A UK producer of cellulose film packaging has been fined after a worker’s death exposed gaps in industrial gas risk management, according to a recent enforcement action by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The prosecution highlights ongoing concerns about workplace safety in materials manufacturing and offers a stark reminder about the importance of industrial risk assessment and gas hazard controls.
Fatal hydrogen sulphide exposure at packaging site
Futamura Chemical UK Ltd, a cellulose film packaging manufacturer based in Wigton, Cumbria, was fined £200,000 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 6 January 2026 after pleading guilty to health and safety offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The penalty also included £20,000 in legal costs.
The fine followed a serious incident on 24 December 2021, when employee Alexander Cole was found collapsed in a pump room at the company’s site.
He had been exposed to hydrogen sulphide gas, a colourless but highly hazardous substance with a characteristic “rotten egg” odour known to pose serious health risks at sufficient concentrations.
Mr Cole died in hospital the following day after being rescued from the gas-contaminated area. A delivery driver who attempted to help him was also affected but later recovered.
A formal inquest concluded that hydrogen sulphide exposure had likely contributed to Mr Cole’s death.
Gaps in risk assessment and hazardous gas controls
The HSE investigation found that while the company had recognised the presence of hydrogen sulphide in its production spaces and taken some precautions, it failed to identify and control the risk of gas accumulation in site drainage and effluent systems.
This shortfall meant that gas could migrate and be released from drains into work areas, presenting an unforeseen exposure route for staff and contractors.
According to HSE guidance, employers must carry out thorough industrial risk assessments for all hazardous substances and implement controls to reduce exposure to the lowest reasonably practicable level.
The regulator’s findings in this case underline that partial measures focused only on primary production lines may overlook other pathways where hazardous gases can build up.
Implications for packaging producers and safety compliance
Hydrogen sulphide is a recognised industrial hazard in sectors where organic materials and effluents can generate gas as a by-product. Symptoms from exposure range from eye irritation and dizziness to loss of consciousness and death, depending on concentration and duration.
Effective monitoring, ventilation and drainage safety planning are central to safeguarding workers in industrial settings.
HSE Inspector Matthew Shepherd noted that the case emphasises the importance of fully scoped risk assessments that identify all potential exposure routes for harmful substances.
For companies in packaging and broader manufacturing supply chains, the ruling serves as a cautionary example of the regulatory and human costs associated with inadequate workplace safety planning.
The enforcement action is among the latest in a series of HSE prosecutions that illustrate evolving expectations for workplace health and safety compliance in UK industry, particularly where chemical hazards and complex processes are involved.
