Samson Containers Ltd has been fined £30,000 after repeatedly failing to protect its employees from carcinogenic welding fumes and excessive noise at its Thornton-Cleveleys site. The Lancashire-based skip manufacturer ignored multiple Health and Safety Executive (HSE) improvement notices, putting workers at risk of serious long-term health conditions. The company was also ordered to pay £4,571 in costs and a victim surcharge of £2,000 following a hearing at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 16 June 2026.
Company ignored repeated warnings, risking workers’ long-term health.
The prosecution stemmed from a series of inspections by the HSE, which revealed a consistent failure by Samson Containers Ltd to implement essential health and safety measures. During an initial visit on 29 August 2024, HSE inspectors identified significant issues, including high-intensity welding being carried out without adequate local exhaust ventilation (LEV). This critical omission left welders directly exposed to hazardous fumes known to cause cancer. Additionally, inspectors noted inadequate welfare facilities and a complete lack of assessment for noise risks, alongside other health and safety concerns across the site.
Following this initial inspection, multiple improvement notices were served on Samson Containers Ltd, clearly outlining the necessary actions the company needed to take to rectify these dangerous deficiencies. These notices specifically addressed the urgent need for proper welding fume control and health surveillance for employees exposed to high levels of noise. Despite these explicit instructions and the serious nature of the risks identified, the company failed to comply.
Subsequent visits by HSE inspectors confirmed that Samson Containers Ltd had made no meaningful effort to address the breaches related to welding fume control and noise health surveillance. This persistent non-compliance meant that employees continued to be exposed to carcinogenic welding fumes, increasing their risk of developing severe illnesses such as lung and potentially kidney cancer. The company’s failure to provide health surveillance also meant that workers exposed to high levels of noise throughout their shifts were at risk of irreversible hearing damage, with no system in place to monitor or prevent such harm.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has unequivocally stated that exposure to mild steel welding fumes can cause lung cancer and may also contribute to kidney cancer in humans. To mitigate these severe risks, employers are legally required to provide suitable ventilation. Where ventilation alone is insufficient, appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE) must be supplied and used. Welding operations, whether indoors or outdoors, should not proceed without these fundamental control measures in place.
Furthermore, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Regulation 9(1), mandates that employers provide health surveillance, including regular hearing checks, for employees routinely exposed to high noise levels or those particularly susceptible to noise-related harm. Such surveillance is vital for early detection of hearing damage, enabling prompt intervention to prevent further deterioration and ensuring the effectiveness of existing noise control measures. Samson Containers Ltd neglected this crucial duty, leaving its workforce vulnerable to long-term auditory impairment.
Samson Containers Limited was found guilty of failing to comply with two Improvement Notices, a direct contravention of Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. HSE Inspector Gemma Feerick commented on the case, highlighting that the company had knowingly put its workers at risk of serious, long-term health conditions by repeatedly failing to implement basic safety measures, even after being formally served with notices. She emphasised that the substantial fine should serve as a stark warning that the HSE takes non-compliance with enforcement notices extremely seriously and will pursue action against organisations and individuals who fail in their duty to protect employee health and safety.
This HSE prosecution was diligently brought forward by HSE Enforcement Lawyer Julian White and Paralegal Officer Stephen Grabe, underscoring the regulator’s commitment to upholding workplace safety standards across Britain.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre
