Category: In The News

Working at Height Safety Failings Lead to Costly Fine A Worcester-based construction company has been fined for failing to comply with work at height regulations after a worker fell from a garage roof. On 4 February 2020, the worker had accessed the roof using a ladder and was working on his knees with his side […]

Hackers Demanding $50m from Saudi Aramco Over Data Leak Saudi Aramco, the world’s most valuable oil producer, has confirmed that hackers are attempting to extort the company over leaked data. The hackers are demanding $50m (£36.5m) in cryptocurrency but it remains “unclear who is behind the ransom plot.” Attacks like these serve to reinforce longstanding […]

£30K Fine For Company After Worker Injured by Forklift Truck A facility services company operating at Winchester prison has been fined after a worker suffered a broken leg when he was struck by a forklift truck (FLT). On 23 May 2019, the Gov Facility Services Limited employee was carrying out inspections of drain covers adjacent […]

Gang Behind Huge Cyber-Attack Demands $70m in Bitcoin Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as shown by a massive attack led by a gang last week which affected 200 firms. The REvil group claims its malware, which initially targeted US IT firm Kaseya, has hit one million “systems”. This number has not been verified and […]

Elephant & Castle Fire: Safety Fears About Railway Arches Raised Two Years Ago Safety concerns about railway arches were raised in a safety report two years before last week’s fire near Elephant & Castle station in south London. Around 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines tackled the “serious” blaze, with London Fire Brigade confirming that three […]

Serious Mitre Saw Injury Leads to £21K Fine for Construction Company A construction company has been fined after a worker’s hand was severed by an inadequately guarded mitre saw on a construction site in Bolney, Sussex. On the 9th January 2019, a worker installing skirting board in a new build house was using a powered […]

Foundry Fined After Workers Exposed to Lead Dust A foundry has been sentenced to safety breaches after workers were exposed to harmful lead dust during the repair and refurbishment of church bells at St Peter’s church in Barton-Upon-Humber. On 20th March 2019, part of the planned maintenance project involved stripping off rust and old paint […]

Plastics Manufacturer Fined After Worker was Asphyxiated Printed plastics manufacturer Alfaplas Limited has been fined after a worker became unconscious as a result of asphyxiation when his tabard was entangled in the rotating spindle of a print machine. On 29 January 2019, an employee who was a supervisor at the company attempted to realign a […]

Director Fined for Safety Breaches After 17-Year-Old Worker Fell from a Mezzanine In early 2019, Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard the young worker, and two others were building the mezzanine floor at a site in Neepsend Lane, Sheffield. The victim “stepped on a loose board and fell 2.8 metres to the ground below, sustaining cuts and […]

40% Chance That Temperature Limit Will be Met by 2025, According to Study It is increasingly likely that the lower of two temperature limits set by the Paris Agreement on climate change will be reached in one of the next five years. A major study by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) puts this probability at […]