Company And Director Fined After Worker Suffers Life Changing Injuries During Steel Frame Dismantling

An employee was seriously injured when a steel beam fell during dismantling work. HSE found the task was not properly planned and an inappropriate lifting method was used. The company pleaded guilty to CDM regulation breaches and was fined, and the director received a community order.

On 26 June 2024 an iSkate Limited employee, Natalie McCreith, was seriously injured while dismantling an internal steel frame at Beaverbrook Hotel and Golf Course in Leatherhead, Surrey. The beam struck Ms McCreith, she required an 11 hour operation, spent three months in hospital and continues to recover from multiple back fractures, a punctured lung and a broken leg.

HSE found the beam, weighing more than 100 kg, was being lowered using a ratchet strap that was not designed for lifting and that the strap failed. The company director, Neil Munn, was on site, instructed the use of the strap and directed where workers should stand, and continued with the method after concerns were raised by Ms McCreith. HSE concluded the dismantling had not been properly planned or carried out in a safe way and noted that demolition or dismantling arrangements should be recorded before work begins, for example in a safety method statement.

At Guildford Magistrates Court on 28 July 2026 iSkate Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 16(1) of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 by virtue of Regulation 20(1), and was fined £12,000 with £6,949 costs. The director pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by virtue of the CDM regulation and received a community order with 75 hours of unpaid work. The Health and Safety Executive says the case shows that dismantling work presents serious hazards and that proper planning and the right lifting equipment are essential to prevent similar incidents.

HSE Corporate News