H&S
News July 2010
| Title | Comments | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Holmes Place shares £3/4m penalty. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Holmes Place fined £233,000 and costs of £170,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and 3. Thyssenkrupp fined £233,000 and costs of £205,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. A lift at Holmes Place dropped suddenly as banker Katarzyna Woja walked out of it, trapping her between the shaft wall and the lift, leaving her with fatal injuries. The lift in question had dropped the day before but had not been taken out of service, although the defendants claimed it had been repaired. In the year before the accident in March 2003, engineers had been called to repair the lift 41 times. The investigation could not identify a definitive cause for the lift's failure, though an hydraulic fault or a problem with its mechanisms locking was believed to be behind the accident. Thyssenkrupp failed to maintain the lift properly and had neglected to investigate fully its sudden drops between floors. Holmes Place had allowed customers to use the lift even though it was aware that it was unsafe and had failed to take adequate remedial action in response to inspection reports. It also emerged that the health club had not given employees proper training to release trapped passengers from the lift. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:4 |
| TUC calls for drug test clarity. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The TUC is calling for clear government guidance on drug testing at work to clear up what it says is confusion about the legality of random or routine testing in non safety-critical jobs. Launching a new guide for union safety reps on drug testing at work, the TUC said drugs and alcohol have no place in the workplace but casts doubt on the value and legality of existing drug testing techniques. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:4 Internet: www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-18001-f0.pdf |
| Raleigh forks out £122,000 for fork truck collision. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Raleigh UK fined £72,000 and costs of £40,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. Vincent Whittingdon suffered fatal injuries when the mast of his truck hit the top of a door frame. He had been driving the truck at some speed and the impact dislodged the heavy steel lintel, which fell on him as he was thrown from his truck. It is still unclear why he didn't lower his mast down to pass through the doorway safely. Raleigh had fully instructed and tested its drivers and Whittingdon knew he should lower the forks on collecting goods. Four years earlier, there had been a forklift collision at another doorway which required the firm to prop up the wall and replace two lintels. Following this and other incidents, Raleigh had acted to reduce the risks but it had not raised the doorway Whittingdon hit because there were electrical circuits above it. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:5 |
| Fire penalty. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Park Hotel, Leicester, fined £29,715 and costs of £8,000 under Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Ashwin Ratan, general manager, fined £2,985 and costs of £380 under the same Order. Following a blaze at the hotel last year, safety failings were revealed including no fire alarm sounder in the staff quarters in the basement, no evidence the alarm or emergency lighting were tested regularly and an inadequate fire risk assessment. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:5 |
| HSE's building site. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The HSE has redesigned and updated its construction website, adding new material and improving navigation. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:5 www.hse.gov.uk/construction/index.htm |
| Sellafield worker wins payout for carpal tunnel syndrome. Week ending 02/07/10 |
A nuclear waste plant has paid out £35,000 to a worker it exposed to hand-arm vibration every day for 18 years. The process worker had used hand-held vibrating equipment in the decommissioning unit at the Sellafield nuclear plant since 1992. He first noticed systems in 2003 and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome by his doctor. He has had four medical operations but still suffers from pain and will never be able to return to his former work. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:6 |
| CIPD wants government to scrap Working Time Regs. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The Working Time Regulations are a hindrance to businesses and should be removed, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:9 |
| Defective goods lift went unserviced for 15 years. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Medina Foodstore fined a total of £32,000 and costs of £6,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and RIDDOR 1995. A separate penalty under MHSWR 1999 was not imposed for a risk assessment failure. Mohammed Saleem was using the lift when his leg was crushed between the lift shaft and the car as it moved between floors. Investigations found that the lift, which staff used regularly, was "seriously defective" and no-one had serviced it in the previous 15 years. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:10 |
| TUC on bad behaviour. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The TUC has published new guidance on behavioural safety for H&S reps, with advice on how to respond to workplace initiatives. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:10 Internet: www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-17940-f0.cfm |
| Leftover wiring caused child's shock. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Mitchells & Butlers fined £10,000 and costs of £4,248 under HASAWA 1974 s3. A three year old boy was with his mother when he put his hand under the recess of the bar and touched a live electrical cable from obsolete lighting fitted under the counter. The installation had been there for some time and at some stage someone had removed the fittings but left the wiring without properly terminating or disconnecting it. The boy burned his hand and has now fully recovered. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:12 |
| Legislative calendar. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Calendar or new and upcoming legislation. | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:12 |
| 3M's PAWS for thought. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The PPE technology manufacturer's decade-long behavioural safety programme. (Lucie Ponting) | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:20-22 |
| Signs of the times. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Rules that underpin the design of all our safety warning signs. (Dave Merchant) | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:24-26 |
| Site specifics: DSEAR. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Helpful information you can find on the web on protection in dangerous atmospheres. (Bridget Leathley) | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:28-30 |
| Trainer's toolkit: the golden rules. Week ending 02/07/10 |
In the final article in the series on effective training, a summary of the key aspects of a successful session. (Paul Smith) | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:31-32 |
| Breathing space. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Best practice in portable gas detection and atmospheric sampling in confined spaces. (Paul Walton) | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:34 |
| A problem shared. Week ending 02/07/10 |
If you share a site with other businesses, even contractors, fire compliance can get complicated. (Trevor Hodgson) | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:36-37 |
| Body of evidence. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The role of through accident investigation in defending your organisation against frivolous personal injury claims. (Ivor Long) | Health and Safety at Work July 2010:38-39 |
| Final set of 2009 pesticide figures released. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The Pesticide Residues Committee has published its final quarterly report for samples collected in 2009. The report found that the majority of foods had no detectable residues and those that did contain pesticides were not likely to be harmful to health. Tests found that 781 out of 1,415 samples of 28 different foods tested had no detectable residues. Also 626 samples contained levels below the maximum residue level (MRL), the legally permitted amount. | HSE (National) Press Release 24/6/10 |
| School fruit and vegetables tested for pesticide residues. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The Pesticide Residues Committee (PRC) has published findings from the Department of Health's School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme for Autumn 2009. The third report for the school year 2009/10 found that the fruit and vegetables supplied to schools met legal standards with regard to pesticide residue levels and that the presence of residues would be unlikely to have any effect on those who ate the food. The report contained the results for apple, banana, carrot, mango, melon, pear, pineapple, raisin, soft citrus fruits and tomatoes. | HSE (National) Press Release 24/6/10 |
| Worker deaths in Britain fall to record low. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The HSE has released provisional data which shows that 151 workers were killed between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010, compared to 178 deaths in the previous year and an average over the last five years of 200 deaths per year. Despite the overall improvement, the agriculture industry recorded a sizeable increase from 25 to 38. The construction industry had 41 fatal injuries, service workers had 42 and manufacturing workers 24. | HSE (National) Press Release 30/6/10 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics |
| Tragic rise in agriculture deaths. Week ending 02/07/10 |
New figures released by the HSE show that 38 agriculture workers were killed at work during the period 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010. This compares with the record low in 2008/09 when 25 workers died. The previous year had seen 46 workers dying. The rate of fatal injuries in the sector was 8.2 per 100,000 workers, making it the most dangerous industry in which to work. | HSE (National) Press Release 30/6/10 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture and www.hse.gov.uk/statistics |
| HSE supports decision on Ram Brewery development. Week ending 02/07/10 |
The HSE has welcomed the decision by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government not to grant planning permission for a development at the Ram Brewery site in Wandsworth. HSE had advised Wandsworth Council against granting permission for the development of commercial and residential buildings, including two very tall towers, due to their proximity to the Wandsworth Gasholder station. It was felt that, in the event of an accident occurring at the Gasholder station, it would have been very difficult to evacuate people rapidly from the upper levels of the proposed very tall towers. The Secretary of State said that the development would "harm public safety" and that he was not satisfied that "future occupants would be adequately protected from the safety risk". | HSE (National) Press Release 1/7/10 |
| Two Cornish companies fined after fall through fragile roof light. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Adam Phillips Plant Hire and Contractors Ltd fined £4,000 and costs of £1,694 under HASAWA 1974 s2. New Generation Daffodils fined £1,500 and costs of £1,634 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Adam Phillips Plant Hire was contracted by New Generation Daffodils to repair storm damaged roofs at their premises. The work did not include the use of edge protection, appropriate crawling boards or measures to prevent falls. The work was almost complete, but an airline had been left on another roof. Adam Phillip's employee, Daniel Ekers, walked along the metal sheeted roof to get it back. A fragile rooflight was weathered and appeared similar in colour to the metal sheeting. He stepped on it and fell 5 metres to the ground landing on some harvesting machinery. He narrowly missed the blades of the equipment and sustained a fractured vertebra. | HSE (National) Press Release 813 1/7/10 |
| Global logistics and tobacco firms fined after worker is crushed to death. Week ending 02/07/10 |
Exel Europe Ltd fined £80,000 and costs of £35,800 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and s3. Imperial Tobacco Ltd fined £80,000 and costs of £31,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and s3. Gary Brooks, a heavy goods driver for Exel, was trying to collect a trailer from an Imperial Tobacco site. He intended to attach the trailer to his cab, but as was doing this, the lorry gradually rolled forward, trapping him between the vehicle and a building. He suffered fatal head injuries. The HSE investigation found that drivers working for both Exel and Imperial did not routinely apply the trailer brakes to make sure the vehicles were safely parked. Some drivers had not been properly trained or assessed and no check had been carried out to monitor the use of trailer brakes in the yard. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE/EM/37/10 1/7/10 |
| Construction company and directors fined after death. Week ending 02/07/10 |
PIB (UK) Ltd fined £30,000 and costs of £6,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3. John Blankson, director and client for the project concerned, fined £15,000 and costs of £3,465 under CDMR 2007. Steven Moore, director, fined £30,000 and costs of £6,500 under HASAWA 1974 s37. He was also disqualified as a director for five years. PIB had been refurbishing a large semi-detached house, turning it into flats. Edward Dean, 24, had been out socialising and in the early hours of the morning wondered onto the construction site. The site was not properly secured and Mr Dean was able to enter the work area. He tripped over an unprotected edge and fell 2.4 metres into a basement courtyard. He was found dead later that morning. | HSE (South East) Press Release 30/6/10 |
| Worker shatters leg in telehandler plunge. Week ending 02/07/10 |
R J Baker & Co Ltd fined £3,000 and costs of £3,000 under WHR 2005. A longstanding employee was clearing guttering on a farm building. He switched from using a ladder to a telehandler to access a hard to reach section. A colleague operated the machinery and attached a grain bucket for him to stand in. However, as the operator lifted the bucket, the operator inadvertently tilted the bucket downwards and tipped the worker out. He fell three metres onto concrete landing on his right leg and breaking and dislocating an ankle, fracturing his shin and partially fracturing his heel. He was in hospital for more than a month and required extensive treatment to realign the bones. | HSE (Yorkshire and Humber) Press Release 2/7/10 |
| Ivan Pope Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £6,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Unsafe work on roof to reclaim tiles. Unsafe system of work being followed in that workers were not wearing harnesses and there was no scaffolding or edge protection. Workers were working from and climbing into and out of the bucket of an excavator while at height. Nothing had been done to protect the safety of the workers below while this work was taking place. | HSE Prosecution 4133586 19/4/10 |
| Biffa Waste Services Limited Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £280,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3 and MHSWR 1999. A member of the public died as a result of being struck by the bucket of a loading shovel being used to clear green waste from the public tipping point at an amenity site. The segregation arrangements were inadequate. The system of work for clearing green waste from the public tipping point had not been risk assessed. | HSE Prosecution 4174061 19/4/10 |
| Transtore (UK) Limited Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £70,000 under HASAWA 1974 s33, WHSWR 1992, MHSWR 1999, CLWR 2002, WHR 2005 and LOLER 1998. Following a complaint from an employee, multiple breaches of H&S legislation were found, including exposure to lead chromate, working on top of tanks without fall protection, working in the danger zone beneath suspended tanks, unfenced robotic machinery, toilet and washing facilities grossly contaminated with lead chromate, no H&S training. Subsequent contravention by the company of PNs served. | HSE Prosecution 4179574 19/4/10 |
| Brian Nixon Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £17,000 under HASAWA 1974 s33 and WHR 2005. MD of Transtore (UK) Ltd. Following a complaint from an employee, multiple breaches of H&S legislation were found. Post visits by Inspectors, Brian Nixon consented to workers continuing to breach work at height regs and connived in the breach of a PN served in respect of such risks. | HSE Prosecution 4179577 19/4/10 |
| Adam Stephen Walker Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined £10,000 under HASAWA 1974 s37. Employer failed in his duty of care sfarp with regard to the health, safety and welfare of his employees under HASAWA s2, which led to an employee falling through the roof. | HSE Prosecution 4186123 19/4/10 |
| T M N Fabrications Limited Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £22,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2, WHR 2005 and RIDDOR 1995. Failure to ensure safety whilst working on the roof of an agricultural building and failure to report associated fall from roof (approx 4 metres) within the appropriate time period. | HSE Prosecution 4191417 19/4/10 |
| European Metal Recycling Limited Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined £8,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. IP was clearing a minor blockage on an Extec Riddling machine when he sustained significant hand damage including breakages. | HSE Prosecution 4193451 19/4/10 |
| RDM Engineering Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined £15,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. Employee fell 3m from roof during construction of a new farm building. No measures in place to prevent falls. | HSE Prosecution 4174222 21/4/10 |
| Geoff Hewitt Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £750 under GSIUR 1998. Trading as ACME Plumbing and Heating Services, illegally carried out work at homes between March and May 2007. He put lives in danger when he supplied forged Landlords' Gas Safety Certificates and he was not qualified to know whether the gas fittings in the houses he visited were dangerous or not. | HSE Prosecution 4139954 22/4/10 |
| Ultimate Industries Limited Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined £1,015 under WHR 2005. A self-employed worker was affixing roof sheets when he knelt on an unfixed sheet causing it to slip down the roof. The worker fell to the ground and was injured. No edge protection was provided, and an unsafe system of work was adopted, the method statement and risk assessment were inadequate. | HSE Prosecution 4170204 22/4/10 |
| Ken Parry Week ending 02/07/10 |
Guilty - prison under HASAWA 1974 s33 and GSIUR 1998. Unregistered gas work during November 2008. | HSE Prosecution 4182671 22/4/10 |
| Nationwide Building Contractors Ltd Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £4,500 under CAR 2006. Refurbishment work being undertaken with inadequate identification for the presence of asbestos. Potential for employees to have been exposed to asbestos fibres during work. | HSE Prosecution 4194399 22/4/10 |
| Hickman Engineering Ltd Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £3,000 under EWR 1989. | HSE Prosecution 4197887 22/4/10 |
| The Longhope Welding Co Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £26,640 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and s3. IP was dismantling a roof when he fell through a rooflight sustaining serious injuries. | HSE Prosecution 4192475 23/4/10 |
| Woodgate Sawmills Limited Week ending 02/07/10 |
Fined a total of £13,320 under CDMR 2007 and CDMR 1994. IP was working on a roof when he fell through a skylight sustaining serious injuries. | HSE Prosecution 4192489 23/4/10 |
| Rochdale cleaner's crush death prompts £140,000 fine. Week ending 09/07/10 |
TS (UK) Ltd fined a total of £140,000 and costs of £10,588 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and HSFAR 1981. The company failed to ensure the safety of its employees and not having a worker trained in First Aid on duty. Mr Abel Lages, 38, a Portuguese cleaner, was cleaning up a spillage in the yard when a wooden pallet, containing 55 bags of polypropylene, fell on him. The material which is used to manufacture washing up bowls, buckets and other plastic products, is dangerous to stack as it can pour out if there is a tear in the bag, making the stack unstable. Mr Lages was found trapped under one of the collapsed pallets and died from his injuries at the scene. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE/NW/14TS 7/7/10 |
| Judge reduces landlord's prison sentence in return for cash payment to his tenant. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Michael Billings has had his prison sentence reduced by nine months after he paid £20,000 to a tenant who suffered 80 per cent deep-tissue burns in a fire at one of his properties. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):2 |
| Fire fine. Week ending 09/07/10 |
P and S Ashley Timberworks fined £80,000 and costs of £50,300 under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Following an anonymous call, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service discovered problems at the company. Paul Ashley repeatedly refused to carry out essential fire-safety work, despite several further visits from the Service's fire safety officers. There was no suitable fire alarm at the site, the means of escape were unsuitable, and there was no proper fire risk assessment. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):2 |
| HSE campaign helps hauliers move goods more safely. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Employers targeted in phase three of the HSE's "Moving Goods Safely" initiative generally found the intervention practical and beneficial according to an evaluation of the project by the Institute for Employment Studies. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):4 "Moving goods safely 3: Evaluation report" RR796 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr796.pdf |
| BCC barometer is failing to give proper safety reading. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Fourteen pieces of legislation on H&S have cost British businesses almost £24 billion since 1998, according to the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC). The BCC revealed the figures in its latest burdens barometer, an annual measurement of all employment related legislation that incurs a net cost or a net benefit to business that exceeds £15 million. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):8 Internet: "The burdens barometer 2010" www.britishchambers.org.uk |
| Biological agents - GMMs. Week ending 09/07/10 |
A two-month consultation ended on 31 May 2010 on HSE proposals to amend the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000. The minor changes, which will come into force on 1 October and implement a European Directive, will require risk assessments to take specific account of the disposal of waste and effluents and, where appropriate, implement necessary safety measures. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):9 |
| Cancer - extent. Week ending 09/07/10 |
HSE-commissioned research into the burden of occup cancer in Britain attributes just over one in 20 cancer deaths in 2005 to past occup exposures to known carcinogens. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):9 "The burden of occup cancer in GB" RR800 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr800.pdf |
| Construction - enforcement. Week ending 09/07/10 |
HSE chief executive Geoffrey Podger has responded to four criticisms made of the HSE by the Dundee Sheriff's Court following a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of a Polish construction worker in Dundee in May 2008. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):9 "Chief executive's report to the board" HSE/10/40 Internet: www.lexisurl.com/hsb49 |
| Ill health - statistics. Week ending 09/07/10 |
The HSE has published a detailed report on the results from the Labour Force Survey 2009 that is used to pronounce on progress against each of the three "Revitalising" targets in 2008/09. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):10 "Self reported work-related ?" Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/lfs/lfs0809.pdf |
| Local authorities - fines. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Less than one in four local authorities notified the HSE that they had taken a prosecution in 2008/09, with a further one in three submitting a "nil return". | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):10 "Health and safety enforcement ? " Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/lau/pdfs/lauprosecutions0809.pdf |
| Major hazards - safety alert. Week ending 09/07/10 |
The HSE has issued a safety alert for pipeline operators following the failure of a spring return pipeline emergency shut-down valve. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):10 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/pipelinevalve.htm |
| Noise - hearing loss. Week ending 09/07/10 |
The HSE has issued a video demonstration of noise-induced hearing loss that allows viewers to visualise the working of the ear and the damage excessive noise can cause. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):11 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/noise/video/hearingvideo.htm |
| PPE - RPE. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Just under half of the companies using respiratory protective equipment looked at as part of HSE-commissioned research were "proficient" in their approach - the highest of four categories. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):11 HSE RR798 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr798.pdf |
| Transport - slips and trips. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Research carried out for the HSE has revealed a "statistically significant association between organisation size and risk-taking behaviour (eg jumping down to the ground from a vehicle without using ladders/steps), and the likelihood that vehicles are checked/inspected for problems that may cause slip-, trip- and fall-related accidents". | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):12 HSE RR793 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr793.pdf |
| Waste - inspection. Week ending 09/07/10 |
HSE inspectors will be targeting skip-hire operations and associated recycling activities in an inspection campaign in 2010/11. Inspectors will be looking in particular at hand sorting of recyclables (totting) and the management of workplace transport risks. | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):12 Internet: www.lexisurl.com/hsb673 |
| Occupational cancer: paralysis by analysis? Week ending 09/07/10 |
Estimates of the number of cancers caused by work have increased but still fall short of the likely toll. (Lucinda Ponting) | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):13-16 |
| RIP REP as retailers and local regulators go for resurrection. Week ending 09/07/10 |
An attempt to improve retail enforcement has raised as many questions as it has answered. (Lucinda Ponting) | Health and Safety Bulletin July 2010 (290):17-20 |
| Comet group prosecuted following death of worker in Wrexham. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Comet Group plc fined £75,000 and costs of £24,446 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Paul Alker, 33, was working for a roofing contractor and was on the roof of a Comet store when he stepped on a roof light and fell around 25 feet onto the store floor. He was not wearing any equipment which could have prevented his fall. He suffered multiple injuries including rib fractures, a broken collar bone and soft tissue injuries when led to a fatal pulmonary embolism. Mr Alker's employer Steven Christopher Smith, director of Wrexham Roof Services Ltd, was jailed for two and a half years in November 2007 in relation to this incident. | HSE (National) Press Release HSENW065Comet 5/7/10 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/press/2007/gnnwal66507.htm |
| Machine supplier and university fined after worker traps arm in harvester. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Standen Engineering Limited fined £800 and costs of £1,726.71 under SMSR 1992. The University of Warwick fined £3,000 and costs of £2,091.20 under PUWER 1998. Gareth Keal, 28, an agency employee, was working on a tractor-mounted bulb harvesting machine at the University's horticultural research site when the incident happened. He was sorting bulbs when his hand got trapped in between rollers and he was pulled into the machine up to his shoulder. Mr Keal suffered severe soft tissue damage to his right arm including damage to the muscles, tendons and ligaments. As a result of his injuries he needed physiotherapy for 18 months. The machine, which had been imported, was originally a potato harvester but had been modified before being supplied by Standen Engineering Ltd. HSE investigation found Standen Engineering failed to ensure the harvester satisfied essential H&S requirements by preventing exposure to moving parts of the machinery. In addition, the University failed to take measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of the machinery. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE/EM/10 5/7/10 |
| Farm worker's arm cut with chainsaw. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Peter Haste, owner of Hill Farm, fined £1,600 and costs of £1,400 under HASAWA 1974 s2. Keith Dennis, 49, then a part time worker at the farm, was asked to cut back an overgrown hedge despite being given no supervision and no protective clothing to do so. Mr Dennis had used a chainsaw for many years but had no formal training in how to handle the machinery safely. He nonetheless proceeded to complete his task, which took him two days. The incident happened on the second day, when he was cutting an overhead branch. The branch fell, bringing the chainsaw down onto his left elbow, severing artery and tendon. As he was working alone, Mr Dennis had to make his way to a nearby road and stop a passing motorist for the emergency services to be called. HSE found that, in addition to the lack of training, supervision and appropriate equipment, there had been no assessment on how to carry out the work safely. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE-EM-17 5/7/10 |
| Roofing firm in court after apprentice plunge. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Randell and Janes Roofing Specialists Ltd fined £2,000 and costs of £1,500 under WHR 2005. Apprentice Shaun Jacob, 18, was removing the ridge from a metal sheet roof when a sheet he was standing on buckled, causing him to fall 3 metres through a fragile roof to the ground below, breaking his arm. The company was hired to replace a roof at a single-storey cottage where the incident occurred. HSE's investigation revealed that there had been no specific risk assessment carried out for the job, and there was nothing to break a fall placed beneath the roof as it was being removed. Mr Jacob also had no training in using roof ladders, and his supervisor also had no health and safety training. | HSE (National) Press Release 804/W/10 6/7/10 |
| Company fined after worker hit by fork-lift truck. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Elliott Ltd - previously known as Elliott Loohire Ltd - fined a total of £7,000 and costs of £3,198 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and WHSWR 1992. Depot Manager, Raymond Morris, was standing in the yard area with his back turned towards the toilet wash bay when he was struck by a reversing FLT at the firm's depot. He suffered multiple fractures to his right foot. HSE found that the depot's yard had been poorly designed, and the view of drivers was obstructed. The yard also did not have adequately segregated routes separating pedestrians and vehicles. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE-E-18 6/7/10 |
| Company ordered to pay £73,000 after farm worker is crushed to death. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Timothy John Wyatt and Jonathan Pearn Wyatt, t/a Pearn Wyatt & Son, fined £21,000 and costs of £52,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. Mr Sam Foley, 24, had been using a tractor to tow manure to a field. He was dumping manure out of a tipper trailer when the drawbar broke and crashed forwards through the back of the tractor, fatally crushing him in the cab. Mr Foley died at the scene. HSE investigation found the tipper trailer had not been adequately maintained and was not suitable for handling solid manure. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE-E-19 6/7/10 |
| Free safety support for Southampton businesses. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Businesses on industrial estates in and around Southampton are being invited to a special event to learn how they can benefit from free health and safety training and support. Launching on 13 July, Estates Excellence is a new project to improve the health and safety of Hampshire workers. The project is spearheaded by organisations committed to H&S, including the HSE, Southampton City Council, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services and the Federation of Small Business. The event will take place at 10.00am on Tuesday 13 July at Southampton Guildhall. | HSE (National) Press Release COISE/0707 7/7/10 Internet: Email to estateexcellence@hse.gsi.gov.uk or call 0800 849 8012 |
| Newmarket event to help reduce death and injury in farming. Week ending 09/07/10 |
Around 300 farmers across Cambridge and Suffolk attended a free event on 8 July 2010 aimed at helping reduce the number of deaths and injuries in agriculture. The Safety and Health Awareness Day (SHAD) was run by the HSE. Farmers took information packs and had the opportunity to ask HSE inspectors and the instructors, many of whom are farmers themselves, as many questions as they liked. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE-E-16 8/7/10 |
| C K Hanson & Son Ltd Week ending 09/07/10 |
Fined £2,000 under PUWER 1998. Poultry worker trapped by both feet in manure auger when cleaning down after mucking out battery laying shed. There was no guard/cover over the auger. IP unable to reach emergency stop button. | HSE Prosecution 4155416 26/4/10 |
| Fluorocarbon Company Ltd Week ending 09/07/10 |
Fined £5,000 under CDMR 2007. Injured person fell approx 7 metres through a fragile roof light whilst undertaking repairs to roof. Company failed to perform checks on competency of contractors engaged to perform roof work. | HSE Prosecution 4190081 26/4/10 |
| Integrated Environmental Technology Group plc Week ending 09/07/10 |
Fined £1,500 under HASAWA 1972 s2. Whilst taking readings from a rain gauge situated on the roof, the IP fell through a skylight. This resulted in a fractured vertebra. | HSE Prosecution 4186592 27/4/10 |
| Anglian Water Services Ltd Week ending 09/07/10 |
Fined a total of £16,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and s3. Observed lack of guarding on a number of machines at Ely Sewage Treatment works on 14 February 2008. | HSE Prosecution 4186783 27/4/10 |
| John Doyle Construction Ltd Week ending 09/07/10 |
Fined £2,000 under LOLER 1998. | HSE Prosecution 4152166 30/4/10 |
| Bread Factory Limited Week ending 09/07/10 |
Fined £3,500 under PUWER 1998. IP was mixing some flour and placed his hand in the mixer and received the injury. | HSE Prosecution 4195169 30/4/10 |
| £9.5M bill for firms behind Britain's most costly industrial disaster. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Five companies have been ordered to pay £9.5 million for their part in the 2005 fire and explosion at the Buncefield Oil Storage Depot, in Hertfordshire. The £1.3 million in fines for the pollution caused are a record in the UK. The £3 million fines for Total are the second highest to be handed down for safety offences. Concluding a four-month trial at St Albans Crown Court, Mr Justice Calvert-Smith said the companies had shown "a slackness, inefficiency and a more or less complacent attitude to safety". The prosecution of Total UK Ltd, British Pipeline Agency Ltd (BPA), Hertford Oil Storage Ltd (HOSL), TAV Engineering Ltd (TAV), and Motherwell Control Systems 2003 Ltd, followed the most complex investigation ever conducted by the HSE and Environment Agency. The painstaking investigation uncovered a series of serious failings that led to thousands of gallons of petrol being released in a large vapour cloud. The resulting explosion registered at 2.4 on the Richter scale, injured 43 people and destroyed nearby businesses. The environmental impacts of the disaster are still evident today. The cost of dealing with the disaster had been estimated at more than £1 billion, making it the most costly industrial incident in the UK. | HSE (National) Press Release 16/7/10 |
| PM fulfils vow to address health and safety rules. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Lord Young of Graffham has been officially appointed as advisor to the Prime Minister on H&S law and practice. He will carry out a Whitehall-wide review of the operation of H&S laws and the growth of the "compensation culture". The new safety minister Chris Grayling welcomed the appointment saying, "It is important that we review health and safety regulation so that while people are protected at work there isn't a burden on business, and the people can use their common sense without fearing they are breaking the law." | SHP Jul 2010:6 |
| One on seven sick days is spurious, claims business group. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Around 27 million bogus sick days are taken every year, costing the UK economy £2.5 billion. This is the suggestion from the latest employee absence survey from the CBI and Pfizer. | SHP Jul 2010:7 |
| Government department in fire safety-breach embarrassment. Week ending 16/07/10 |
The Government department in charge of fire safety policy in England and Wales has been served with an enforcement notice in relation to multiple fire-safety failings. The London HQ of the Communities and Local Government received the notice in February. It alleges breaches of 13 of the 15 articles in the Regulatory Reform Order that impose duties on the CLG as the responsible person. A spokesperson has said that the recommendations were in the process of being fully implemented. | SHP Jul 2010:7 |
| Bring on directors' duties, urge top lawyers. Week ending 16/07/10 |
About 80 in-house lawyers for a range of firms in such sectors as construction, chemicals and utilities, were asked by Manchester based Pannone LLP whether further duties need to be placed on directors in order for them to really focus on H&S. Two thirds of the lawyers said directors' duties in law are necessary to ensure they take H&S seriously, and 65 per cent believe they are needed to protect workers. | SHP Jul 2010:8 |
| Safety manager failed to identify electricity risk. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Alan Agar, safety manager for Power Testing Ltd, has lost his appeal against his conviction in 2009 for breaching HASAWA 1974 s2, when he was fined £2,500 and costs of £5,500. Two technicians were installing a capacitor to help reduce the energy consumption on the site. One of the workers was fitting cables in the back of the capacitor, and next to a number of live conductors. The cables came into contact with one of the conductors and caused a flashover. The worker suffered burns to his face and upper body, and has been unable to return to work. Mr Agar had overall responsibility for ensuring the risk assessments were conducted, and for advising the company directors on safety matters and for drawing up safety procedures. However, he failed to carry out a suitable RA and did not ensure that power to the equipment had been isolated. | SHP July 2010:11 |
| Dangerous boiler passed as fit by competent person. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Anthony Sidney Reen, trading as Steaming for Pleasure, fined £750 and costs of £1,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Mr Reen examined a railway locomotive boiler between November 2006 and April 2007 as it needed to pass several safety checks before it could enter service. He gave it a clean bill of health and declared it fit for service. Months later, after being used by several heritage railways, it failed an examination because of defects with the boiler. Investigation found that the boiler was in a dangerous condition at the time Mr Reen examined it and should have undergone suitable repairs, followed by certification. | SHP Jul 2010:12 |
| Construction firms fine increased eightfold by Scottish appeal court. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Scottish judges have substantially increased the fine payable by Discovery Homes (Scotland) Ltd after an appeal hearing deemed the original penalty "unduly lenient". The company had been fined £5,000 in relation to the death of Andrezej Freitag in 2008. This will increase to £40,000. The fine levied on one of its directors, Richard Pratt, remains at £4,000 as the court was "not persuaded" that his fine was unduly lenient. | SHP Jul 2010:12 |
| Things can only get stricter. Week ending 16/07/10 |
A recent case before the Court of Appeal is a clear warning that individuals convicted of criminal offences leading to a workplace death can expect to be dealt with more severely in the future. (Michael Appleby) | SHP Jul 2010:19 |
| Jungle law. Week ending 16/07/10 |
The regulatory system can seem like a jungle to businesses that covet a clear understanding of how they can work effectively with different inspectorates. What organisations should bear in mind if they want to get the best out of their relationships with regulators. (Alison Gray and Anna Hart) | SHP Jul 2010:37-40 |
| Grand scheme of things. Week ending 16/07/10 |
In January this year, the HSE published new guidance on asbestos surveying, which explicitly advocates the need to be able to demonstrate and ensure competency. How both surveyors and duty-holders can do so. (Martin Gibson, Martin Stear and Jon Murthy) | SHP Jul 2010:42-44 |
| Two sides of the same coin. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Exploring the hazards nurses face and the challenges on the horizon, a focus on the health and well-being of health-care staff will reap benefits for patients. (Kim Sunley) | SHP Jul 2010:46-48 |
| Take care on the hoof. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Cautioning against an over-reliance on dynamic risk assessment to protect lone workers, and how organisations can effectively integrate dynamic risk assessment methodology into their risk management processes. (Edmund Jacobs) | SHP Jul 2010:50-52 |
| Temporary measures. Week ending 16/07/10 |
With thousands of students getting ready to embark on temporary jobs during their summer holidays, a reminder to businesses of the importance of identifying and managing the additional risks associated with employing young seasonal workers. (Phil Grace) | SHP Jul 2010:55-56 |
| Health Protection Agency exposed staff to E.coli. Week ending 16/07/10 |
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) fined £25,000 and costs of £20,166.10 under HASAWA 1974 s2. They exposed several employees to the risk of infection of E.coli O157. The staff concerned were working at the Centre for Infections when an amount of the bacteria spilled onto the floor of the site waste discard facility, as it was being disposed of. HSE investigations found that there was an overall failure to ensure safe handling of the bacteria which is classified as Hazard Group 3 waste. Biological agents are classified into one of the four hazard groups 1-4 according to their level of risk of infection, 4 being the highest. Specifically HPA had failed to assess the risk involved in the waste transfer and disposal of E.coli O157 and had not properly trained employees involved in this work to ensure it was carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures. Some of the equipment used in this process had also been identified as being defective 18 months prior to the incident, but no action was taken to rectify this. | HSE (National) Press Release 9/7/10 |
| HSE formalises safety partnership with British Sugar. Week ending 16/07/10 |
HSE has formalised a longstanding partnership with British Sugar aimed at reducing accident and ill-health risk in the work place. David Ashton, HSE's Director of Field Operations signed a memorandum of understanding with Gino De Jaegher, Managing Director of British Sugar UK and Ireland, at one of the company's processing plants in Norfolk. The agreement marks a significant milestone in the partnership between HSE and British Sugar UK and recognises improvements to the company's safety performance over the last five years. In it, HSE agrees to support British Sugar UK in its pledge to continue to develop proportionate and sensible risk control systems and to improve its H&S performance. British Sugar UK commits to championing the drive to improve workplace protections by striving to be an exemplar in occupational health and safety. The signing was supported by both the GMB and Unite Unions on behalf of employees. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE-E-20 9/7/10 |
| Two leading health and safety figures awarded engineering fellowship. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Two leading figures from the HSE have been awarded a prestigious fellowship for their work within the engineering industry. HSE Chair, Judith Hackitt, and Head of HSE's Nuclear Directorate, Mike Weightman, were elected as Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the UK's national academy of engineering following its AGM this week. Academy President Lord Browne of Madingley described the expertise of the elected Fellows as a "unique national resource". Fellows are nominated and elected by industry peers. Judith is a chemical engineer with more than three decades of industry experience. Her work included roles at Exxon Chemicals and Elementis Plc where she was Group Risk Manager with worldwide responsibility for H&S insurance and litigation. | HSE (National) Press Release 12/7/10 |
| Caerphilly engineering company fined after workers' fingers severed. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Encon Engineering (Wales) Ltd fined £8,000 and costs of £2,000 under PUWER 1998. Mr Rhys Davies, 25, suffered serious injuries after his fingers were severed in an unguarded machine. He lost four fingers and the top of his thumb. Mr Davies was working on a machine used to mill titanium plates when the incident happened. Surgeons reattached three fingers, but his injuries remain severe and he is continuing to receive treatment. | HSE (National) Press Release 817/W/10 13/7/10 |
| Worker suffers multiple injuries at barn. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Adrian Evens fined £2,000 and costs of £2,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. Andrew Oliver fined £2,000 and costs of £2,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. John Long fined £1,000 and costs of £1,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3. David Pass, 28, was standing on the roof of a former riding stable, removing corrugated panels, when he fell eight metres to the ground below. He suffered serious injuries to his head and back, was in a coma for several days and was made partially blind in one eye. HSE investigations found that no scaffolding or protection had been provided for the worker, who was expected to balance on the steel frame of the building while removing roof panels. John Long, 62, was the owner of the barn and had acted as a project manager. He had hired Andrew Oliver, 43, to carry out the work, who subcontracted it to Adrian Evens, 35. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE/NW/06EvensOliverLong 14/7/10 |
| Car wash firm failed to protect workers. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Prowash Systems Limited fined £6,750 and costs of £1,000 under ELCIA 1969. The company failed to produce a current Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) certificate when an H&S Awareness Officer from the HSE visited the premises. All employers need to have the certificate and must show a copy to a HSE official immediately on request. When Prowash Systems failed to do this it was issued with an ELCI "notice to produce". The company did not comply with this notice and when representatives from the company were then called to an interview with HSE inspectors they failed to attend. The company also failed to attend court, so Magistrates heard the case in the company's absence. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE-E-21 14/7/10 |
| Firm fined after man has top of finger amputated. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Building Adhesives Ltd fined £10,000 and costs of £4,000 under PUWER 1998. The 49 year old employee was injured while loading large fabric bags containing rubber into a hopper for distribution around the factory. The employee had been using a machine that had been modified when the incident occurred. The company had previously replaced a fixed guard with an incorrectly fitted interlocked guard, meaning the worker was able to access the screw conveyor where his right hand was subsequently caught, causing serious injury. The man was taken to hospital where surgeons had to amputate his middle finger past the first knuckle. His ring finger was also damaged. | HSE (National) Press Release WM173/10 15/7/10 |
| Courtroom drama for construction industry. Week ending 16/07/10 |
Local construction firm managers are being invited to attend a mock trial (22 July) to help them understand how important good health and safety is, by seeing first hand what can happen when things go wrong and a worker is injured. In the pretend criminal trial at Northampton's 17th century Sessions House Court, both the company and the director of the fictional company are to be prosecuted by the HSE, with the verdict decided on the day. Anyone wishing to attend the event should email Nicola.smy@hse.gsi.gov.uk or call 01604 738333. Tickets are £25 per person which includes tea/coffee and a buffet lunch. | HSE (East Midlands) Press Release 14/7/10 |
| Steeplejack seriously injured after fall from bell chamber. Week ending 16/07/10 |
The Cedars Steeplejack (Midlands) Ltd fined £6,600 and costs of £4,774 under WHR 2005. An employee was removing bird debris and cleaning the bell chamber of a church when the incident happened. HSE investigation showed that two workers had gained access to the spire of the church via the staircase and set out scaffolding planks to stand on to carry out the work. The planks had been laid on rotten floor boards which gave way when one of the workers stepped onto the board, causing him to fall 6.3 metres to the floor below. His injuries were five cracked vertebra, a broken pelvis and serious internal injuries. He has been unable to work since the incident. The company did not adequately assess the risks from the work in the bell chamber and did not select the right equipment to ensure it could be done safely. | HSE (East Midlands) Press Release 15/7/10 |
| SHB Hire Ltd Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £5,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. Prosecution for non management of workplace transport lead to near miss incident. Although minor injuries, risk of serious injury was high. | HSE Prosecution 4200974 4/5/10 |
| RWE npower Plc Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £8,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Contractor injured whilst removing a valve system on the stations general compressed air system when the air supply was not safely and securely isolated. | HSE Prosecution 4159076 5/5/10 |
| C M A Tools (Burnley) Ltd Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £1,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. An employee was using a piece of emery cloth to reduce the size of a metal component on a metal working lathe. The cloth became trapped by the rotating mechanism, pulling in his right hand. He was wearing a glove at the time which pulled his hand further into the machinery and he lost his finger. The company did not provide adequate training in the safe operation of the tool or on the dangers of using emery cloths on metal working lathes. | HSE Prosecution 4192179 6/5/10 |
| Dranson Limited Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £8,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. The IP was assisting two other people to push a dolly (trolley) loaded with lengths of steel into the warehouse. The trolley and steel fell onto IP's right leg pinning him to the floor. IP sustained serious injuries to his leg (broken fibula and tibia). | HSE Prosecution 4199912 6/5/10 |
| SDI Group UK Limited Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £80,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Prosecution arising from accident investigation. | HSE Prosecution 4166553 7/5/10 |
| Richard Mark Berwick Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £40,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. Prosecution arising from accident investigation. | HSE Prosecution 4166558 7/5/10 |
| Steel Construction Ltd (aka SCL) Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £50,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Prosecution. Accident to sub-contractor. | HSE Prosecution 4166562 7/5/10 |
| Calor Gas Limited Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined a total of £50,000 under COMAH 1999 and RIDDOR 1995. Operation of bursting disc on propane import line leading to a release of LPG. HSE awarded full costs of £27,185.53 | HSE Prosecution 4187151 7/5/10 |
| Michael Billings Week ending 16/07/10 |
Prison under HASAWA 1974 s3. Longstanding landlord, previously prosecuted for Gas Safety offences. Serious fire at 4 adjoining properties, tenant suffered severe burns due to lack of fire precautions. Multi-agency investigations and joint prosecution by Norwich City Council, Norfolk Fire and rescue and HSE. Breaches found of Gas Safety legislation in all 4 properties, including matters previously prosecuted. Mr Billings sentenced to 7.5 months on each of the 14 count indictment. Offences per property to be concurrent but each property offence to be consecutive. Thus resulting in 30 months custodial. Costs of £40,000 awarded. Agreement between parties that we would surrender £20,000 costs if a voluntary non prejudicial payment of £20,000 paid to injured party. Judge stated he would review sentence if payment made. Payment of £20,000 made to injured person solicitors. Sentence reduced to 6 months for all offences except the HSE offences that was reduced to 3 months. 21 months custodial now operative. | HSE Prosecution 4188957 7/5/10 |
| Corvale Ltd Week ending 16/07/10 |
Fined £2,667 under HASAWA 1974 s2. IP was injured when a stack of MDF and other boards fell on him. He suffered extensive injuries to his knees requiring several operations over a period of time. It was custom and practice for 20-40 boards to be leant against 2 metal post as no proprietary racking system had been provided. In order to retrieve boards from the stack an employee would have to support the unwanted boards as another employee pivoted the unwanted boards across to him. Once the boards had been selected the unwanted boards would be leant back against the post. It was during this process that the boards became too heavy for the IP to hold and they collapsed on him trapping his legs against a machine. This system of work was inherently unsafe and had been for a number of years and was contrary to the advice contained in the HSE Woodworking Information Sheet No 2 (revised) 'Safe stacking of sawn timber and boards'. | HSE Prosecution 4189806 7/5/10 |
| Castle Bromwich firm fined after worker injured by robot. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Dura Automotive Body and Glass Systems UK fined £30,000 and costs of £20,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and MHSWR 1999. Michael Brewer was struck while trying to repair a fully-automated industrial robot. As part of the repair Mr Brewer wanted to see the operating cycle of the machine. However, a solid guard fully enclosed the robot so he couldn't see through it. Mr Brewer decided to view the robot from inside the guarded area while it was operating. While in this dangerous zone, the robot struck him in the throat, causing damage to his voice box and nerves on one side of his body. HSE found the company had a system of work for accessing the machine that required the machine to be put in manual before entering, rather than on the full automatic cycle. However, this was not adequately supervised and failed to account for a need to view the operating cycle for the machine from outside. Viewing the operation cycle from inside the guarded area had become common practice. The risk assessment the company had produced was not sufficient as it had failed to address the risks from maintenance operators or the risk posed by the industrial robots operating within the guarded area. Since the incident the company has installed large viewing panels in the guarding of the machine so it can be viewed from the outside, as well as improving the access arrangements and the supervision of its systems. Mr Brewer, meanwhile, will not return to work because of his injuries. | HSE (National) Press Release WM108/09 19/7/10 |
| Bin advice. Week ending 23/07/10 |
HSE has published new guidance for the waste industry on preventing serious injuries to people taking shelter in commercial waste bins or communal domestic bins. | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:3 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/waste25.pdf |
| A matter of time. Week ending 23/07/10 |
An argument that the amount of time employers have to spend on the bureaucracy surrounding health and safety legislation in the workplace is undermining the importance of the very things it seeks to convey. (Andrew Townsend) | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:5 |
| On the ropes. Week ending 23/07/10 |
The Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) has published a new International Code of Practice on using industrial rope access techniques safely. | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:8 Internet: www.irata.org/publications.htm |
| Vehicle repair advice. Week ending 23/07/10 |
HSE has published two new leaflets for those who work in the motor vehicle repair trade. The leaflets deal with two routine tasks: working under vehicles and the inflation of tyres. | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:9 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg434.pdf and www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg433.pdf |
| Battling the bugs. Week ending 23/07/10 |
The look at the current progress in reducing the levels of "superbug" infections. (Nick Cook) | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:10-11 |
| TV chef's restaurant fined for pollution. Week ending 23/07/10 |
The Yew Tree (Highclere) Ltd fined £30,000 and costs of £7,785 under WRA 1991, also compensation to two residents of £200 each and a victim surcharge of £15. Director Andrew Parton fined £3,100 and costs of £865 under WRA 1991, also a victim surcharge of £15. The Berkshire restaurant, co-owned by TV chef Marco Pierre White, was prosecuted for polluting a nearby stream with sewage. | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:20 |
| New union H&S guides. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Public sector trade union Unison has updated a selection of its H&S guides. The revised advice covers the topics of bullying at work, first aid, RSI, sickness absence agreements and temperature at work. | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:20 Internet: www.unison.org.uk/safety |
| One in four work without a break. Week ending 23/07/10 |
According to a survey conducted by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, 25 per cent of people in the UK regularly work all day without taking a break. The poll of nearly 3000 people found that more than one third of staff regularly work through their lunch break and 23 per cent take no lunch break at all. | RoSPA Safety Express July/August 2010:20 |
| Working in the public interest to make a difference. Week ending 23/07/10 |
As the national regulator for H&S in the workplace, HSE acts in the public interest to protect workers from unnecessary dangers. | HSE Health and Safety Newsletter (25) June-July 2010:6-7 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/inthepublicinterest |
| Getting maximum protection from RPE. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Why it is essential that workers who wear respiratory protective equipment ensure that they always use it properly. (Bob Rajan) | HSE Health and Safety Newsletter (25) June-July 2010:8-9 |
| North Sea rig inspections to be increased. Week ending 23/07/10 |
The Government is to double the number of inspections of off-shore drilling rigs and increase monitoring of offshore compliance following the fatal explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico in which 11 people were killed. | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:3 |
| Ticked off. Week ending 23/07/10 |
The majority of local authorities in Wales are failing to protect their staff from what the CIEH calls "the growing threat" of Lyme disease. Of the 22 LAs questioned, only 2 had given their staff advice or conducted a risk assessment for the outdoor workers most at risk of contracting the disease, which is spread by infected ticks. | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:4 www.hpa.org.uk/topics/infectiousdiseases/infectionsaz/lymedisease |
| New minister. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Chris Grayling MP is the new minister responsible for health and safety. The former shadow Home Secretary is now Minister for Employment at the Dept of Works and Pensions. | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:4 |
| Whistleblowing views. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Less than a quarter of employees questioned about their views on H&S in the workplace said they would report their employer to the HSE if they thought they were breaking H&S law. However, 70 per cent of the workers questioned said they would inform their line manager or supervisor if there was a problem. | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:4 |
| Out of site. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Over the last ten years or so, working from home for the odd day or two each week or month has become a more widely available option for many employees, particularly those in office based jobs. However, in addition to these workers, around one million people are employed in "traditional" homeworking jobs. (Nick Cook) | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:11-14 |
| Safety performance. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Health and safety may seem an unlikely subject for an artist to focus on but earlier this year, Glasgow-based artist and performer, David Sherry, did just that as the subject of his arts residency with a north-east Scotland community arts organisation. (Neil Jones) | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:21-24 |
| Silent witness. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Crime scene investigators face the unexpected daily. A visit to the forensic science training centre to find out how they prepare. (Paul Heslop) | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:27-30 |
| Learning from accidents. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Learning from accidents has been a key policy theme for RoSPA for well over a decade. However, in practice most workplace accidents are not fully investigated by employers. Why so many opportunities for learning are being missed. (Roger Bibbings) | RoSPA Occup Safety & Health Journal July 2010:35-36 |
| Pirelli fined after Carlisle worker injured by forklift truck. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Pirelli Tyres Ltd fined £9,000 and costs of £4,282 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Alan Miller, a 62 year old contractor, was walking through an area within the curing department when he was struck from behind by a pallet being carried on an FLT. He suffered a broken leg and has been unable to return to his normal duties. Pirelli failed to properly manage the risks to pedestrians in the area, including failing to inform contractors of the precautions required to ensure their safety. The FLT driver's vision was frequently obscured because their loads had to be lowered to avoid overhead obstructions. A previous risk assessment by Pirelli had identified that the area should be a pedestrian-free zone. There had been several previous incidents in the same area of the factory involving pedestrians and FLTs. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE/NW/33Pirelli 16/7/10 |
| Peterlee firm fined after worker's hand severed. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Conder Solutions Limited fined £15,000 and costs of £2,759 under PUWER 1998. A 55 year old employee was polishing a rotating metal shaft on a metal working lathe with a strip of emery cloth. Although he was wearing gloves and holding the cloth with both hands, his right hand came into contact with the lathe's rotating shaft and cutting tool, resulting in his hand being ripped off. Surgeons were able to re-attach the hand but despite undergoing 5 operations, the worker still has no feeling in the hand and is unable to use it and has been unable to return to work. | HSE (National) Press Release NE/197/10 19/7/10 |
| Agriculture champion's stark message to Welsh farmers. Week ending 23/07/10 |
HSE used the Royal Welsh show as an opportunity to rally Welsh farmers into looking out for themselves and each other. New figures from the HSE show agriculture to be the most dangerous industry in Britain, with proportionately more work-related deaths than any other sector. 38 workers were killed while carrying out farm work in 2009/10, making a return to average levels of previous years and in contrast to 25 fatalities the previous year, a record low. | HSE (National) Press Release 820W09AP 19/7/10 |
| Telford firm fined after worker loses finger. Week ending 23/07/10 |
12R Packaging Solutions fined £10,000 and costs of £5,677 under HASAWA 1974 s2. A female employee had her hand trapped in an incident while making foil food cartons. She was helping another worker remove aluminium foil from a 130-tonne power press, which had become jammed. Her colleague had opened the protective guards which stops the machine automatically, but not switched off the pneumatic energy. As the pneumatic system stores some energy within it, even when the power is turned off, it meant part of the machine snapped upwards and injured the female worker's hand. When part of the machine snapped upwards it amputated the worker's index finger, middle finger and tip of her ring finger on her right hand. A separate manual process would have been needed to ensure the pneumatic energy had been dissipated before trying to get the blockage out of the machine. | HSE (National) Press Release WM122/10 19/7/10 |
| Frozen food specialist fined after worker loses finger. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Pinguin Food UK Ltd fined £10,000 and costs of £3,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2. A man's finger was amputated when his hand was crushed while trying to straighten some boxes on an automatic palletising machine. Although the box loading machine which the man was working on had a perspex guard attached, the employee routinely entered the enclosure while the machinery was running. While behind the guard, his fingers were caught between a pallet and the conveyor, resulting in his middle finger being amputated from the tip to the first knuckle. He was subsequently off work for six months. HSE found a number of employees had been given interlock parts which effectively overrode the safety systems in place and allowed access to the enclosure. | HSE (National) Press Release HSE/EM46/10 19/7/10 |
| Firm fined after scaffold collapse. Week ending 23/07/10 |
William Bedford t/a B & J Scaffolding fined £4,000 and costs of £2,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3. One evening 85 metres of scaffold overturned in the wind and collapsed into a public street. The scaffold was not adequately secured to the houses and was missing elements used to stabilise the structure. | HSE (National) Press Release NE/200/10 21/7/10 |
| Construction company put workers at risk of falls. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Gee Construction Ltd fined £10,000 and costs of £4,514.25 under WHR 2005. The major construction company failed to properly protect its workers from falls at height on a site. The inspector found a number of shortcomings including unguarded lift shafts on the first and second floor, and inadequate edge protection to prevent workers from falls - one of the main causes of deaths in the construction industry. The company had also previously received two PNs for work at height issues. | HSE (National) Press Release 821W10 22/7/10 |
| Work stopped at a fifth of West Midland construction sites. Week ending 23/07/10 |
Work was stopped on almost one in five of West Midlands construction sites visited as part of a recent intensive safety initiative. HSE inspectors were aimed at stopping dangerous practices and raising awareness of construction site risks to help prevent death and injury. During the month-long campaign, 93 sites were visited involving 95 contractors, 17 prohibition notices were issued on 17 sites. They were issued for such activities as no edge protection installed for major roof works, incomplete scaffolds in use, missing guard rails and large gaps in scaffold platforms. Construction is one of Britain's most dangerous industries. During 2008/09, although no people died, 509 people were injured while working in construction in the West Midlands. Newly released figures for 2009/10 show 41 construction workers were killed at work across Britain. | HSE (West Midlands) Press Release 19/7/10 |
| Magna Specialist Confectioners Ltd Week ending 23/07/10 |
Fined £75,000 under HASAWA 1974 s11. Access through interlocked Perspex doors possible by Process Technicians. IP could elect a speed to leave production line running at whilst door opened to Frozen Cone section of Aasted 2 production line despite written procedure to the contrary. Incorrect machinery guarding standard, defeatable interlock device. IP opened interlocked doors to clean up spill of refrigerant liquid with line running at full speed, head went into machine when machine indexed and was closing up to about 5cm trap with one tonne force. Thrown out of machine. Injuries: 2 weeks in coma, blind in right eye, 50% sight in left eye, deaf in right ear, cannot walk much further than 100m, walks with white stick, no sense of taste or smell. Unlikely to work again. Latterly, computer control amended to allow access through interlocked doors only when conveyor system stopped. | HSE Prosecution 4127191 10/5/10 |
| Our Julia Limited Week ending 23/07/10 |
Fined £7,000 under WHR 2005. IP was boarding fishing vessel and access ladder to main deck was placed in unsuitable position. IP and ladder slipped because no stop in place. | HSE Prosecution 4201659 10/5/10 |
| Lincoln College Week ending 23/07/10 |
Fined £1,500 under MHSWR 1999. The college failed to make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate for the organisation, control and monitoring of the work of contract window cleaners on the site. | HSE Prosecution 4158603 11/5/10 |
| J F Feltham Week ending 23/07/10 |
Conditional Discharge under GSIUR 1998. Unsafe gas fitting work at two addresses whilst not a member of a class of persons approved by the HSE. | HSE Prosecution 4174489 12/5/10 |
| Jack Smith Builders Ltd Week ending 23/07/10 |
Fined £3,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. A worker was seriously injured when part of an office block collapsed and the rubble fell on him. A concrete block pillar, used to support the first and second floors, had been resting on the ground floor instead of going down into the foundations. The company failed to ensure the safety of workers during the construction. Jack Smith Builders Ltd were the principal contractors. | HSE Prosecution 4192187 12/5/10 |
| The Wallace Partnership Week ending 23/07/10 |
Fined £4,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. A worker was seriously injured when part of an office block collapsed and the rubble fell on him. A concrete block pillar, used to support the first and second floors, had been resting on the ground floor instead of going down into the foundations. The company failed to ensure the safety of workers during the construction. | HSE Prosecution 4192193 12/5/10 |
| Architects and construction firm fined after worker falls nine metres to his death. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Express Park Construction Company Limited (EPCC) fined £75,000 and costs of £68,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3 for failing to safely manage subcontractors working for it. Oxford Architects Partnership fined £120,000 and costs of £60,000 under CDMR 1994 which require designers to take safety considerations into account. David Cairns was working for EPCC subcontractor H&F Air Conditioning Ltd on an air conditioning plant which was built on a platform accessed via a ladder at the edge of a flat roof. The roof only had a low parapet which was not high enough to prevent Mr Cairns falling nine metres to the ground. | HSE (National) Press Release 739/SWW/09 28/7/10 |
| Lord Young's review sparks fears. Week ending 30/07/10 |
There is a small but growing chorus of concern that Lord Young of Graffham's government-ordered review into health and safety may fail to draw attention to the key thing that has allowed "elf 'n' safety" myths to flourish - the lack of a voluntary accreditation framework for practitioners. (Catherine Burrell) | Safety Management July/August 2010:6-7 |
| One in 20 fatal cancers work-related. Week ending 30/07/10 |
More than 5 per cent of cancer deaths are caused by work, according to a recent HSE study into the burden of occup cancer in Britain. | Safety Management July/August 2010:8 Internet: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr800.htm |
| Safety culture: why we all need to get it right. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Sound leadership, genuine workforce involvement and effective communication go a long way to encouraging workers to act in a safe manner. (Neal Stone) | Safety Management July/August 2010:15 |
| A rewarding first year for chief executive. Week ending 30/07/10 |
This month sees the first anniversary of the appointment of BSC chief executive Julie Nerney. It has been a busy year for Julie and here she explains how she has found her first year in charge and what she has planned for the future. (Joanna Gurman) | Safety Management July/August 2010:25-27 |
| Creatures come a cropper in campaign. Week ending 30/07/10 |
A careless giraffe, a dopey dog, and a slapdash rabbit are the stars of "Speak Up, Stay Safe" - a new H&S campaign launched by the BSC. (Joanna Gurman) | Safety Management July/August 2010:29 |
| Conference highlights fears of young workers. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Young workers were the talk of the day at a recent conference in London. (Joanna Gurman) | Safety Management July/August 2010:30-31 |
| Fire - a burning issue in Copenhagen. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Fire can be devastating for business, so it is vital that every organisation has suitable fire safety measures in place to deal with fire and prevent damage. At a recent fire safety press conference held in Copenhagen, Siemens Building Technologies division demonstrated a number of fire safety solutions it has implemented at organisations in the city. (Joanna Gurman) | Safety Management July/August 2010:37-40 |
| Too much pressure: tackling work stress. Week ending 30/07/10 |
With almost 11.5 million working days lost due to work-related stress in 2008/2009 alone, it makes clear sense for employers to ensure the demands of work are not exceeding people's ability to cope. (Emma Mamo) | Safety Management July/August 2010:42-44 |
| Testing times: ensuring electrical safety. Week ending 30/07/10 |
By law, all portable electrical equipment must be maintained to prevent danger, but many employers are confused about how they go about this. (Jim Wallace) | Safety Management July/August 2010:46-49 |
| The power of sight: providing DSE eye care. Week ending 30/07/10 |
If a display screen equipment user has uncorrected vision defects, their work will be more tiring than it should be, so these workers must be provided with eyesight tests and glasses should they require them. (Jim Lythgow) | Safety Management July/August 2010:51-52 |
| Road Safety Week. Week ending 30/07/10 |
The UK's road safety charity, Brake, is calling on fire and rescue services to get involved in this year's national "Road Safety Week", which takes place on 22-28 November. | Fire Risk Management July 2010:3 Internet: www.roadsafetyweek.org |
| Creative design. Week ending 30/07/10 |
How an innovative and solutions-driven approach to fire engineering can deliver safety, cost and construction programme advantages. (Mich Wizenberg) | Fire Risk Management July 2010:10-13 |
| LifeCycle Tower. Week ending 30/07/10 |
The LifeCycle Tower is a research project to assess the design principles for timber high-rise buildings in Europe - its fire engineering aspects. (Martin Unger, Carsten Hein and Tim G?ckel) | Fire Risk Management July 2010:14-19 |
| Low smoke cable. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Some halogen-based cables can release toxic smoke and gas in a fire but the growing use of low smoke cable is providing essential protection. (Jeremy Hodge) | Fire Risk Management July 2010:24-25 |
| Engineering unease. Week ending 30/07/10 |
There are growing fears that some fire engineered solutions may lead to watered down safety standards and a reduction in passive fire protection. (Niall Rowan) | Fire Risk Management July 2010:27-29 |
| Risk values. Week ending 30/07/10 |
The risk management of fire and rescue personnel during emergencies may be aided by adopting a new operational philosophy. (Paul Bailey, Nick Ferrante and Phil Harlock) | Fire Risk Management July 2010:45-49 |
| Asset management. Week ending 30/07/10 |
While online risk assessments are helpful, alternative solutions are needed for complex sites. (Colin Simpson) | Fire Risk Management July 2010:50-51 |
| Worker loses lower leg after paving machine crush. Week ending 30/07/10 |
John Wainwright & Co Ltd fined a total of £10,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2 and s3 with costs of £8,015. Alan Seviour, who worked for the company as a delivery driver, was carrying out some relief road work on the day of the incident. As he cleared material from the front of the surface paving machine, his foot became trapped and crushed between a speed bump and a bar on the front of the machine. The damage was so severe to his right foot that the lower leg had to be amputated. | HSE (National) Press Release 816/SWW/10 22/7/10 |
| Quarry firm fined after worker plunge in 30-tonne wheel loader. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Humberside Aggregates and Excavations Ltd fined £30,000 and costs of £10,590 under QR 1999. An employee was being trained as a wheel loader operator. He was transporting sand from a stockpile when the access ramp he was driving on gave way, causing the machine to overturn and plunge almost 16ft because there were no edge protection barriers in place. The trainee lost consciousness, suffered concussion and was hospitalised for two days. Failure to assess, identify and minimise potential risk, and ultimately failure to protect the worker. | HSE (National) Press Release YH/194/10 28/7/10 |
| HSE targets ageing installations with new offshore inspection programme. Week ending 30/07/10 |
A new inspection programme of offshore oil and gas installations on the UK continental shelf is underway to ensure that ageing infrastructure does not adversely affect safety. The Key Programme 4 will run until September 2013. | HSE (National) Press Release 28/7/10 |
| Carlisle worker's skull crushed in six metre fall. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Eric Murray, trading as E J Murray (Steel Structures), fined £5,000 and costs of £8,000 under WHR 2005. Robert Murray fined £8,000 and costs of £4,000 under WHR 2005 and CDMR 2007. Alan Hind was helping to demolish an industrial building when he fell six metres to the concrete floor below. He suffered multiple fractures to his skull and jaw, fractured a wrist, damaged a kidney, is deaf in his right ear and blind in his left eye. Parts of his brain were so damaged they had to be removed. Robert Murray was in overall charge of the project, and his brother Eric was in charge of dismantling the building Mr Hind was working on. | HSE (National)Press Release HSE/NW/019Murray 29/7/10 |
| Biscuit giant prosecuted after worker severs fingers in mixing machine. Week ending 30/07/10 |
United Biscuits (UK) Ltd fined £10,000 and costs of £2,889 under HASAWA 1974 s2. An employee lost two fingers on her right hand when she attempted to clear a blockage in an industrial-sized mixer. She had to scale a two metre fixed step-ladder to reach the machine, empty the mixture inside and then restart it. Though the mixer had stopped, the blades inside were still rotating and severed her fingers when she reached inside. | HSE (National) Press Release YH/196/10 30/7/10 |
| Kelso firm fined following traumatic amputation of worker's arm. Week ending 30/07/10 |
John Hogarth Ltd fined £16,750 (reduced from £25,000 to take account of the company's guilty plea) under HASAWA 1974 s2. An employee was attempting to clean a rotary valve four metres above the ground. He slipped and his right arm became entangled in the exposed rotating valve. He was then suspended above the floor as the rotor drew his arm into the mechanism because it had not been isolated from the electrical supply, which was difficult to reach. His arm was severed approx 10cm below the elbow and he then fell approx three metres to the floor and suffered severe injuries, permanent disfigurement and impairment as a result. The valve was cleaned at the tart of every shift but access was very difficult, and the on/off controls were on the ground but the isolator switch was screwed to the underside of the roof above the valve. | HSE (Scotland) Press Release 30/7/10 |
| Pontypool building firm prosecuted for unlicensed asbestos work. Week ending 30/07/10 |
Ron Couch Building Contractors Ltd fined a total of £2,500 and costs of £1,250 under CAR 2006. The company were replacing a central heating boiler at a private property. Carpenters removed a cupboard door clad with asbestos insulation board (AIB) in order to take out the boiler. A supervisor working on a nearby property saw the door outside and warned them of the presence of AIB. | HSE (Wales) Press Release 30/7/2010 |
| Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Week ending 30/07/10 |
Fined £75,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Patient died shortly after giving birth. Police investigation revealed serious inadequacies regarding drug control regime - appears that the wrong drug was administered and no second check on administration. | HSE Prosecution 4183990 17/5/10 |
| Hartog Hutton Limited Week ending 30/07/10 |
Fined a total of £10,015 under WHR 2005, MHSWR 1999 and CDMR 2007. IP fell approx 7 metres through a fragile roof light whilst undertaking repairs to roof. Company failed to assess risk and thus allowed employees who were not competent to work on a fragile roof without suitable precautions. | HSE Prosecution 4190074 19/5/10 |
| The Garage Bow Street Ltd Week ending 30/07/10 |
Conditional discharge under HASAWA 1974 s33. Failure to comply with PN issued on factory Powrmatic gas heater. The exhaust flue was directed inside the workshop, the electrical wiring to the heater unsuitable, and the system required servicing via a competent gas engineer. | HSE Prosecution 4191975 20/5/10 |
| Roadways Container Logistics Ltd Week ending 30/07/10 |
Fined £250,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2. DP was inside a shipping container and at least one heavy wooden case containing double glazing units had fallen on him causing serious crush injuries. | HSE Prosecution 4175571 21/5/10 |
| Savoir Developments Ltd Week ending 30/07/10 |
Fined a total of £15,000 under CAR 2006. Asbestos incident. Failure to identify and prevent spread during refurbishment work. | HSE Prosecution 4177907 21/5/10 |
| Keith Gardner Week ending 30/07/10 |
Fined £7,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3. Support wall above work area collapsed due to heavy wind. IP was injured by falling debris suffering injuries to his side, arm and back. | HSE Prosecution 4202901 21/5/10 |
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