Recycling Company Fined £3m After Fatal Incident

The following is an abridgement of an article originally appearing on the UK HSE website.

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A fatal incident has led to a significant fine for a leading recycling company. The incident involved the death of one worker and severe injury to another during the decommissioning of a North Sea gas rig.

On 17 October 2019, the structure collapsed while two men were removing a massive 27-tonne metal pipework segment from a jacket supporting oil and gas rig platforms at an onshore facility in Great Yarmouth. The collapsing pile struck the mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) the men were standing on, plunging them 12 metres to the ground.

The incident resulted in the immediate death of one and left the other with serious, life-altering injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uncovered severe shortcomings in the planning and risk assessment for the task. The company had failed to recognise the risks associated with the removal of the skirt pile, deeming it low risk, and thus had not developed a cutting plan or a safe work method statement for the operation.

David King, HSE inspector, commented on the gravity of the situation: 

“This incident, in an emerging industry, underscores the essential controls needed to safely demolish large, hazardous structures. [The company] did not meet these standards, resulting in a tragic loss of life and another forever changed.”

The company admitted to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. At a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court on 22 July 2024, the company was fined £3,000,000 and ordered to pay £60,000 in costs.

HSE seeks to make it clear that their mission is to protect people and places, and that organisations that fail to safeguard their employees by neglecting required safety standards can expect rigorous enforcement action.