IN THE COURTS IN THE COURTS


STAFFORDSHIRE CONSTRUCTION FIRM AND DIRECTOR SENTENCED AFTER WORKER SERIOUSLY INJURED


A Staffordshire-based construction company and its director have been prosecuted successfully after a worker sustained serious injuries when he fell through a stairwell opening during the construction of an apartment block in Staffordshire.


The injured worker, who was 26 at the time of the incident, had been appointed by BHG (Stone) Limited, the principal contractor, as a labourer. On 5 December 2023, he was assisting with the installation of wall insulation on the first floor of the building.


To reach the top corner of the wall, the worker placed a ladder across the stairwell opening. While carrying out the task, he fell from the ladder through the opening to the ground below.


The fall resulted in serious injuries, including fractures to his skull and back.


An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that BHG (Stone) Limited failed to properly plan the work and did not put in place suitable measures to prevent or protect against a fall from height.


The investigation also found that company director Alistair Howells was working in close proximity to the injured worker and had allowed the work to be carried out in an unsafe manner.


The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require work at height to be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner. HSE guidance highlights the importance of using suitable work equipment and implementing effective control measures to prevent falls.


BHG (Stone) Limited, of Michaelmas Barn, Aston Lane, Aston-by-Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0BW, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 in costs at Telford Magistrates Court on 1 April 2026.


Alistair Howells, 58, of Michaelmas Barn, Aston Lane, Aston-by-Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0BW, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,386 in costs at Telford Magistrates Court on 1 April 2026.


HSE Inspector Sara Andrews said: “This incident highlights the importance of undertaking a thorough assessment of the risks associated with all work at height activities and ensuring suitable control measures are in place.


“Had the work been properly planned and sequenced, and suitable work equipment provided, this incident would not have happened.”


MAJOR BUILDERS MERCHANT FINED £2.2M AFTER WORKER KILLED IN CONVEYOR CRUSH


One of the country’s largest building merchants has been fined more than £2m after one of its workers was crushed to death by a pallet of timber that weighed around three tonnes.


Paul Coulson, 56, died after a colleague started a conveyor not realising Mr Coulson had climbed inside it – resulting in the fatal crush.


The incident happened on 22 May 2024 at Herringswell Sawmills, a site in Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk operated by Huws Gray Limited. Mr. Coulson, a labourer, had been tasked with removing plastic packaging from pallets of timber before they could be processed at the mill.


The 56-year had climbed within the framework of the conveyor to access some of the packaging. However, another operative, who could not see Mr Coulson from his location, started the conveyor. This resulted in the pack of timber moving forwards and colliding with him. The operative, who could see that the pack of timber was not moving along the conveyor as it should, reversed it before changing its direction. This resulted in the pack of timber moving forwards again – colliding with Mr Coulson for a second time. The crush injuries sustained were so significant that he died at the scene.


An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company – which provides supplies


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to the building trade from hundreds of sites across Great Britain – had previously identified that employees were accessing the danger zone within the conveyor and placed signage asking employees not to do so. However, CCTV analysis revealed that between 14 April and 23 May 2024, operatives entered within the framework of the conveyor on 19 different occasions.


Although the company had placed stickers on the conveyor in a bid to tackle the working practice, no further action was taken to prevent access until after the tragedy.


The measures subsequently introduced to reduce the risk included guarding the conveyor to prevent access, changing the system of work so that the pallets were unwrapped before being placed on the conveyor, as well as more CCTV being installed to allow all angles to be seen by those operating it.


Although standards of health and safety are much improved over recent years, sawmilling remains a high- risk industry. HSE guidance clearly identifies the risks.


Huws Gray Limited based in Llangefni, Anglesey, Wales, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1). The company was fined £2.2m and ordered to pay full costs of £9,929 at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on the 26 March 2026.


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