HSE’s 2024/25 annual accounts report 246 prosecutions completed, a 96% conviction rate and more than £33 million in fines. This page covers HSE enforcement in Great Britain, with the distinct Scottish prosecution process explained below, and separates those annual outcomes from newer inspection results and the current Fee for Intervention rate.
The figures come from the HSE Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25, the HSE’s annual health and safety statistics for Great Britain, the Sentencing Council’s definitive guideline, and the HSE’s own public registers and prosecution press releases. Every number is linked to its source at the end of the page.
Key facts and figures
- 246 prosecutions were completed by the HSE in 2024/25, with a 96% conviction rate.
- £33m+ in fines were imposed by the courts following HSE convictions in 2024/25.
- 4,400+ enforcement notices were reported for 2024/25, approximately 3,200 improvement and 1,200 prohibition notices.
- 14,927 inspections were reported in the provisional 2025/26 KPI results.
- 83% of relevant fatal investigations were completed within twelve months of primacy in provisional 2025/26 results.
- £188/hour is the Fee for Intervention rate from 1 April 2026.
- £6 million was the fine imposed on Cambridgeshire County Council in April 2025; this is an example, not a ranking of all fines.
- £50 million annual turnover marks the large-organisation category in the England-and-Wales sentencing guideline.
Checked on 15 October 2026. Annual prosecution and notice figures are for 2024/25; inspection and investigation results are provisional for 2025/26. The current FFI rate took effect in April 2026.
How many health and safety prosecutions are there in the UK?
The 2024/25 annual accounts report 246 completed prosecutions and a 96% conviction rate. These describe cases reaching an outcome in that reporting year, not all incidents occurring in the year or a national count of every health and safety prosecution.
HSE prosecutes in England and Wales. In Scotland it investigates and reports to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, which decides whether to prosecute. HSE publishes conviction and enforcement-notice records; check each register’s coverage and retention notes when searching.
These figures cover HSE enforcement only. Fire safety prosecutions are brought separately by fire and rescue authorities under the Fire Safety Order — we cover those in our sister site’s fire safety prosecution statistics.
How much are companies fined for health and safety offences?
Fines exceeded £33 million in the 2024/25 accounts. Dividing this rounded total by a conviction count inferred from a rounded percentage would not produce a reliable published average fine. Case outcomes vary substantially with the offence and offender.
Fines for health and safety offences can be unlimited. Courts in England and Wales use the relevant Sentencing Council guideline, considering culpability, harm and financial circumstances. Scotland has its own sentencing framework. Fines are distinct from prosecution costs, compensation and other losses.
The table distinguishes annual enforcement outcomes from the latest inspection and charging measures.
| Measure | Figure | Period / detail |
|---|---|---|
| Prosecutions completed | 246 | 2024/25 annual accounts |
| Conviction rate | 96% | 2024/25 completed prosecutions |
| Fines imposed | £33m+ | 2024/25; not a calculated average fine |
| Enforcement notices | 4,400+ | 2024/25 annual accounts |
| Improvement / prohibition notices | About 3,200 / 1,200 | 2024/25; rounded figures |
| Inspections | 14,927 | 2025/26 provisional KPI result |
| Fatal investigations completed within twelve months | 80 of 96 (83%) | 2025/26 provisional; measured from primacy |
| Fee for Intervention | £188/hour | From 1 April 2026 |
How does the sentencing guideline determine fines?
The England-and-Wales guideline for health and safety offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety offences took effect on 1 February 2016. It uses culpability, harm and the organisation’s financial position to determine a starting point and range, followed by relevant adjustments.
For large organisations, defined as annual turnover of £50 million or more, the guideline’s ranges can reach £10 million for health and safety offences and £20 million for corporate manslaughter. These are guideline ranges, not statutory maximums; very large organisations can require a sentence beyond the range.
Corporate manslaughter convictions are a separate, rarer track under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 — we cover those in our corporate manslaughter statistics page.
Examples of recent HSE-investigated cases
Cambridgeshire County Council was fined £6 million on 16 April 2025 after pleading guilty to two offences under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. The case concerned three public deaths on its guided busway between 2015 and 2021. Costs were £292,460.90. This is a documented example, not a claim that it was the largest fine of a particular period.
| Organisation | Fine | Date | Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridgeshire County Council | £6m | April 2025 | Three public deaths on the guided busway, 2015–2021; s.3(1) HSWA 1974 |
| HC-One Limited | £1.8m | 20 October 2025 | Resident’s choking death in Inverness; failures to communicate and follow care needs |
| Bertschi UK Limited | £425,000 | 17 July 2026 | Fatal fall from a mobile loading ramp; planning and fall-prevention failures |
| Roofrite (Shropshire) Ltd | £8,000 | 19 May 2025 | Worker injured in a fall during roof work; Work at Height Regulations offence |
These cases illustrate different failures and legal proceedings. They are selected examples, not a representative sample or ranking. The Bertschi investigation, for example, found that workers used a loading ramp without the handrails required by the manufacturer and that alternatives avoiding work at height had not been sufficiently considered.
How many enforcement notices does the HSE issue?
The 2024/25 annual accounts report more than 4,400 notices, approximately 3,200 improvement and 1,200 prohibition notices. These rounded totals describe enforcement activity within HSE’s remit. Comparisons over time should use consistent definitions and validated annual data.
An improvement notice requires a breach to be remedied within a specified period. A prohibition notice restricts an activity involving a risk of serious personal injury; it may take effect immediately where the risk is imminent or at a specified later time. Failure to comply is an offence.
Notice counts depend on the risks found and enforcement decisions as well as the inspection programme. A change in notices cannot alone demonstrate improving compliance, reduced inspection capacity or a particular policy shift.
How many inspections does the HSE carry out?
HSE’s provisional 2025/26 performance report records 14,927 inspections. The earlier 2024/25 annual accounts reported over 13,200, including over 7,000 focused on work-related health and over 2,700 intelligence-led inspections. These descriptions may overlap.
In provisional 2025/26 results, 80 of 96 relevant fatal investigations, or 83%, were completed within twelve months of HSE receiving primacy, against an 80% target. This is an investigation-performance measure, not the percentage of the year’s fatal incidents investigated.
HSE can make proactive visits or investigate concerns and incidents. Inspectors consider actual conditions as well as relevant records. The figures do not establish that most contact is proactive, and use of a particular assessment template does not guarantee compliance.
What is Fee for Intervention and how much does it cost?
The FFI rate is £188 per hour from 1 April 2026. The scheme recovers eligible regulatory costs where HSE identifies a material breach requiring written notification. Its scope and exemptions matter; it is not a universal charge for every interaction with an inspector.
Recoverable work can include identifying a material breach, correspondence and relevant follow-up. The amount depends on the work done under the scheme, so the hourly rate does not establish a typical invoice or an automatic charge for all time connected with a case.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average HSE fine?
The annual accounts report more than £33 million in fines for 2024/25, but the rounded total and conviction percentage do not support a reliable calculated average. Fines vary by offence, harm, culpability and financial circumstances.
What is the maximum fine for a health and safety offence in the UK?
Fines can be unlimited. In England and Wales, guideline ranges for large organisations can reach £10 million for health and safety offences and £20 million for corporate manslaughter; these are not statutory caps. Scotland has its own sentencing framework.
How many improvement notices did the HSE issue in 2024/25?
Approximately 3,200 improvement notices and 1,200 prohibition notices were reported in the 2024/25 annual accounts, with more than 4,400 notices overall. The figures are rounded.
What is the HSE’s conviction rate?
HSE’s 2024/25 annual accounts report a 96% conviction rate among 246 completed prosecutions. This is a prosecution-outcome measure, not the proportion of all workplace breaches resulting in conviction.
What is the current Fee for Intervention rate?
£188 per hour from 1 April 2026. It applies to recoverable work within the scheme after a material breach is identified, subject to the scheme’s scope and exemptions.
Where can I check whether a company has been prosecuted by the HSE?
Use HSE’s public registers of convictions and enforcement notices. Check their current scope and retention notes: a register search is not a complete history of all proceedings brought by every enforcing authority.
Related guides
- Work-Related Stress Statistics UK: HSE Facts & Data
- Risk Assessment Statistics UK: Compliance Facts & Data
- What is a risk assessment? A guide to UK workplace law
- The 5 steps to risk assessment: how to do one properly
- Who can carry out a risk assessment? The competence question explained
- How often should a risk assessment be reviewed?
Sources & references
- HSE — Annual report and accounts 2024/25
- HSE — Provisional performance results 2025/26
- HSE — Current Fee for Intervention rate
- HSE — Public enforcement registers
- Sentencing Council — Health and safety and corporate manslaughter guideline
- HSE — Cambridgeshire guided busway prosecution
- HSE — HC-One care-home prosecution
- HSE — Bertschi loading-ramp prosecution
- HSE — Roofrite and Harding Houlston prosecution
Every case above traces back to a risk that was never properly assessed. Train your team to spot and control hazards before an inspector does.
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Mark writes about workplace health & safety, risk assessment and accredited online training for Risk Assessment Training, part of Online CPD Academy.