HSE issues prohibition notices to Story Contracting over height and excavation failures at Carlisle site
Veröffentlicht: 08.07.2026 um 23:52 Uhr, Redaktion boerse-global.de
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued two prohibition notices against Story Contracting following inspections at a Carlisle industrial estate that uncovered serious failings in working-at-height and excavation safety. The enforcement action, formally disclosed on July 8, 2026, highlights risks that remain a leading cause of workplace fatalities in the UK — particularly in construction, where 11 of the 31 deaths from falls in 2025/26 occurred.
The notices, originally served on May 19, 2026, require an immediate halt to specific activities at the Burgh Road Industrial Estate. Inspectors found the company had failed to put adequate measures in place to prevent falls and ensure excavation stability, breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.
Falling enforcement numbers
The action against Story Contracting comes as HSE enforcement activity has dropped to a five-year low. In 2025, the regulator issued 1,141 notices — 573 immediate prohibition notices and 568 improvement notices.
The decline coincides with a reduction in HSE resources. Inspector headcount fell by 7% over recent years, from 1,045 in 2021 to 975. Fire safety enforcements on construction sites also dropped sharply, down 46% between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 reporting periods, even as fire-related injuries held steady.
Other enforcement actions
The same week, the HSE secured a £50,000 fine against Food Process Engineering Ltd at Paisley Sheriff Court. A worker died in November 2022 after falling from a scissor lift during a cleanroom dismantling project in Renfrew. The regulator found the company had not carried out a proper risk assessment.
HSE enforcement makes one thing clear — a missing or inadequate risk assessment can have serious consequences. Many employers underestimate how easily this gap can be closed. A free toolkit gives you 41 ready?to?use templates and checklists to document workplace hazards in full compliance. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
The HSE is also pursuing a targeted crackdown on engineered stone risks. In May 2026, it issued its first prohibition notices under the programme, ordering four businesses to stop work over silica dust exposure. The agency plans more than 1,000 inspections in the coming year to tackle the dangers of dry cutting engineered stone, which exposes workers to far higher levels of respirable silica than wet cutting.
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