Inova Stone Ltd fined £60K for failing to protect workers from hazardous dust exposure
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has fined Inova Stone Ltd £60,000 for multiple health and safety violations at its facility on Willow Road in Colnbrook, Slough. The company, which manufactures stone kitchen worktops, was found to have repeatedly failed to protect workers from exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust. HSE inspectors visited the facility nine times over six years and observed little to no improvement, despite previous enforcement actions.
During a May 2021 inspection, prompted by reports of unsafe practices, employees told inspectors that “no-one is in charge of health and safety.” Inspectors noted significant dust accumulation on the workshop floor, with visible footprints, indicating ineffective control measures.
Exposure to RCS dust poses serious long-term health risks, including silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. The risk is heightened during stone processing activities like cutting and polishing, especially when exposure is uncontrolled.
In addition to unsafe dust levels, HSE found that Inova Stone Ltd allowed the use of unguarded machinery and did not safely store heavy stone slabs, placing workers at further risk.
The company was issued four improvement notices following the inspection, mirroring similar enforcement action taken in 2017.
On 20 May 2025, Inova Stone Ltd pleaded guilty at Staines Magistrates Court to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, along with three counts of failing to comply with improvement notices. The court imposed a fine of £60,000 and ordered the company to pay £7,363 in costs.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Karen Morris, Principal Inspector, HSE, said, “Inova Stone Ltd failed to comply with legal notices requiring them to make improvements and repeatedly showed a lack of commitment to managing health and safety.
“We were stunned when employees told us that ‘no-one was in charge of health and safety’.
“After being provided with advice and guidance over several years, the company had plenty of opportunities to comply with the law, yet they consistently failed to do so.
“The fine imposed should send a clear message to employers that the risks from working with engineered stone must be taken extremely seriously.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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