A London property developer has been fined £63,000 plus costs after Britain’s workplace regulator found multiple failures at a construction site in Dalston. Here are the case details from the HSE for you;
Nofax Enterprises Limited (accounts overdue, 19 Charges listed against it, according to Companies House and Director is Abraham Dodi) was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following four visits to its site on Dalston Lane over a 13 month period between 2020 and 2021. The company was overseeing the construction of a four storey building on the site, containing nine flats and large basement to house a youth club.
There’s more background on Abraham Aharon/Aaron Dodi’s company history here by the way, been a director of many companies, including holding companies which control Nofax.
However, the failures identified by HSE inspectors – including multiple working at height risks, poor fire precautions and exposure to large amounts of silica dust – were so serious, that they resulted in the site being closed down on two separate occasions. Other breaches of the law included failing to protect workers from exposure to wood dust, as well as insufficient covid and welfare controls.
- Exposure to either wood or silica dust can result in very serious and life threatening health conditions, including asthma, nasal and lung cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and silicosis. HSE provides a range of guidance for stone workers and those working with wood.
In total, 9 enforcement notices were served against the company for the Dalston Lane site, including five prohibition notices. The subsequent HSE investigation included inspections at other sites operated by the company, identifying a poor health and safety culture and systemic management failings.
Owing to the repeated poor performance and lack of compliance to basic health and safety, Nofax Enterprises Limited, of Maldon, Essex pleaded guilty to breaches of sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Following the hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 18th March 2025, the company was ordered to pay a total of £88,812.68 which included a fine of £63,000, costs of £25,622.
In summing up, the judge stated that despite repeated visits by HSE and multiple notices being served, risks subsisted over a long period and the company failed to make any appropriate changes. The judge concluded by saying that there had been a systemic failure within the organisation to manage health and safety.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Gordon Nixon said: “This company showed a total disregard to keeping its workers safe.
“They failed to meet even the most basic health and safety standards, continually exposing operatives to serious risks.
“HSE will not wait until workers are seriously injured, or worse and will take appropriate action including prosecutions when health and safety regulations are so blatantly flouted.”
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