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Alchemist DB Fined £20k, Liquidated After Worker Drowning

6/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Alchemist DB Limited was fined £20,000 after a worker died on the site.
The 35-year-old worker, Mykhalio Hustei, drowned in an exposed excavation hole on 22 October 2021 in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire.
Health and Safety Executive described the site as a “death trap” lacking lighting, handrails and featuring slippery boards, breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
The court ordered £5,000 costs, sentenced the firm on 29 May and placed it into liquidation.

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Story summary

Alchemist DB Limited was fined £20,000 after a worker died on the site.
The 35-year-old worker, Mykhalio Hustei, drowned in an exposed excavation hole on 22 October 2021 in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire.
Health and Safety Executive described the site as a “death trap” lacking lighting, handrails and featuring slippery boards, breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
The court ordered £5,000 costs, sentenced the firm on 29 May and placed it into liquidation.