News

• A North London construction director and his company were fined for failing to comply with multiple HSE enforcement notices
• Inspectors identified repeated safety failings at a residential conversion site, including work at height risks and inadequate site management
• HSE guidance on managing health and safety in construction is available

A construction company director and his firm have been fined after failing to comply with multiple enforcement notices and for failing to suitably plan, manage and monitor construction work.

Vasilis Paraskeva and his London-based company, VNP Constructions Limited, were the appointed contractor for the conversion of a former public house and adjoining building into residential flats on White Lion Street, London.

During a proactive visit to the site on 1 September 2022, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors identified several issues including work at height risks and concerns about the competence of site management. Prohibition and Improvement notices were served.

Further visits over the following 12 months identified additional breaches, demonstrating a continued failure to suitably plan, manage and monitor the work. Additional Prohibition and Improvement notices were served.

An HSE investigation found that Vasilis Paraskeva and VNP Constructions Limited failed to comply with the requirements of multiple enforcement notices and failed to ensure work was carried out safely.

Images from site show poor work at height practices and failures to suitably plan, manage and monitor the construction work.

Contractors have a responsibility to plan, manage and monitor construction work to ensure that it is carried out without risks to health or safety. Further guidance on Managing health and safety in construction – HSE can be found on HSE’s website.

The company, VNP Constructions Limited, of Kings Avenue, Winchmore Hill, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and to two counts of failing to comply with a Prohibition Notice contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1971.

The company was fined £7200 and ordered to pay £900 in costs at the same hearing.

The Director, Vasilis Paraskeva, of Kings Avenue, Winchmore Hill, London, pleaded guilty to three offences on the basis that the company had committed the above three offences and those offences were committed with his consent or connivance or was attributable to his neglect by virtue of S37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

He was fined £10,800 and ordered to pay £900 in costs at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 7 January 2026.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew Pipe said: "These fines should send a clear message to the construction industry that HSE and the courts take failure to comply with enforcement notices extremely seriously.

"HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies and individuals who fail to keep people safe."

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Matthew Reynolds and Paralegal Officer Melissa Wardle. 

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Relevant guidance can be found here Managing health and safety in construction – HSE 
5. HSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.  The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here.

A Dental Assistant Course is a valuable training program for individuals who wish to enter the dental healthcare profession. This course prepares students with the practical and theoretical knowledge required to support dentists in clinics, hospitals, and dental care centers. Through a Dental Assistant Course, learners gain skills in chairside assisting, patient preparation, instrument sterilization, infection control, and basic dental procedures. The course also emphasizes communication skills and professionalism, helping dental assistants create a comfortable and safe environment for patients.

An important component that complements dental training is First Aid (CPR). First Aid (CPR) equips dental assistants with essential life-saving skills needed to respond to medical emergencies that may occur in a dental setting. Situations such as fainting, allergic reactions, breathing difficulties, or cardiac emergencies require quick and confident action. Training in First Aid (CPR) enables dental assistants to provide immediate care, maintain patient stability, and assist until professional medical support arrives. These skills are critical in ensuring patient safety and reducing risks during dental procedures.

When combined, a Dental Assistant Course and First Aid (CPR) training create a well-rounded healthcare professional. Dental assistants who are trained in First Aid (CPR) are better prepared to handle emergencies, follow safety protocols, and support the dental team effectively. Employers highly value this combination of skills, as it enhances clinic preparedness and patient trust.

Overall, enrolling in a Dental Assistant Course along with First Aid (CPR) training offers strong career advantages. It improves employability, builds confidence, and ensures that dental assistants can deliver safe, efficient, and compassionate care while contributing positively to overall patient health and well-being.

Compex training UAE is a highly regarded safety and competency program for professionals working in hazardous and explosive environments. This training is designed to ensure that technicians, engineers, and supervisors have the required knowledge and practical skills to work safely with electrical and mechanical systems in potentially explosive atmospheres. Compex training UAE is widely adopted in industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, power generation, and industrial facilities, where strict compliance with international safety standards is essential. The program focuses on safe installation practices, inspection procedures, maintenance techniques, and risk control measures, helping reduce accidents and improve overall operational safety.

Equally important in high-risk workplaces is hazard recognition training, which teaches workers how to identify, assess, and control potential dangers before incidents occur. Hazard recognition training covers a wide range of workplace risks, including electrical hazards, chemical exposure, fire risks, confined spaces, and working at heights. By learning to recognize unsafe conditions and behaviors, workers become more proactive in preventing accidents and maintaining a safe working environment. This training encourages situational awareness, effective communication, and adherence to safety protocols.

When combined, compex training UAE and hazard recognition training provide a strong foundation for workplace safety and risk management. Professionals who complete both are better equipped to understand complex hazards and take appropriate preventive actions. Employers value this combination because it supports regulatory compliance, reduces downtime, and promotes a strong safety culture. Overall, compex training UAE supported by hazard recognition training enhances worker confidence, improves safety performance, and contributes to safer and more efficient industrial operations.

The immediate question in readers’ minds is what ‘Hall of Fame’. Even to those who have spent most of their lives in the North East very few can point to any  of the inventions that have made this glorious region of Great Britain a renowned centre for invention defined as something that has never been made before.

What can these be? The development of the lifeboat, the steam locomotive, the electric safety lamp for coal mines, the hydraulic crane, the power grid and hydroelectricity. Looking at the last invention, a day out at Rothbury’s Cragside estate will reinforce how hydroelectricity was used by William Armstrong in 1880 to power incandescent bulbs.

Combined, these inventions place the North East as a leader in innovation, not stopping at the initial concept stage but complete product development.

This leads me to the high speed door. This is another example of fresh thinking. Clearly industry needs buildings and ways into and out of them. “I had just that industrial building where the principal activity of manufacture of roller shutters was carried out,” explains Douglas Hart, chairman of Hart Door Systems. “I noticed on several occasions the doors into the factory were left open, even on a chilly winter’s day. Clearly energy costs must have been increased as heated air was effectively blown away. There was just one solution -  a door which opened/closed automatically.

“The trusty roller shutter worked extremely well but it was slow, better left open in some people’s minds. I had to come up with a solution which I did after consideration and initial product development,” says Mr Hart.  Welcome to the world of the high-speed door, in the case of Hart, Speedor, now a recognised global brand made by Hart Door Systems in Newcastle upon Tyne.

 Hart’s Speedor is designed to open and close rapidly to control temperature, airflow, hygiene, and traffic flow in commercial and industrial buildings.

 Speedors are widely used in warehouses, factories, cleanrooms, and logistics sites for example. However this Newcastle gem is in use across the globe in 36 countries, a remarkable success story of an industrial door now promoted as several sub-brands such as Mini, Storm, Smart and Cleanroom.

As an extremely busy company Hart Door Systems has several other brands such as its Firebrand range of fire shutters, Terror Screen security and roller shutters and Typhoon, tropical storm shutters. It’s success can be measured by the fact that Hart has thousands of doors and shutters in action in 36 countries.

WWW. HART DOORS.COM

www.hartdoors.com

• A Cumbria-based packaging manufacturer has been fined after workers were exposed to dangerous hydrogen sulphide gas.

• One employee subsequently died after collapsing in a pump room at the company’s Wigton site in December 2021.

• The HSE investigation found failures to adequately assess and control the risk of gas build-up in site drainage systems.

A Cumbria-based producer of cellulose film packaging has been fined £200,000 after workers were exposed to harmful hydrogen sulphide gas.

On 24 December 2021, Futamura Chemical UK Ltd employee, Alexander Cole (known as Alec), was found collapsed in a pump room after exposure to gas at the company’s factory premises in Wigton, Cumbria. Delivery driver, Robert Dyer, attempted to assist Mr Cole but was also overcome by the gas. Both men were rescued from the area and Mr Dyer quickly regained consciousness. Tragically, Mr Cole died in hospital the following day, which was Christmas Day. A subsequent inquest concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, hydrogen sulphide had contributed to Mr Cole’s death.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Futamura Chemical (UK) Ltd failed to adequately risk assess its production process, as it did not identify that hydrogen sulphide gas, a by-product of the process, was able to enter the site’s water effluent system.

The court heard that Futamura Chemical UK Ltd had conducted a risk assessment for the presence of hydrogen sulphide in the production area and implemented control measures. However, there was inadequate assessment and associated risk controls relating to the potential for hydrogen sulphide build-up in the site’s drainage system. This meant there was a risk that the gas could be released from the drains, putting people at risk of exposure.

Hydrogen sulphide is a clear gas with the smell of rotten eggs and is known to be harmful to health. Depending on the concentration of the gas and the length of time exposed, symptoms can range from dizziness, loss of consciousness and eye irritation through to death.

HSE guidance states that employers must adequately risk assess and implement sufficient controls to reduce a person’s exposure to substances harmful to health to a level as low as is reasonably practicable. Further guidance on Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) can be found on HSE’s website.

Futamura Chemical UK Ltd, of Station Road, Wigton, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 6 January 2026.

After the hearing Inspector, Matthew Shepherd, said: “This tragic case shows the importance of conducting a thorough and robust risk assessment to ensure that all risks are properly identified and managed. Where companies use, or produce within their processes, substances harmful to health, it is vital that they have fully considered and controlled all pathways to exposure. Failure to do so can have terrible consequences.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer, Karen Park and paralegal officer, Benjamin Stobbart.

• Illegal gas work carried out on a house in Torquay leaving an ‘immediately dangerous’ situation
• Investigation found multiple failings left by unregistered gas fitter
• HSE encourage householders to check the Gas Safe Register for qualified professionals

An unregistered gas fitter has been sentenced after carrying out illegal gas work at a house in Torquay that left the property in an immediately dangerous condition.

Exeter Court heard that Benjamin Owen, known as Ben, trading as BPS and ‘Ben the Plumber’, attended a property on Barton Hill, Torquay in February 2023 where he removed an old boiler and installed a new one.

Following the installation, the boiler did not work properly. The homeowners arranged for another company to check the installation when Ben Owen was dismissive of their concerns. When this plumber attended, they had serious concerns and called the emergency gas provider, who found a gas leak on the gas supply pipe and classified the situation as 'immediately dangerous', capping the gas supply.

Gas Safe Register was called and attended the site, where they found further defects in the gas boiler installation. A third company was employed by the homeowners to rectify the faults. When they started work, they discovered additional faults created by Mr Owen.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Ben Owen was not registered with the Gas Safe Register, which is a legal requirement. He had previously been a member of Gas Safe Register, but his registration lapsed in October 2021 when he failed to renew his membership. Since 20 October 2021, he was not registered to undertake any form of gas work.

Carrying out gas work without registration is illegal and potentially dangerous, as unqualified work can lead to gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Ben Owen, of Peter Street, St Hellier Jersey pleaded guilty to contravening Sections 3(3), 26(1) and 27(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, ordered to undertake 150 hours unpaid work and to pay costs of £1,000.

After the hearing HSE inspector, Simon Jones, said: "Ben Owen undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do and the work that he undertook was found to be dangerous, putting the lives of the homeowners and their four young children at risk.

All gas work must be conducted by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life.

"We advise all householders to check that anyone they allow to work on their gas supply is Gas Safe registered. This can be done at the Gas Safe Register website."

HSE has guidance on managing gas appliances and equipment safely, as well as what to do in an emergency at www.hse.gov.uk/gas

To check if an engineer is legally permitted to carry out gas work, visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Daniel Poole and Paralegal Michael Millman.

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