Compliance Radar
Who was sanctioned, and for what?
Fines, court rulings and incidents from Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa: 2,207 cases from 44 jurisdictions, each with an official source and checked against that source before publication. Filter by country, area of law and sector. Click a chart to drill down one level.
Click a bar to drill down one level.
Where?
by authority- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) €29.2m 81 % · 2 cases
- Health and Safety Executive (Southwark Crown Court) €4.37m 12 % · 1 case
- Plymouth Crown Court (Anklage: Environment Agency) €895,685 2 % · 1 case
- Health and Safety Executive (Leeds Magistrates' Court) €460,564 1 % · 1 case
- Health and Safety Executive (Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court) €312,098 1 % · 1 case
- Warrington Magistrates' Court (Anklage: Health and Safety Executive) €230,867 1 % · 1 case
- Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court (Ermittlungen: Scottish Environment Protection Agency, SEPA) €200,913 1 % · 1 case
- HM Treasury, Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) €176,590 0 % · 1 case
What for?
by area of lawAll areas of law
Who?
by company- Vifor Pharma UK Limited u. a. (CSL-Konzern) €27.4m 76 % · 1 case
- Industrial Chemicals Limited €4.37m 12 % · 1 case
- Viatris Inc. €1.8m 5 % · 1 case
- Anonymised companies €895,685 2 % · 1 case
- ExxonMobil Chemical Limited €513,011 1 % · 2 cases
- Syngenta Ltd €460,564 1 % · 1 case
- Futamura Chemical UK Ltd €230,867 1 % · 1 case
- Colorcon Limited €176,590 0 % · 1 case
When?
per year, by date of decision| Period | Cases | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | €895,685 |
| 2024 | 1 | €1.8m |
| 2025 | 3 | €27.8m |
| 2026 | 4 | €5.37m |
9 cases
25 Aug 2026 ExxonMobil Chemical LimitedExxonMobil Chemical: 267,000 GBP for five hydrocarbon leaks at Fife ethylene plant €312,098
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.
Recurring damage patterns must change the inspection concept – visual inspections from the ground are not sufficient for insulated pipework.
- 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.
- Six-figure fine for ExxonMobil after five leaks of extremely flammable hydrocarbons at Fife chemical plant Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Apr 2026 Industrial Chemicals LimitedIndustrial Chemicals: 3.8 million GBP after caustic soda burns – one leg amputated €4.37m
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.
Leaks of hazardous substances are not a normal state of affairs – maintenance, spill management and tested protective equipment go hand in hand.
Handling corrosive hazardous substances and PPE
- 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.
- Chemical company fined £3.8 million after investigation into serious chemical burns suffered by two employees Press release of an authority
- Companies House: Registereintrag Industrial Chemicals Limited (03886037) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link
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28 Jan 2026 Syngenta LtdSyngenta: 400,000 GBP after uncontrolled release of high-pressure steam during maintenance €460,564
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.
Known corrosion requires safer isolation procedures – routine tasks must not mask risks.
Isolation and shut-off during maintenance
- 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.
- Major chemical firm hit with £400,000 fine after dangerous steam release Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 Jan 2026 Futamura Chemical UK LtdHydrogen sulphide in drainage system: film manufacturer pays 200,000 GBP after death €230,867
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.
Cover all exposure pathways in risk assessments for hazardous substances – including effluent and drainage systems.
- 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.
- Cellulose film packaging company fined after workers exposed to harmful gas (HSE) Press release of an authority
- Companies House: Registereintrag Futamura Chemical UK Limited (10042418) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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28 Oct 2025 ExxonMobil Chemical LimitedExxonMobil Chemical: 176,000 GBP fine for six days of continuous flaring in Fife €200,913
Following a loss of steam in April 2019, the ethylene plant in Fife flared for almost a week; the smoke significantly exceeded permit limits, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) received over 900 complaints. Existing procedures and emergency plans should have prevented the incident but were not adequately followed. The company pleaded guilty and was fined 176,000 GBP.
Emergency plans only protect if staff apply them consistently in an emergency – regular drills are part of permit compliance.
Compliance with operating and emergency procedures in industrial plants
- Authority / court
- Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court (Ermittlungen: Scottish Environment Protection Agency, SEPA)
- Area of law
- Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits
- Legal basis
- Regulation 67(1)(b) Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012; Section 2 Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Culpability
- negligent
- Published
- 28 Oct 2025
Original amount 176,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Oct 2025.
- ExxonMobil Chemical Limited fined £176,000 for six days of flaring that sounded like a jet engine Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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10 Sep 2025 Colorcon LimitedPharmaceutical supplier Colorcon paid Moscow salaries via sanctioned banks €176,590
In 2022, the Moscow office of the British subsidiary made payments – mainly salaries – to accounts at Alfa-Bank, Promsvyazbank, Sberbank and VTB; after deduction of payments covered by a general licence, around 128,300 GBP remained in breach. The approval process in the UK checked only the amount and the recipient, not the bank; because of a four-month delay in reporting, HM Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) granted only a 35% instead of a 50% reduction. According to the annual accounts filed with the UK companies register for financial year 2025, the company had around 280 employees.
Anyone approving payments must also screen the recipient's bank against sanctions lists – and report breaches discovered without delay.
Payment approval with screening of the recipient bank, prompt reporting
- Authority / court
- HM Treasury, Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)
- Area of law
- Sanctions and export control · Breaches of sanctions and embargoes
- Legal basis
- Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, reg. 12
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 250 to 999
- Mitigating circumstances
- Disclosure and full cooperation, but delayed
- Published
- 30 Sep 2025
Original amount 152,750 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Sep 2025.
- OFSI: Imposition of Monetary Penalty – Colorcon Limited Decision of an authority
- OFSI – Enforcement of financial sanctions (Sammlung) Enforcement database of an authority
- Companies House: Registereintrag Colorcon Limited (00999077) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link
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23 May 2025 Vifor Pharma UK Limited u. a. (CSL-Konzern)CMA: Vifor pays GBP 23m to the NHS after suspected disparagement of a rival €27.4m
The CMA had investigated whether, between 2010 and 2024, Vifor abused a suspected dominant position in high-dose intravenous iron by spreading potentially misleading claims about the safety of the rival product Monofer compared with its own Ferinject. It accepted binding commitments: a voluntary payment of GBP 23m to the NHS, a corrective communication campaign aimed at healthcare professionals and additional compliance measures; no infringement was found.
Safety claims about competing products made to healthcare professionals must be substantiated and balanced – disparagement can be pursued as an abuse of market power.
Claims about competitor products in pharmaceutical marketing
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Chapter II prohibition, section 18(1) Competition Act 1998 (Verdacht); Verpflichtungszusagen nach section 31A Competition Act 1998
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Published
- 23 May 2025
Original amount 23,000,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 May 2025.
- CMA case page: Investigation into suspected anti-competitive conduct by Vifor Pharma in relation to intravenous iron treatments Enforcement database of an authority
- CMA: Decision to accept commitments offered by Vifor in relation to the supply of high-dose intravenous iron, Case 51377 (23 May 2025) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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22 Nov 2024 Viatris Inc.Viatris: 1.5 million GBP – key staff replaced despite hold-separate order €1.8m
During the review of the sale of the European rights to the hormone products Duphaston and Femoston to Theramex, an Initial Enforcement Order was in force. Viatris replaced members of the UK management without the consent of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and subsequently failed to report the breach; the CMA imposed 1.5 million GBP.
During a merger review, staffing decisions in the target business also require consent – and breaches must be reported immediately.
Standstill and interim obligations in merger proceedings (management, HR)
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Enterprise Act 2002, s. 72(2) (Initial Enforcement Order), s. 94A
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
Original amount 1,500,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Nov 2024.
- CMA: Viatris fined £1.5m for failure to comply with CMA order (22.11.2024) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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16 Jan 2023 a British paint manufacturerPaint manufacturer: 650,000 GBP fine after TBT entered protected estuary €895,685
In 2015/2016, sediments containing the banned antifouling agent tributyltin (TBT) as well as copper, mercury and arsenic escaped from a tank at the company's paint testing facility into a protected estuary; one sample exceeded the safe TBT level by a factor of 80,000. The subsidiary of a paint group was fined 650,000 GBP and ordered to pay 144,992 GBP in costs; it had denied the charges to the end.
Legacy sites with hazardous substances need sealed containment systems, and waste obligations also apply to residues from testing facilities.
- Authority / court
- Plymouth Crown Court (Anklage: Environment Agency)
- Area of law
- Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances
- Legal basis
- Regulations 12(1)(b) und 38(1) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010; Sections 34(1)(b) und 34(6) Environmental Protection Act 1990
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 250 to 999
- Published
- 16 Jan 2023
Original amount 794,992 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Jan 2023.
- Environment Agency, Meldungen (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2023) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 16 Jan 2025 · Direct link