‘Kind’ Dad Crushed to Death in Avoidable Workplace Accident as Company Fined £1 Million

Martin Bennett, a caring and generous 35-year-old father, tragically lost his life while working at Dragon Alfa Cement Limited’s cement bagging plant in Sharpness, Gloucestershire. On August 4, 2021, Martin was fatally crushed by a 1.6-tonne concrete weight used to lift pallets of 25 kg cement bags.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed that Martin’s death was entirely preventable. An investigation revealed that Dragon Alfa Cement Limited routinely removed large sections of perimeter fencing designed to protect employees from dangerous moving machinery parts, leaving workers exposed to fatal hazards.

Martin’s wife, Layla Bennett, described him as “kind to his very bones,” always putting others before himself, willing to “give you the shirt off his back” and help anyone in need. Their daughter’s trauma continues, with anxiety triggered by police visits after receiving the devastating news of her father’s death.

The HSE found that Dragon Alfa Cement Limited failed to safeguard its employees by neglecting effective protective measures. Despite the availability of fixed guards to prevent access to hazardous machinery, these safeguards were not implemented.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was sentenced to pay a £1 million fine as well as £9,621 in legal costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on July 21, 2026.

HSE inspector Oliver Guiver said, “Martin Bennett lost his life in an incident that should never have happened. The company consistently failed to guard dangerous machinery parts, and if they had taken responsible action, Martin would still be alive today. Our thoughts are with his family, who expected him to come home but suffered an unimaginable loss.”

This prosecution was led by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes, with support from paralegal Lynne Thomas and external barrister Jemima Lovatt from Cornerstone Barristers.