Reflex Flexible Packaging fined £60,000 after worker injured in unguarded machine
Published on 08/15/2026 at 16:57 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A Telford packaging firm has been ordered to pay £60,000 after a worker's hand was trapped in an industrial laminator that lacked a fixed guard. The case, heard at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 10 August 2026, is the second significant penalty for the company in under a year and highlights the ongoing pressure on UK manufacturers to maintain basic safety standards.
Machine lacked essential guard
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation after the incident on 17 January 2025. Investigators found the laminator had no fixed guard in place, leaving the operator able to reach dangerous moving parts.
Fixed guards are a fundamental requirement under workplace safety law, designed to prevent workers from coming into contact with machinery while it is in operation. Their absence is treated seriously by regulators because the consequences are often severe.
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Repeat offender faces mounting penalties
The court heard that this latest fine follows a fatal incident at the firm in November 2025, for which Reflex Flexible Packaging was fined £277,500. The HSE emphasised the recurring nature of the breaches, noting that adequate guarding is not optional in manufacturing environments.
The two penalties, totalling more than £337,000, place the company among a growing list of firms facing enforcement action as the regulator steps up scrutiny of high-risk sectors.
Wider enforcement picture
The fine comes as the HSE reported that prohibition notices across the UK reached a five-year low of 1,141 in 2025. Yet certain industries remain under intense scrutiny — construction recorded 25 worker fatalities during the 2025/26 period.
Other companies have also faced recent action. Story Contracting received two prohibition notices over excavation and working-at-height violations at its Carlisle headquarters. In May 2026, the HSE introduced updated guidance under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations, including a ban on dry cutting to limit worker exposure to silica dust.
With the HSE tightening COSHH rules, many firms are discovering they lack the right hazardous-substance assessments. A free COSHH toolkit provides 43 customisable templates, checklists and toolbox talks to help you meet your legal duties. Get the free COSHH Toolkit
Regulatory action across sectors
The Reflex penalty is part of a broader wave of enforcement. In separate proceedings on 13 August 2026, Birmingham Magistrates' Court fined Mediterranean Pizza £4,000 for food safety breaches after staff could not identify allergens in ingredients during an inspection in late 2025.
Internationally, the U.S. arm of BAE Systems agreed to a $36 million (£26.7 million) penalty to resolve 104 violations of arms export rules. The settlement followed unauthorised exports to several countries, including Canada, China, Germany and the UK. Half of the penalty may be suspended if the funds are redirected towards internal compliance improvements.
