Samson Containers was found guilty at Warrington Magistrates’ Court of failing to comply with two Improvement Notices, contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4,571 in costs, along with a victim surcharge of £2,000, at a hearing on 16 June 2026.
HSE Inspector Gemma Feerick commented: “This was a company that put its workers at risk of serious, long-term health conditions because it repeatedly failed to get the basics right – even when expressly served with notices to put proper controls in place.
“These fines should send a clear message that HSE takes failure to comply with enforcement notices extremely seriously and will act against companies and individuals who fail to protect the health and safety of their employees.”
Skip manufacturer ignored HSE notices
The prosecution followed an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive, which found the company had repeatedly failed to introduce basic safety controls despite being served with enforcement notices on two occasions.
Inspectors first visited the site on 29 August 2024, where they identified several issues, including high-intensity mild steel welding being carried out without local exhaust ventilation (LEV), inadequate welfare facilities and a failure to assess noise risks.
Multiple improvement notices were issued following the inspection.
However, when inspectors returned on several occasions to assess compliance, they found Samson Containers had failed to take action on notices relating to welding fume control and health surveillance for noise exposure.
The failings meant workers continued to be exposed to hazardous welding fumes, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer says can cause lung cancer and may also cause kidney cancer.
HSE said suitable ventilation should always be in place to control exposure, and where ventilation alone does not provide adequate protection, respiratory protective equipment (RPE) must be used. Welding should not take place without these controls, whether indoors or outdoors.
Inspectors also found the company had failed to monitor the hearing of employees exposed to high levels of noise throughout their shifts, increasing the risk of long-term health damage.
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