Skip company fined £30,000 after exposing workers to cancer-causing fumes

A skip company has been handed a £30,000 fine after workers were left exposed to cancer-causing fumes.

Samson Containers Ltd, based in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, was convicted of failing to protect employees from potentially deadly welding fumes, with neither adequate ventilation systems nor appropriate protective gear provided.

The ruling at Warrington Magistrates' Court saw judges order the company to cover an additional £4,571 in legal costs, alongside a £2,000 victim surcharge - bringing total penalties to more than £36,500.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed the firm had received formal Enforcement Notices on two separate occasions, first in 2024 and again in 2025.

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Despite the cautions and regulatory intervention demanding improvements, bosses still failed to implement sufficient protective measures for its workforce.

Beyond the welding fume violations, HSE inspectors uncovered further breaches relating to occupational health obligations, including inadequate welfare facilities.

The company had also failed in its responsibility to conduct health checks for staff regularly subjected to excessive noise levels, potentially exposing them to lasting hearing damage.

Investigators concluded the pattern of non-compliance demonstrated a "persistent disregard for employee wellbeing across multiple hazard categories".

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, exposure to mild steel welding fumes carries the risk of causing lung cancer and potentially kidney cancer.

The agency recommends proper ventilation as essential for controlling hazards, with respiratory protective equipment necessary beyond ventilation alone

A HSE spokesman said: "The International Agency for Research on Cancer advises that exposure to mild steel welding fumes can cause lung cancer and possibly kidney cancer in humans.

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"To control the risk, suitable ventilation must be present. Where this ventilation does not adequately control exposure, respiratory protective equipment should be provided.

"Welding should not be undertaken without these control measures in place. This is applicable to welding indoors and outdoors.

"The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Regulation 9 (1) requires employers to provide employees with health surveillance involving hearing checks where they are regularly exposed to high levels of noise or where employees are particularly at risk e.g. pre‑existing hearing loss or sensitivity to noise.

"Health surveillance helps employers identify early signs of hearing damage, prevent further deterioration by prompting action, and making sure that their noise controls measures are working effectively."

Samson Containers Ltd was found guilty of failing to comply with two Improvement Notices contrary to Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

HSE Inspector Gemma Feerick said: "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."

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