Cleaning Firm Fined £106,000 After Worker's Hand Caught in Unguarded Conveyor
Published on 08/11/2026 at 10:47 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Easy Cleaning Solutions Ltd has been ordered to pay more than £106,000 in fines and costs after an employee suffered hand injuries at its Thetford facility. The case, concluded at Norwich Magistrates' Court on 17 July 2026, highlights the serious consequences facing employers who fail to protect workers from dangerous machinery.
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Machinery Left Unguarded
The prosecution follows an incident on 24 April 2024, when a worker's hand became entangled in a conveyor belt at the company's site. The employee sustained a broken finger and significant bruising.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the machinery involved was not properly guarded. The regulator concluded that the company had failed to ensure the conveyor's dangerous moving parts were inaccessible, leading to the avoidable injury.
The court imposed a fine of £100,000 and ordered the company to pay additional costs of £6,468.
Enforcement on the Rise
The Thetford case is part of a wider pattern of legal action against businesses failing to meet their safety obligations. In a similar ruling on 6 August 2026, North Tyneside Magistrates' Court fined Len Smith & Son Building Contractors Ltd £20,000 after an employee fell through a fragile roof.
That incident occurred in February 2025 at East Fleetham Farm, leaving a worker with two broken vertebrae and a fractured sternum. The HSE found the contractor had failed to carry out a proper risk assessment for the work at height.
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The enforcement push extends beyond UK borders. In Canada, the Calgary Court of Justice fined InterPro Pipe & Steel Inc. $138,000 on 5 August 2026, following a 2023 incident in which a worker became entangled in equipment. The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of its personnel.
Construction Remains the Deadliest Sector
Beyond completed prosecutions, the HSE continues to issue enforcement notices to tackle immediate risks. Earlier this year, Story Contracting received two prohibition notices citing inadequate fall prevention and unsafe excavation practices.
National statistics for 2025/26 show construction remains the UK's deadliest industry, accounting for 11 of the 25 workplace fatalities recorded during that period.
Legal proceedings also concluded recently at the Inner London Crown Court regarding a fatal 2018 incident at The Corniche in London. While two firms were acquitted, St James and Lindner Prater were found guilty of health and safety breaches linked to a 130kg window that fell from the building, resulting in a death. The court noted that a similar panel had fallen at the site in August 2017, before the fatal accident.
