Health and safety enforcement actions

Health and Safety Prosecutions

The following page contains press releases for prosecutions undertaken by the Health and Safety Regulation Team.

Halfords Ltd Fined Following Injury to Employee

Halfords Limited, the bike and car parts retailer has been ordered to pay a fine of £200,000 after an employee was trapped under a stack of bikes that collapsed like domino's. The accident occurred in December 2016.

During the investigation Health and Safety Inspectors found a number of failings. They also discovered that Halfords had not learnt from similar past incidents in the Hemel Hempstead, Letchworth Garden City and Blackburn, stores and had failed to implement recommended control measures. 

Tile Retailer Fined Following Injury to a 5 Year Old Girl

Tile Mart Ltd, trading as Roccia, were ordered to pay a total of £40,494 at Preston Magistrates Court following an accident to a five year old girl.

On the 2 April 2016 a 5 year old girl was visiting Roccia with her parents who were viewing bathroom displays. The girls mother heard a crash behind her and heard the girl screaming. As she turned round the mother saw her daughter sitting on the floor next to a vanity unity and a broken ceramic sink, it was later confirmed that she had broken her foot.

The investigation revealed that the sink had not been fitted in accordance with manufacturers instructions. Tile Mart pleaded guilty to two health and safety offences.

Indian Restaurant Fined for Gas Safety Breaches

On 9 August 2018 East Z East Preston Limited, a Preston restaurant operator (trading as East Z East) was ordered to pay a total of £43,919.50 for failing to maintain their gas equipment thereby exposing employees to a risk of injury.

The Company was fined £25,000 for failing to maintain their Tandoori Oven, which was being lit with a napkin, and a further £15,000 after Inspectors found a gas leak on the gas hose of the hotplate.

Chinese Restaurant fined for three safety breaches

New Element 2016 Limited, trading as New Element Restaurant, pleaded guilty to three health and safety offences on 4 July 2018 at Preston Magistrates Court.

New Element 2016 and were ordered to pay a total of £16,718. During a visit to the premises in February 2017 the Health and Safety Inspector found that the company did not have a written health and safety policy or risk assessments.

When inspecting the food preparation area the Inspector found a meat slicer with no guard and subsequently served a prohibition notice to prevent its use until a new guard could be fitted. In July 2017 men were seen working unsafely from the roof of a van.

New Element was fined £7,000 for failing to guard the meat slicer, £7,000 for failing to protect people working at height and £1,000 for not having a health and safety policy. The Council was awarded the full costs of £1,548 and the company was made to pay a victim surcharge of £170.

Takeaway owner fined for unguarded Pizza dough roller

On 31 May 2017 Sameer Namazi the operator of Preston takeaway, Mr Joes, was ordered to pay a total of £1660 for a number of health and safety offences relating to failing to guard pizza dough rollers and failing to comply with legal notices.

In Passing sentence he remarked that he was not blinded to Mr Namazi's significant personal problems, gave Mr Namazi full credit for entering an early guilty plea and considered his low income.

Shisha Premises fined for exposing persons to Carbon Monoxide and failing to comply with an Improvement Notice

On 18 January 2017 Misty Blue Limited a Company which used to run Ignite Shisha bar on Watery Lane, Preston has been ordered to pay over £32,000 for safety breaches.

The Company were fined £8,000 for exposing employees to dangerous levels of Carbon Monoxide produced from burning shisha coals in enclosed areas. The Company was also fined £24,000 for failing to comply with an Improvement Notice which required them to assess the risk from Carbon Monoxide.

The Company was also ordered to pay costs of £722 and a victim surcharge of £170.

Ignite Shisha Cafe was also fined in £7,600 in September 2016 for smokefree offences.

Takeaway issued with large fine for failing to guard pizza dough roller and director fined for obstruction

On 26 October 2016 a local takeaway, Pizza City (Preston) Ltd was fined £9,000 for failing to guard a pizza dough roller. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £938 and £170 victim surcharge, making the total amount payable £10,108.

Mr Shakil, a company director, was ordered to pay £150 plus £30 victim surcharge for obstruction.

Nail bar issued with Simple Caution following unhygienic practices

In October 2016 a city centre nail bar was issued with a Simple Caution. When inspectors visited the premises they found that the owner of the premises was re-using single use needles for semi-permanent make-up procedures, without suitable and sufficient sterilisation procedures.

The owner admitted the offences to inspectors and was very remorseful throughout the investigation. The premises has stopped offering the semi-permanent make-up procedure. 

Mother and baby trapped under descending lift

On 9 October 2015 a local retailer, JD Sports Fashion PLC were fined £66,667 for two health and safety offences following an incident where a mother and her baby were trapped under a descending lift and only saved from serious injury by members of the public.

Dangerous installation of gas cylinders

On 15 May 2015, Mr Wen Qaing Cai, the former owner of China House Restaurant, was sentenced to four concurrent terms of six months in prison, which were suspended for 12 months. He was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and fined £2,000 after dangerously installing LPG gas cylinders in the cellar.

Fatal injury whilst inflating a lorry tyre

On 9 January 2015, A commercial tyre fitting and repair company, Red Scar Tyres Ltd, were fined £68,000 for three health and safety offences, following an accident where one of its employees was fatality injured whilst inflating a lorry tyre.

Worker falls from unguarded ramp

On 22 November 2013, a Local Import & Distribution Warehouse Company, Transcontinental Group Ltd, were fined £18,750 for four health and safety offences, following an accident to an agency worker who fell from an unguarded ramp and suffered injuries which prevented him working for 10 months.

Gas and electrical safety breach

On 10 May 2013 Sheik Ahmed, the owner of Naseeb Tandoori, was ordered to undertake 150 hours community service following a number of health and safety offences relating to gas and electrical safety, as well as a number of food safety offences. 

Enforcement notices issued for health and safety matters

Prohibition Notices Served

• 2018 - 2019 = 10
• 2017- 2018 = 27
• 2016 - 2017 = 34
• 2015 - 2016 = 30
• 2014 - 2015 = 14
• 2013 - 2014 = 18

Improvement Notices Served

• 2018 - 2019 = 4
• 2017- 2018 = 14
• 2016 - 2017 = 6
• 2015 - 2016 = 10
• 2014 - 2015 = 3
• 2013 - 2014 = 8

Seizures of Dangerous Equipment or Substances

• 2018 - 2019 = 0
• 2017- 2018 = 0
• 2016 - 2017 = 6
• 2015 - 2016 = 1
• 2014 - 2015 = 0
• 2013 - 2014 = 0