W. Stevenson & Sons Ltd has been fined £100,000 after 20-year-old apprentice engineer Conor Moseley died when a fire suppression system unexpectedly activated in the engine room of a trawler, filling it with toxic gases.
As a result, Moseley was overcome by carbon monoxide and was unable to escape to safety.
The incident occurred in Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall on 15 November 2019, when Moseley and three other workers were carrying out work on the Resurgam, a fishing vessel owned and operated by W. Stevenson & Sons.
A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that no safe system of work existed for coordinating multiple contractors working in the cramped engine room, and no effective emergency plan was in place.
The fire suppression system which unexpectedly activated was installed by Ocean Engineering (Fire) Ltd.
It filled the engine room with hot, toxic gases, creating dangerous conditions and making it difficult to see.
The small, enclosed engine room had only one way in and out. Workers had to climb a ladder and pass through a hatch one at a time, passing through a gas jet in excess of 75°C.
Moseley’s colleagues tried to rescue him, putting themselves at risk in the process, but they were unable to reach him.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service later rescued him from the engine room, but he could not be revived.
Tracy Moseley, Conor’s mother, reflected on her son’s life and the impact his death has had on them.
“Growing up Conor loved nothing better than helping out on his dad’s boat. Conor always made himself available to help his father when he came in from sea and would be ready to help him land his catch even after a full day’s work. Now for Steve, my husband, there is just an empty place that cannot be filled.
“All we have now are his ashes which are kept in his bedroom. Every morning I go in and say, ‘morning little man I love you’ and blow him a kiss. I never say ‘good morning’ as it can never be a good morning without him. At night I blow him a kiss and say ‘night night little man, I love you’.”
The HSE investigation found that the risks created by several contractors working in the cramped engine room had not been properly considered.
One contractor described the room as a mess, with poor lighting and trip hazards, and said that at one point six or seven people were working in the space. One witness described it as chaos.
Investigators added that there was no safe system of work for installing the fire suppression system and no effective emergency plan.
A permit-to-work system could have been used to coordinate the different activities and ensure they were carried out safely.
At Truro Crown Court on 15 October 2026, W. Stevenson & Sons Ltd entered guilty pleas to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, sections 2(1) and 3(1). The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £27,906.
HSE principal inspector Helena Allum said: “This was a particularly complicated case requiring significant HSE specialist and scientific input. A number of duty holders played a part in the circumstances leading to the death of Conor; all were investigated.
“While W. Stevenson & Sons Ltd was not responsible for the fire suppression system going off unexpectedly, it was responsible for considering what could go wrong during the installation and maintenance activities, and coordinating them so that as few people as possible were put at risk.
She continued: “They had not considered how workers could be quickly rescued in an emergency and receive prompt medical attention. This should be a key consideration when people are working in a restricted space.
“Conor’s death was a tragedy. He need not have been in the engine room at the time. When the worst happened, they couldn’t get him out in time to save him.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE senior enforcement lawyer Jon Mack and paralegal officer Mike Millman.
