Helping employers prepare young people for safe, confident starts in the workplace

When your child takes their first step into the world of work, you're proud.
But if you've seen how the working world really operates - not just in the best companies, but in too many others - you also worry.

Over the past two years, we've reviewed dozens of prosecutions brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Behind each one is a real life - someone who was hurt, or killed, because corners were cut, warnings ignored, or risks downplayed.

The courts have found someone at fault, but it’s also about helping our young people understand the real risks, the real responsibilities - and the vital importance of speaking up, slowing down, and staying safe.

Many of the cases we've reviewed happened in places that might feel familiar to young or inexperienced workers:

Warehouses. Loading bays. Yards. Distribution centres. Construction sites.

Busy environments where vehicles, people, and heavy equipment operate - and where one omission, failed procedure or one moment of pressure, can change a life forever.

This is the conversation I’d want my own child - or any young person - to hear before they start their working life. Because real safety isn’t just a policy or a poster - it's something we live by every day.

You helped them blow on hot food - You taught them how to cross the road. Now here's one more important check to send them into the world safely.

The Reality: It's Not Just a Warning

This isn’t rare. It’s not a freak occurrence. It’s part of the safety reality in fast-moving, high-pressure environments where assumptions, shortcuts, complacency and sometimes complete disregard - can become the norm.

Even big employers and public bodies get it wrong. Even experienced teams miss the obvious.

That’s why awareness, vigilance, and speaking up matters - not just blind obedience to authority or doing what you’re told without thinking.

You are allowed to question. You are allowed to say no. You are allowed to expect safety.

Real Cases That Should Never Have Happened

These are just a few real-world examples from recent HSE prosecutions:

Contractor Sentenced – Uncontrolled Spread of Asbestos

🔹 A self-employed roofing contractor was sentenced after the uncontrolled spread of asbestos contaminated a residential area during garage roof replacement works.
🔹 Ripped asbestos bags were left in public areas, and debris fell into neighbouring gardens — putting workers and residents at serious health risk.
🔹 The contractor was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs.
🔗 Read the full case 

Manufacturing Company – Forklift Truck Death

🔹 A forklift truck operator died when his vehicle overturned after clipping a kerbstone at a depot.
🔹 The investigation found the company had failed to risk assess forklift use properly and enforce the wearing of seatbelts.
🔹 The company was fined £500,000.
🔗 Read the full case 

Plastics Manufacturer – Worker Hit by Forklift Truck

🔹 A worker suffered multiple leg fractures and a dislocated ankle after being struck by a forklift truck while collecting materials.
🔹 Investigators found poor traffic management, lack of adherence to safe working systems, and inadequate vehicle visibility measures at the site.
🔹 The employer was fined £400,000.
🔗 Read the full case 

Fall From Height – Serious Injuries in Warehouse

🔹 A warehouse operative suffered serious head injuries after falling approximately five metres while retrieving products from high shelving using a ladder.
🔹 The investigation found the work at height had not been properly planned or made safe.
🔹 The company was fined £40,000.
🔗 Read the full case