Building company and director fined after botched extension put family’s lives at risk
A Yorkshire-based building company and its director have been sentenced after botched building work on a home extension compromised gas safety and put the lives of a homeowner and her two children at risk.
Adam’s Building Construction Ltd had been hired by the homeowner to build an extension at the rear of her property in Bradford. Construction began in January 2024, but the extension was built over the top of the existing gas service pipework, and without repositioning the flue serving the property’s gas boiler. This exposed the family to the risk of gas leaks, fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that on 22 May 2024, a Building Control Inspector from the City of Bradford Metropolitan Council attended the property and discovered that the boiler flue was terminating inside the extension. He contacted Northern Gas Networks, who found the gas installation to be immediately dangerous, with the boiler still in operation and the flue discharging into the extension. The gas supply had to be cut off, leaving the residents without gas for several weeks and costing them around £4,000 to put right.
Read more on the HSE website.
‘Unacceptable risk’ of battery energy storage site
Plans for an industrial battery energy storage site (BESS) on farmland on the Devon and Dorset border have been thrown out by the planning inspector.
Clearstone Energy wanted to build more than 50 storage units on land near Axminster but had its plans refused by East Devon District Council in May 2025.
Clearstone appealed against that decision but the planning inspector dismissed it over concerns about fire safety, pollution of water supplies and harm to the landscape.
Clearstone said in its original application the development would store and export enough electricity to power 75,000 homes for 10 hours when fully charged. It has not responded to a request for a comment on the latest decision.
Learn more on the BBC website.
Waste and recycling company fined £400,000 after woman crushed
An Essex-based waste and recycling company has been fined £400,000 after an employee was seriously injured after being struck by a mobile shredder at its site in Basildon.
Clearaway Recycling Limited, based at Archers Fields, was sentenced after a 22-year-old site operative was crushed by the moving vehicle while accessing the tipping yard on 28 October 2023. She suffered life-threatening injuries when she was trapped between a gate post and the shredder itself. She has been left with life-changing injuries as a result of the incident.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had not managed the movement of pedestrians and vehicles at the site. This allowed it to become custom and practice for pedestrians to walk in areas close to moving vehicles, including the shredder, as well as close to lorries and forklift trucks.
For more on the incident visit the HSE website.
Survey highlights worst staff behaviours
A new survey from workplace expert, Acas, has found that theft, bullying, being rude and not turning up to work are among the worst behaviours reported by employers for disciplinary action against staff.
Acas commissioned YouGov to ask British businesses about the worst examples of behaviour that resulted in disciplinary action against a member of staff. Employers reported the five most commonly witnessed behaviours were:
- not turning up to work (34%)
- theft or stealing from work (30%)
- bullying at work (30%)
- being rude to colleagues or customers (30%)
- taking sick leave when not genuinely ill (27%)
Acas has launched a consultation on updates to its Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures. This will help employers and workers handle concerns in a fair, transparent and timely way.
Learn more about the survey on the HSM website.
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