On 20 October 2026, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced that Wedge Group Galvanizing Limited had been fined £566,666 and ordered to pay £15,521 in costs. The sentence was imposed at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 14 October, following an incident at the company’s Crediton, Mid Devon site on 12 October 2021.
A chain carrying a steel joist weighing nearly three tonnes failed. The beam fell into a bath of molten zinc, sending a wave over a 33-year-old worker. He suffered burns to 40 per cent of his body, spent 11 days in intensive care and underwent 13 operations. He also experienced infection and sepsis, with long-term health conditions.
The HSE found that the chains showed damage and deterioration but had not been withdrawn from service. Mandatory regular examinations had not been carried out. It also found that the sling arrangement was incorrect, so the load exceeded the chains’ safe limit. The risk assessment for “immersion & swilling” did not set out chain checks or the sling configuration.
This case differs from the recent City Electrical Factors prosecution, which focused on lift planning and supervision. Here, the central lesson is the importance of the equipment inspection and maintenance system behind a lift, and how well that system is recorded, explained and reflected in your insurance arrangements.
1. Treat thorough examinations and pre-use checks as separate controls
Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), lifting accessories such as chain slings must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every six months, unless an examination scheme sets a different interval. The competent person must have the relevant knowledge and experience to identify defects, and should be sufficiently independent to make an objective assessment.
That examination is not the same as a pre-use check. HSE guidance makes clear that operator checks before use remain necessary. In this prosecution, the HSE also said the LEEA code of practice and the chain manufacturer’s manual called for chain slings used in acidic environments such as galvanizing to be inspected before each day’s use.
Those are distinct parts of a control system: a scheduled thorough examination, any supplementary inspections needed for the conditions of use, and checks before equipment is used. Don’t assume that a current examination report means a sling is suitable for every job or chemical environment. Follow the specific manufacturer’s instructions and seek competent advice where the conditions could accelerate deterioration.
The HSE’s guide to thorough examination explains examination intervals, examination schemes, competent persons and record-keeping.
2. Make sure the examiner is competent, and act on the findings
A statutory examination is only useful if it is done by someone who can assess the equipment and the way it is used. HSE guidance says a competent person needs appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience. They must be able to recognise defects and judge their importance to safe continued use.
For many businesses, this means arranging examinations through a specialist engineering inspection body or other suitable competent provider. Some businesses may use a suitably qualified person within their organisation, but they need to consider whether that person can work independently and impartially. The person who maintains the equipment should not simply sign off their own work without appropriate independence.
Most importantly, don’t treat a report as a filing exercise. Understand what defects were identified, what action is required and whether the equipment must be taken out of service. Keep the report and maintenance history accessible to the people responsible for the equipment. If a damaged sling is tagged out, make sure it cannot quietly return to use.
The HSE guidance also distinguishes examination from routine maintenance: an examination may identify maintenance problems, but it does not replace maintenance. Businesses should maintain equipment throughout its working life, not wait for the next examination to discover obvious deterioration.
3. Match the inspection regime to the actual working environment
A lifting accessory used in a clean, dry workshop may deteriorate differently from one exposed to acids, heat, moisture or corrosive substances. That matters at galvanizing plants, chemical works and other industrial sites, but it can also matter to contractors who use lifting equipment in unusual or harsh conditions.
Start by identifying the equipment, its chain grade, how it is used and what it is exposed to. Then check the manufacturer’s instructions and agree an appropriate regime with a competent person. Where a more tailored approach is needed, LOLER allows for an examination scheme drawn up by someone competent to do so. It can set out what should be examined, how and when, based on the particular equipment and operating conditions.
The HSE’s guidance on lifting operations includes considerations such as pre-use checks and continuing equipment integrity. For this article, the practical point is that inspections must reflect the work as it is actually carried out, rather than relying on a generic calendar reminder.
4. Keep a clear inspection and maintenance trail
Records cannot prevent a chain from wearing, but they help a business see whether examinations happened on time, defects were addressed and equipment was properly removed from service. They can also help show what systems were in place if a serious incident or insurance claim occurs.
Keep reports, inspection logs, repair records and equipment identification details together. Make sure a sling can be matched to its records, and that the people using it know how to report damage or deterioration. Records should be accurate and available, not reconstructed after something goes wrong.
From an insurance perspective, records do not guarantee that a claim will be covered or decided in a particular way. Cover depends on the policy wording and circumstances. But gaps in records, missed inspections or unresolved defects may create difficult questions for insurers and can complicate the investigation of a claim. Good records also help underwriters understand the controls a business has in place when assessing its risks.
5. Tell your broker what lifting equipment and processes you actually use
A business description alone may not tell an insurer enough. A contractor or industrial firm may use cranes, chain slings, hired-in plant or specialist lifting equipment as part of its day-to-day work. The risks can change further where work involves galvanizing baths, corrosive environments or other unusual processes.
When reviewing your cover, give your broker a practical account of the equipment and activities involved. Include what you own, what you hire, what you hire out, how often it is used and where it operates. Ask whether your plant or contractors’ plant arrangements include engineering inspection services, or whether examinations need to be organised separately. The answer depends on the policy and service arrangement, so check rather than assume.
Plant insurance and liability cover serve different purposes. Plant cover may protect insured equipment against specified loss or damage, subject to its terms. It does not replace LOLER examinations, maintenance or safe working procedures. Likewise, General Contractor Liability Insurance and other liability policies should be checked against the activities the business has declared and the cover required by its contracts.
Moyak helps businesses assess cover based on their operations, not just a broad trade label. Find out more about Construction Contractor Insurance, general contractor insurance and commercial combined insurance. Businesses seeking Business Insurance Essex or Business Insurance London should make sure their broker understands any specialist plant, lifting and industrial processes involved.
The practical next step
The HSE inspector described the incident as wholly avoidable and said it was shocking that a firm with considerable resources risked workers’ lives through substandard inspection protocols. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Insurance cannot remove a business’s safety duties, and businesses should not expect a criminal fine to be insured.
Review your lifting-equipment register, examination dates, pre-use check process and maintenance records. Confirm who is responsible for arranging examinations and responding to defects. Then tell your broker how your equipment and processes have changed, including any hired plant or work in corrosive environments.
If you are unsure whether your plant and liability cover reflects the work your business actually does, contact Moyak Insurance Services on 01375 392087 or at info@moyakinsurance.co.uk. We work with businesses across Essex, Kent and London to help them review cover against their operations and budget.