What does HSE actually check after a workplace eye injury?

The chain of evidence: the risk assessment covering the task, what eye protection it specified, proof the injured person was issued that protection, and how its use was enforced and maintained. Gaps anywhere in that chain are what convert an accident into a prosecution.

How large are fines for eye-injury offences now?

Since the 2016 sentencing guideline, fines scale with company turnover and culpability rather than with the injury alone — seven-figure fines for large organisations are now routine where the failure was systemic, as Sofidel’s £1m fine shows.

Does issuing PPE protect the employer legally?

Issuing is necessary but not sufficient. The duty includes ensuring the equipment is suitable for the wearer and the task, and that its use is enforced — the Viridor case turned exactly on the gap between PPE existing and PPE being worn.

Are these cases rare?

Eye injuries remain one of the most common preventable workplace injuries, and HSE prosecutes them regularly. The cases above were chosen because each one isolates a distinct, repeatable failure — not because they are unusual.

Eye-Injury Prosecutions: What HSE Enforcement Actually Punishes — Certus

Four real UK prosecutions after workplace eye injuries — and the three failures that repeat in every one: no assessment, unenforced PPE, unassessed change.

Certus is a UK platform for managing prescription safety eyewear compliance to EN 166, covering hazard assessments, ordering, optician verification and certificate records. Operated by Certus Safety Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17364362.