 (Ergonomie-Beanstandungen)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

19 Dec 2024

Original amount 145,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Dec 2024.

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

In January 2024, insecurely stacked steel pipes weighing around 900 kg fell at the plant in Bay Saint Louis (Mississippi); a 25-year-old died and a 20-year-old lost both legs. In a settlement with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the manufacturer of large steel pipes is paying $442,815 and must implement external safety consultants, monthly audits, safety professionals on every shift and three years of accident reporting; there had been 46 OSHA citations in five years.

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 (Maschinenschutz, Absturzsicherung, brennbarer Staub u. a.)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Employees

250 to 999

Repeat case

yes

Published

22 Nov 2024

Original amount 442,815 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Nov 2024.

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

In 2017 two employees were cutting pipes with an angle grinder on top of an eleven-metre-high slurry tank without fall protection; sparks ignited gases, the tank exploded, both were seriously injured and one had a leg amputated. There was no safe tank design, no risk assessments, no permit-to-work procedures, no training and no supervision, and the operator also breached its environmental permit; fines totalling 304,500 GBP plus 229,988 GBP in costs. The company is a micro-enterprise with fewer than 10 employees.

Authority / court

Nottingham Crown Court (Anklage: Environment Agency und Health and Safety Executive)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Section 2(1) und 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Regulation 38(2) Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016; Section 33(1)(c) Environmental Protection Act 1990

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Employees

Under 50

Published

28 Nov 2024

Original amount 304,500 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Nov 2024.

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

Following the partial amputation of two fingers on an automatic blade, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had inspected the bakery in Paterson in June 2023; according to OSHA, lockout/tagout procedures were still missing at the follow-up inspection in May 2024, and exit routes were blocked and fall edges unprotected. OSHA proposed penalties of $385,221 (including for failure to abate, 2 violations classified as wilful and 1 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 1910.147 (Lockout/Tagout), 1910.37 (Fluchtwege), 1910.212 (Maschinenschutz)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

intentional

Repeat case

yes

Published

19 Nov 2024

Original amount 385,221 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Nov 2024.

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

While copper conductors were being installed on a de-energised 44 kV line, a piece of conductor touched the uncovered 4.8 kV line running below it; a worker was seriously injured. The network operator had not complied with the safety rules for work near energised equipment. Fine of CA$250,000 (19 November 2024).

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Goderich (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 181, 183 O. Reg. 213/91 (Construction Projects) i. V. m. s. 132 Electrical Utility Safety Rules; ss. 27(1)(a), 25(1)(c) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Energy and utilities

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

15 Jan 2025

Original amount 250,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Nov 2024.

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

According to OSHA, in May 2024 inspectors saw carpenters of the Crystal Lake company working on residential buildings in Elburn at heights of over 6 feet without fall protection three times within one month; training records and forklift certifications were also missing, and rigging equipment was damaged. The company had already been cited in 2022 and 2023. OSHA proposed penalties of $287,465; 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) u. a.

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Construction and real estate

Culpability

intentional

Repeat case

yes

Published

6 Nov 2024

Original amount 287,465 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 Nov 2024.

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

In November 2020 a rack loaded with around nine tonnes of steel collapsed at the company's steel store in Wigram (Christchurch), killing a storeman; the racks were neither braced nor fixed to the floor, were not inspected regularly and had been built without engineering input. On 1 November 2024 the Christchurch District Court imposed a fine of 330,000 NZD (starting point 600,000 NZD) and 100,000 NZD in reparation for emotional harm; costs of 17,507.39 NZD were added.

Authority / court

Christchurch 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

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Repeat case

no

Mitigating circumstances

Reductions for cooperation (5%), remorse including payments already made to the family (10%), willingness to pay reparation (10%), guilty plea (15%) and no previous convictions in 43 years of trading (5%).

Published

11 Nov 2024

Original amount 330,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 1 Nov 2024.

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

The franchisee ran five outlets of a fast-food chain in California as separate companies and deployed employees at several locations on the same day. As a result, they lost out on overtime premiums after eight hours a day or 40 hours a week, premiums for missed meal breaks, paid travel time and the higher minimum wage for larger employers; the settlement of 1.7 million USD concerns around 550 employees.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Overtime, Meal Periods, Mindestlohn)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Culpability

intentional

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Original amount 1,700,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Sep 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 6 · Company name anonymised since 16 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The Gippsland steel processor (since renamed) was fined a total of 92,000 AUD (20,000, 32,000 and 40,000 AUD) by the Magistrates' Court in Latrobe after pleading guilty to three charges, and must also pay 15,836 AUD in costs. Between November 2020 and February 2023, three workers suffered serious hand injuries on machines used to bend and roll steel. Among other things, there was no additional activation safeguard besides the foot pedal, no supervision of an inexperienced operator and no working emergency stops and lockouts.

Authority / court

WorkSafe Victoria

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic): sichere Anlagen, Aufsicht, sichere Arbeitssysteme

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Steel and metals

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

1 Aug 2024

Original amount 92,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Jul 2024.

Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 23 Jul 2026 · Direct link

The online retailer did not inform employees at two warehouses in Southern California in writing of the productivity quotas that applied; the authority regarded the peer-to-peer rating system used as a quota within the meaning of the law, which prohibits quotas that prevent breaks, toilet visits or compliance with health and safety. For 59,017 violations between October 2023 and March 2024, the Labor Commissioner’s Office imposed 5,901,700 USD.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Warehouse Quotas Law (AB 701, Labor Code §§ 2100 ff.); Labor Code § 2699(f)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Employees

10,000 or more

Original amount 5,901,700 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Jun 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 18 Jun 2026 · Direct link

At the care facility, employees worked up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, were not allowed to leave the premises, had to work through breaks and received no overtime pay. The settlement of 658,948 USD comprises 608,948 USD for 34 employees (including overtime and break premiums) and 50,000 USD in civil penalties.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Überstunden, Meal and Rest Periods, Mindestlohn)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Healthcare

Original amount 658,948 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Jun 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 12 Jun 2026 · Direct link

A coal worker working alone at the company's steelworks was presumably applying belt dressing spray between the running belt and the head pulley when he was fatally caught; the head section of the conveyor was not guarded, and there was no safe method for applying the spray while the belt was running. Fine of CA$200,000 plus victim fine surcharge.

Authority / court

Ontario Court of Justice 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)(c) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario) i. V. m. s. 196(2)(a) O. Reg. 854 (Mines and Mining Plants)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Steel and metals

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea; subsequently improved rules on lone working and machine guarding across the entire operation.

Published

6 Mar 2024

Original amount 200,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Feb 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 26 Feb 2026 · Direct link

According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), inspectors responding to a complaint found at a family-run steel fabrication business in New Jersey, among other things, missing medical evaluations for respirator users, uninspected overhead cranes, incorrectly used welding screens and missing chemical hazard training; according to OSHA, a safety consultant had identified the deficiencies months earlier. OSHA proposed penalties of $348,683 (4 violations classified as wilful, 7 as serious); the violations are alleged, and the company has contested the citations.

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 1910.134, 1910.179, 1910.1200 u. a.

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

under appeal

Sector

Steel and metals

Culpability

intentional

Published

20 Feb 2024

Original amount 348,683 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Feb 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 5 · Company name anonymised since 20 Feb 2026 · Direct link

Warehouse and sales staff were not paid for all hours worked, received overtime premiums only after 40 hours a week instead of after eight hours a day, and had to remain available to customers during rest and meal breaks. Following citations issued in 2021, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office agreed a settlement of 1 million USD for 107 employees.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Daily Overtime, Meal and Rest Periods, Mindestlohn)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Original amount 1,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Feb 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 8 Feb 2026 · Direct link

In an ex parte trial, the Provincial Offences Court in Ottawa convicted three numbered companies, which operated under a common trade name, of offences under the Employment Standards Act. An employment standards officer of the provincial labour ministry had found that seven employees were owed around 340,000 CAD in wages; neither the orders to pay nor two demands for records were complied with. The fines on the companies total 545,000 CAD, plus a statutory 25 per cent victim fine surcharge. Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Authority / court

Provincial Offences Court Ottawa (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. 132, 136, 91(8)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

27 Mar 2024

Original amount 545,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 Feb 2024.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 6 Feb 2026 · Direct link

A vegetable-growing business did not pay harvest workers the collectively agreed minimum wage; the shortfall was just under 300,000 EUR. The investigation was based on interviews conducted with interpreters and the analysis of working time and harvest volume data. Fines of around 200,000 EUR were imposed, and around 300,000 EUR in proceeds of the offence were confiscated in addition (date = publication).

Authority / court

Hauptzollamt Karlsruhe (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit)

Area of law

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

Legal basis

Mindestlohn- bzw. Tarifrecht (tariflich bestimmter Mindestlohn); Einziehung des Tatertrags

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Food and agriculture

Published

30 Jan 2024

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 30 Jan 2026 · Direct link

Following a complaint, the Gewerbeaufsichtsamt (labour inspectorate) at the Regierung der Oberpfalz found considerable breaches of the Arbeitszeitgesetz (German Working Hours Act) at a services company, which had not improved at a repeat inspection. The company must pay €120,000 in skimmed-off profit, calculated from the notional gain from the repeated excess working hours; it also committed to investing at least €100,000 in improved processes.

Authority / court

Gewerbeaufsichtsamt bei der Regierung der Oberpfalz

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

Arbeitszeitgesetz; Gewinnabschöpfung

Action

Disgorgement of profits

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Mitigating circumstances

The calculation took into account that the company had already taken noticeable measures after the last inspection.

Published

22 Jan 2024

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 22 Jan 2026 · Direct link

The hospital trust was fined £480,000 and ordered to pay £4,286.15 in costs after an employee was found unconscious in a manhole on 1 February 2022 while unblocking a drain and suffered a brain injury. The Health and Safety Executive found that the manhole had not been identified as a confined space and the task had not been properly risk-assessed; there was no safe system of work for clearing blocked drains, and the estates team had not been trained for work in confined spaces.

Authority / court

Wellingborough 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

final

Sector

Healthcare

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

9 Jan 2024

Original amount 480,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Jan 2024.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 9 Jan 2026 · Direct link

In December 2020, part of a new building collapsed while concrete was being poured on the roof level; two workers died and four were seriously injured. The manufacturer of the structural steel system had not ensured its load-bearing capacity, and the concrete firm had not adequately instructed its workers on correct measuring procedures. Fines of CA$260,000 (steel fabricator) and CA$140,000 (concrete firm).

Authority / court

Ontario Court of Justice London (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)(e)(iii) und Section 25(2)(a) Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Construction and real estate

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty pleas by both companies.

Published

5 Jan 2024

Original amount 400,000 CAD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 Dec 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 15 Dec 2025 · Direct link

Following complaints about regular working days lasting until 11 pm or midnight, the Hamburg occupational safety authority ordered an international commercial law firm on 30 November 2023 to record the actual working hours of its employed lawyers, to instruct them accordingly and to explain the partners' responsibility. On 18 July 2025 the Verwaltungsgericht Hamburg (Hamburg Administrative Court) upheld the recording and instruction duties for employed lawyers and set aside only the third order. The judgment is not final; the court granted leave to appeal.

Authority / court

Hamburger Arbeitsschutzbehörde; bestätigt durch Verwaltungsgericht Hamburg, Kammer 21

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

§ 22 Abs. 3 ArbSchG i. V. m. § 3 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 ArbSchG; § 17 Abs. 2 ArbZG; §§ 12, 22 Abs. 1 ArbSchG

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Published

18 Jul 2025

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 30 Nov 2025 · Direct link

An employee lost two fingers when his hand was drawn into a rotary valve while he was removing a piece of string from a chute on a breading line. The HSE criticised missing guarding, an inadequate risk assessment and inadequate training. Fine of £700,000 plus costs.

Authority / court

Lincoln 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 11(1) Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Employees

1,000 to 9,999

Published

22 Nov 2023

Original amount 700,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Nov 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 22 Nov 2025 · Direct link

Employees of the Californian construction company regularly worked 45 to 68 hours a week without being paid for overtime; there was also no paid sick leave and no proper wage statements. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office concluded a settlement with the company of more than 1 million USD for the benefit of 249 construction workers.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code (Überstunden, Paid Sick Leave, Lohnabrechnung)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Construction and real estate

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 21 Nov 2025 · Direct link

The operator of a hospital in Roehampton was fined £140,000, with costs to be decided later. In 2013 a young patient on a specialist psychiatric ward was found unconscious in a lounge and died three days later. The Health and Safety Executive found that the company had not organised in-patient treatment so that patients were not exposed to risks to their health.

Authority / court

Southwark Crown 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

Healthcare

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

14 Nov 2023

Original amount 140,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 14 Nov 2023.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 14 Nov 2025 · Direct link

A 35-year-old forklift driver died at one of the company's sites when his counterbalance forklift truck overturned after striking a kerb; he was not wearing a seatbelt and was trapped under the overhead guard. The company had not enforced the requirement to wear seatbelts and had not adequately assessed its forklift operations. Fine of £500,000 plus costs.

Authority / court

Nottingham 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

final

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Employees

250 to 999

Published

8 Nov 2023

Original amount 500,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Nov 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 8 Nov 2025 · Direct link

The Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment fined a Dutch company whose activities include building and maintaining offshore wind farms EUR 27,000: according to the findings of the mining regulator Staatstoezicht op de Mijnen (Dutch State Supervision of Mines), twelve members of a project crew working on the construction of an offshore wind farm had worked on more than 14 consecutive days between 23 November and 20 December 2022; eleven of them for 20 days and one for 27 days in a row. The company argued without success that the working time rules for seafarers applied to the crew, which worked mainly on a crane vessel; the competent court dismissed its appeal on 20 November 2025.

Authority / court

Minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid (Bußgeld; Aufsicht: Staatstoezicht op de Mijnen); bestätigt durch Rechtbank Rotterdam

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

Arbeidstijdenwet; Art. 5.14:2 Abs. 3 i. V. m. Art. 5.17:2 Arbeidstijdenbesluit (Arbeit auf, von oder für einen Windpark auf See)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Published

1 Dec 2025

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 13 Oct 2025 · Direct link

The garage, which ran a roadside assistance service as a subcontractor of a motoring club, was fined 115,000 AUD by the County Court in Melbourne after a guilty plea for failing to provide a safe system of work and information or training to protect against fatigue. Both of its breakdown assistance drivers regularly spent 96 hours on call across four days and nights; in March 2018 one of them left the road and died after 89 hours on call and 17 hours of work, and traces at the scene suggested that he had fallen asleep while driving.

Authority / court

WorkSafe Victoria

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

Arbeitsschutzrecht Victoria: Pflicht zu sicheren Arbeitssystemen sowie zu Information, Unterweisung und Schulung

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Automotive

Mitigating circumstances

Guilty plea.

Published

27 Sep 2023

Original amount 115,000 AUD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Sep 2023.

Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 27 Sep 2025 · Direct link

Following an anonymous complaint about Sunday work and overlong working days, the Hamburg Amt für Arbeitsschutz (Office for Occupational Safety) ordered one of Europe's largest outdoor retailers on 22 September 2023 to record the actual working hours of all employees, including those on trust-based working time, with start, end and duration, and to submit records. On 21 August 2024 the Verwaltungsgericht Hamburg (Hamburg Administrative Court) largely dismissed the action, finding § 22(3) sentence 1 no. 1 ArbSchG (German Occupational Safety and Health Act) a sufficient legal basis; only part of one item had become moot.

Authority / court

Amt für Arbeitsschutz Hamburg (Behörde für Justiz und Verbraucherschutz); bestätigt durch Verwaltungsgericht Hamburg, Kammer 15

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

§ 22 Abs. 3 Satz 1 Nr. 1 ArbSchG i. V. m. § 3 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 ArbSchG (Aufzeichnungsanordnung); § 17 Abs. 4 ArbZG (Vorlage von Arbeitszeitaufzeichnungen)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Published

21 Aug 2024

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 22 Sep 2025 · Direct link

A football club employed staff in its youth academy from 2016 to 2021 on a €450 mini-job basis although they actually worked far more hours; minimum-wage and record-keeping duties were breached. The Hauptzollamt München (Munich main customs office) issued a confiscation order of around €200,000; in addition, around €45,500 in social security contributions and late-payment surcharges are being reclaimed.

Authority / court

Hauptzollamt München

Area of law

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

Legal basis

Mindestlohngesetz (Mindestlohn, Aufzeichnungspflicht); Einziehungsbescheid

Action

Disgorgement of profits

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Published

15 Jun 2023

Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 15 Jun 2025 · Direct link

More than 300 piece-rate workers who deboned chicken thighs at five subcontractors received no paid rest breaks, no correct overtime pay and no pay for waiting time; in some cases wages were below the minimum wage, and there was also no workers’ compensation insurance cover. The client companies are liable as client employers; following a 2021 decision of around 1.5 million USD, the liable parties jointly paid 1.47 million USD under a settlement.

Authority / court

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

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Working time

Legal basis

California Labor Code § 2810.3 (Client-Employer-Haftung); Rest Periods, Overtime, Mindestlohn

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Food and agriculture

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Original amount 1,470,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Apr 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 6 · Company name anonymised since 26 Apr 2025 · Direct link