East London aggregates supplier fined £24,000 plus costs after worker dies in unguarded conveyor machinery at Dagenham site.
East London firm Gill Aggregates Limited has been fined £24,000 and ordered to pay costs after a worker was drawn into moving machinery and killed at its Dagenham operating site. The fatal injuries occurred when the worker was pulled into a conveyor belt system through a gap in the fixed safety guarding.
Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the company pleaded guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). The HSE revealed that the guarding surrounding the high-powered conveyor machinery was inadequate, allowing access to dangerous moving parts during operation.
This prosecution serves as a direct reminder to trade buyers, site managers, and collection drivers sourcing building materials from merchant yards and aggregate depots. While the fine itself will not immediately alter the retail trade price of bulk sand, gravel, or ballast at local yards or national outlets like Wickes and Travis Perkins, it underlines the essential safety protocols expected on commercial yards. Tradespeople entering aggregate sites to collect materials must remain alert around heavy handling equipment, obey site-specific safety zones, and report unmaintained or unguarded machinery. For site operators and contractors using plant machinery, the ruling makes clear that emergency stop controls, interlocks, and fixed guarding are strict legal obligations, not optional accessories.
The HSE continues to take a zero-tolerance approach to missing or modified guards on dangerous plant and machinery. Contractors operating machinery must conduct routine safety checks on all fixed barriers and ensure staff are fully trained on safe isolation procedures before clearing blockages or conducting maintenance.
Reported by HSE — original article
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