Textile company fined after director killed by reversing HGV
A textile manufacturer has been fined £220,000 after one of its directors was killed by a reversing HGV in Rochdale.
Daniel Ames was a director of The British Millerain Company Limited and had offered to stay behind at the company warehouse to wait for the return of the vehicle on 22 June 2023.
The truck arrived at around 5.30pm. Mr Ames spoke to the driver and confirmed he would act as banksman to help the vehicle reverse into the warehouse.
During the manoeuvre, the driver lost sight of Mr Ames and when he got out to check, he found him trapped between the vehicle and some steel storage racks in the warehouse. The driver called paramedics, but Mr Ames died in hospital from his injuries.
Read more on the HSE website.
Blue-collar workers say workplace is unsafe
AI and automation are re-shaping frontline roles faster than safety frameworks can keep up. In parallel, acute labour shortages are biting across construction and other skilled trades alongside manufacturing. The report warns that neglecting the blue-collar workforce is now a critical operational risk for the boardroom.
The World Economic Forum forecasts that 22% of jobs globally will undergo significant change by 2030 due to factors including AI, advancements in technology and the green transition. Sectors that rely on operational and blue-collar roles are integral to this transformation, with these industries among those expected to contribute to the 170 million new jobs projected globally. Yet, the Top Employer Institute’s report finds many in these roles still feel unheard on the issues that matter most – a disconnect that poses growing business continuity and retention risk.
Learn more on the HSM website.
Building Safety Regulator to move from HSE control following criticism of its performance
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced that the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will move from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as part of a package of reforms.
The ‘shake-up’, which includes a new Fast Track Process to speed up new-build applications and unblock delays at Gateway 2; an overhaul of the BSR’s senior leadership; and the addition of more than 100 new staff members to help clear the approvals backlog, is being presented by the government as a step towards a single construction regulator, one of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendations.
However, some industry commentators argue the move is a response to criticism of the HSE, which has overseen the BSR since its creation in 2022. This month, a House of Lords Industry & Regulators Committee Inquiry was launched to scrutinise the BSR’s performance after significant delays in the progress of higher-risk building projects were reported.
For more on the BSR visit the IOSH Magazine website.
HSE inspectors act for “public safety” on nine theme park rides
Nine rides at a Devon theme park were stopped after a routine inspection by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Woodlands Family Theme Park was unable to provide sufficient assurance that the rides had undergone valid safety checks, but was able to rectify the issues quickly to minimise disruption.
On Thursday 26 June 2025, HSE inspected the venue as part of its ongoing programme of inspections to fixed and mobile fairgrounds across the country.
After David Geary of DMG Technical Limited was suspended from the Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme (ADIPS), Declarations of Compliance for the nine rides were missing. HSE took proactive action to stop them being used until the issue was resolved.
Visit the HSE website to read more.
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