The partner of a man critically injured by an exploding jet hose waited until after Christmas to agree to switch off life support.<\/p>\n
Estefania Fonseca, who planned to marry Miguel Galvao the following year, was placed in this impossible position following failures by Lanes Group Limited, who have been fined \u00a3800,000 following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).<\/p>\n
She made the decision for the sake of the three children she had with Miguel. The 51-year-old died on 27 December 2022.<\/p>\n
Miguel Galvao<\/p>\n
Two-and-half-weeks earlier, on 10 December Miguel was working as a drainage engineer for the utility and infrastructure company. When priming the jetting hose, a loud explosion was heard and the end of the hose whipped up at high speed, striking him. Miguel was rushed to hospital but placed in an induced coma.<\/p>\n
The morning of the incident was very cold, with witnesses describing temperatures dropping to around -3 to -4 degrees. Water was being filled into the jetting system (hose, pumps and filters) prior to jetting. The end of the hose was suspended in an inspection chamber when a large pressure release, thought to be due to a build-up of ice in the system, caused the end of the hose to strike Mr Galvao in the face.<\/p>\n
The jetting tanker<\/p>\n
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its employees. The major failings identified during the investigation were:<\/p>\n
There was no safe system of work detailing how priming of the jetting system should be done safely.
\nThere was a failure to maintain work equipment in an efficient state, as a number of other jetting vehicles were seen with defective vices.
\nThere was a failure to monitor use of physical control measures in place.
\nEmployees were not provided with sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision.<\/p>\n
During the investigation, the Water Jetting Association, a trade association representing those carrying out high pressure water jetting, released a safety alert reminding operators of the importance of restraining or anchoring the end of the jetting hose.<\/p>\n
WJA Safety Alert \u2013 Water Jetting Safely in Cold Weather \u2013 Water Jetting Association<\/a><\/p>\n The end of the hose should have been mechanically secured in a system such as the vice provided on the vehicle, like the one shown below.<\/p>\n The vice on the vehicle that should secure the hose<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like the floor had been taken from under me\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n After two weeks in hospital, doctors told Estefania there was nothing more they could do for Miguel.<\/p>\n \u201cThey asked me if they could switch off the machine and then explained to me that Miguel could pass instantly or breathe by himself between five to seven days.<\/p>\n \u201cFive days would have been Christmas day so I told them they could not do that because of the kids but they could do it afterwards. This was on 27 December.<\/p>\n \u201cSince Miguel passed, I have PTSD \u2013 it has affected everything. Miguel was my everything, he was my rock. When Miguel died, it felt like the floor had been taken from under me.<\/p>\n \u201cWe lived together for 15 years and had planned to marry at Christmas 2023. We have three children \u2013 Angelica, Michael and Jose. It has been so difficult for them to cope without their dad.<\/p>\n \u201cMichael screamed \u2018my dad is dead\u2019 when he saw him in hospital, and he still struggles with anger and grief. Angelica was a real daddy\u2019s girl \u2013 she has trouble sleeping and misbehaves because she feels no one cares about what happened to her dad. Jose, our eldest, has tried to be strong, but it has affected him deeply too.<\/p>\n \u201cI have good days and bad days, but everything has changed. We used to go out as a family every two weeks \u2013 to the cinema, to London, or even just to the park late at night \u2013 Miguel loved making memories with the children. We can\u2019t do that now. The kids often ask why life is so different without daddy.<\/p>\n \u201cFinancially it has also been a real struggle. We relied on Miguel\u2019s wages, and I now find myself on benefits, unable to give the children the life we had before. We don\u2019t have a car anymore, I can\u2019t always afford the heating, and I have to choose which child I can buy something for each month. It is heartbreaking.<\/p>\n \u201cMiguel\u2019s dream was to buy a house and retire in Portugal. When my father died, he said he would be happy living in my mum\u2019s house there, and that is where we buried him. It is what he would have wanted.<\/p>\n \u201cHe worked for this company for nearly 10 years, and it hurts that he never came home from work. They came to his funeral but never spoke to me or the children. That lack of respect has been so painful.<\/p>\n \u201cMiguel was a wonderful father and partner. He went to work that day and never came home. Our lives will never be the same without him.\u201d<\/p>\n Lanes Group Limited of C\/O Elements Ring Rd, Lower Wortley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS12 6AB pleaded guilty to breaches under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.<\/p>\n The company was fined \u00a3800,000, reduced from \u00a31.2 million due to the early guilty plea, and ordered to pay \u00a38,680 in full costs and a \u00a32,000 victim surcharge at City of London Magistrates\u2019 Court on 2 October 2025.<\/p>\n HSE inspector Marcus Pope said:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis absolutely tragic incident further demonstrates the need for companies to ensure there are suitable safe systems of work for non-routine work, such as work in freezing temperatures where machines are at risk of freezing.<\/p>\n \u201cThis investigation and the input from the Water Jetting Association should help demonstrate to the industry the importance of restraining or anchoring the end of jetting hoses when priming systems.\u201d<\/p>\n This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski and paralegal officer Rebecca Withell.<\/p>\n Further information<\/strong><\/p>\n The Health and Safety Executive<\/a> (HSE) is Britain\u2019s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We are dedicated to protecting people and places, and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives. The partner of a man critically injured by an exploding jet hose waited until after Christmas to agree to switch off life support. Estefania Fonseca, who planned to marry Miguel Galvao the following year, was placed in this impossible position following failures by Lanes Group Limited, who have been fined \u00a3800,000 following an investigation by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2125\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.safetyphoto.co.uk\/safety_news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMore information about the legislation<\/a> referred to in this case is available.
\nFurther details on the latest HSE news releases<\/a> are available.
\nHSE does not pass sentences, set guidelines or collect any fines imposed. Relevant sentencing guidelines must be followed unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.\u00a0 The sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences can be found here<\/a>.
\nHealth and safety information for the high-pressure water jetting industry can be found via the Water Jetting Association website: Health Safety and Medical \u2013 Water Jetting Association.<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"