Two firms fined after racking collapse killed two workers
Two companies have been fined following an incident which resulted in the deaths of two workers in West Yorkshire.
Lee Horton, 58, and Daron Pickstock, 43, were killed when an industrial racking system collapsed as it was being tested at Castefields Industrial Estate in Bingley on 29 October 2020.
The racking was being tested at a site belonging to Space Productiv Ltd, of which Mr Horton, from Ilkley, was the managing director. Mr Pickstock, who was from Chorley, was self-employed and working for a company called Collins Site Services.
The racking system was being loaded with test weights, some of which weighed up to two tonnes, when the structure began to collapse. The two men had been working from a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) next to the racking structure as it was being loaded.
Read more on the HSE website.
Working while sick raises construction site risk, study finds
The study also found that 67% of construction workers feel pressure to conceal illness at work, with nearly one in three saying they do so regularly.
The findings highlight the growing problem of pleasanteeism, the pressure employees feel to appear “fine” despite physical or mental ill-health. While presenteeism describes working while unwell, pleasanteeism goes further: it reflects the need to actively hide illness, delaying support and increasing long-term risk for both workers and employers.
This is particularly concerning in construction, which already has one of the highest accident rates of any UK industry. Health and Safety Executive statistics show there were 35 fatal injuries to construction workers between April 2024 and March 2025, a rate 4.8 times higher than the all-industry average.
Financial pressures are the main reason construction workers hide illness, cited by 48% of respondents, followed by concerns that management would not understand (27%).
Construction company fined after worker seriously injured in fall from height in handbag factory renovation
A construction company has been fined after a worker sustained serious injuries when he fell from a ladder during renovation works in London.
On 5 August 2021, the worker was engaged on a refurbishment project in Islington for Bow Tie Construction Limited. The project involved converting an existing domestic property and a former handbag factory into a single dwelling.
As part of the works, a new concrete staircase was to be installed between the ground and first floors. Temporary timber formwork was required to construct the staircase.
The worker, along with two others, had been instructed by company director and acting site manager Rafael Delimata to build the formwork. While standing on the top of a stepladder and using a gas-powered nail gun, the worker fell approximately 1.65 metres to the floor below.
He sustained multiple serious injuries, including crush injuries to both elbows requiring several surgeries, a fractured forearm, dislocated wrists, and injuries to his right leg and left knee.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bow Tie Construction Limited had failed to implement a safe system of work for working at height during the construction of the staircase.
For more on the incident visit the HSE website.
Grounds maintenance company fined after employee killed operating ride-on lawnmower
A grounds maintenance company has been fined after an employee was killed while operating a ride-on lawnmower near Ripon.
Kamil Grygieniec, 23, from Northallerton, was cutting grass around a village pond in North Stainley on 8 October 2021 when the ride-on mower he was operating descended a steep incline and ended up in it.
The mower was being used without a safety-critical roll-over protection system (ROPS) fitted.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that MHS Countryside Management Limited had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient site-specific risk assessment for the work being undertaken.
Visit the HSE website to learn more.
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