MM Flowers Limited has been fined £134,000 after a worker suffered a life-changing injury, resulting in a leg amputation, at its Huntingdon processing facility. The incident occurred on 4 February 2023 when an employee became trapped by moving cargo, highlighting critical failures in workplace safety. The company was also ordered to pay £4,908 in costs at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 10 April 2026.
Ling Developments Limited ignored warnings, failed workers across four sites.
Ling Developments Limited, a construction company based in the West Midlands, has been fined £15,858 and ordered to pay £3,858 in costs after repeatedly failing to provide adequate welfare facilities for its workers across four different sites. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found persistent breaches of regulations despite previous enforcement action, highlighting a serious disregard for worker well-being.
The prosecution follows an extensive investigation by Britain’s workplace regulator, which uncovered a pattern of non-compliance by the company. The initial inspection that triggered the latest enforcement action took place in April 2024 at Ling Developments Limited’s construction site at The Crest, Oldbury Park, Telford. During this visit, HSE inspectors identified significant health and safety failings, specifically concerning the lack of suitable welfare provision for workers.
Key deficiencies at the Telford site included the absence of hot or warm water in the toilet facilities and a complete lack of appropriate rest areas for staff. These findings led to the immediate issuance of two improvement notices, legally compelling the company to rectify the identified issues and comply with health and safety legislation.
However, the investigation revealed that these were not isolated incidents. On three prior occasions, Ling Developments Limited had been found to be in breach of the same fundamental legislation. Despite receiving enforcement action and direct advice from HSE inspectors, the company continued to provide sub-standard facilities that directly contravened its legal duties to protect its workforce. This repeated failure to act on warnings underscored a systemic problem within the organisation’s approach to health and safety.
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, principal contractors bear a clear legal duty to ensure specific welfare facilities are available on construction sites. These requirements are not optional; they mandate that washing facilities must include a reliable supply of clean hot and cold or warm water. Furthermore, rest facilities must be adequately equipped with a sufficient number of tables and seating, alongside suitable arrangements for workers to prepare and consume meals in a clean and safe environment. These provisions are crucial for maintaining worker health, hygiene, and morale, especially in demanding construction environments.
Ling Developments Limited of Maypole House, Maypole Street, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 13 (4)(c) of The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The sentencing hearing took place at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 13 April 2026, where the fine and costs were imposed.
HSE Inspector Natalie Spurrier commented on the case, emphasising that suitable welfare facilities, including hot running water and basic rest areas, are a fundamental expectation for all workers, not a luxury. Inspector Spurrier stated that the investigation clearly demonstrated Ling Developments Limited’s failure to provide even the minimum standard of welfare facilities at several of its construction sites. She added that failing to comply with such legal obligations places workers at unnecessary risk, and the HSE expects these responsibilities to be taken seriously, vowing to continue taking action when standards fall short.
The HSE prosecution was meticulously prepared and presented by HSE enforcement lawyer Matthew Reynolds, with crucial support from HSE paralegal officer Lynne Thomas, ensuring that the full extent of the company’s repeated failings was brought before the court. This case serves as a stark reminder to all construction companies of their non-negotiable duty to provide safe and healthy working conditions, including adequate welfare provisions, for every employee.
This story was originally published by the Health and Safety Executive.
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David leads the content delivery team at HSE Network and handles the day to day management of advertorial and editorial content campaigns. David has experience in safety content creation across written and podcast-based mediums and has been working with HSE Network for over 5 years.
