On October 29, 2020, two workers, Lee Horton (58) and Daron Pickstock (43), died when an industrial racking system collapsed during testing at an industrial estate in Bingley, West Yorkshire. The men were in a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) near the racking, which was being loaded with test weights, when the structure failed, striking and overturning their platform.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that both companies involved, Space Productiv Ltd (Mr. Horton’s company) and Collins Site Services Ltd (Mr. Pickstock’s employer), failed to adequately assess the risks and implement safe systems of work. Crucially, workers were positioned within the collapse zone during the testing. As a result, both companies pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. On February 11, 2026, Space Productiv Ltd was fined £97,500 with £17,377 in costs, and Collins Site Services Ltd was fined £60,000 with £10,292 in costs.
This incident tragically demonstrates the critical importance of rigorous risk assessment and the strict implementation of safe systems of work, especially when dealing with potentially unstable structures. The HSE’s conclusion that the deaths were “wholly avoidable” underscores a profound failure in planning and supervision, where basic precautions such as keeping workers out of danger zones were neglected. The substantial fines serve as a stark reminder of the legal and moral obligations companies have to ensure worker safety, and the severe consequences of failing to meet these responsibilities.