H&S News - Week ending 9th May 2008

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HSE is warning companies to ensure its employees working at height have proper safety equipment and the risk to them is fully assessed.  This comes after Roy Clark, the proprietor of a South Wales roofing company, was jailed for 10 months and ordered to pay nearly £18k costs after admitting a manslaughter charge.  One of his employees fell to his death through a skylight. (More...)

It's now been six months since Judith Hackitt took over as Chair of the HSC.  What she's been up to.

There is almost one death a week in agriculture, with an average of 49 people killed every year in this industry.  Accidents include falling bales, livestock, quad bikes, slurry and those to children.

Red Watch at Buxton Fire Station rescue more people from cars than fires these days.  They regularly stage mock car crashes for various organisations, including HSE, to show the consequences of careless driving.  (Ian Redfern)

British food and drink manufacturers have served up a massive 46% drop in their overall injury rate since the start of the joint HSE/food industry "Recipe for Safety" initiative in 1990/91.  (Richard Morgan)

A new Treasury report suggests that national regulators should focus more on businesses which flout the law and ease up on reputable firms.  Enforcement agencies are also criticised over inadequate sanctions, confusing record-keeping requirements, unintelligible guidance, and poor communications between policymakers and field staff.

Due to three sets of new regulations, utility companies must give councils longer notice of roadworks.  They will also have to comply with strict conditions imposed by local authorities.

Nearly 8,700 employees were monitored for lead exposure in 2006/07.  This was slightly above the previous year's total.

On April 1st the HSE and HSC were reborn as a single entity, a reinvented Health & Safety Executive.  The new HSE, which has inherited all the statutory functions of the old HSE and HSC, as well as their staff, will be "revisiting" the HSC's existing strategy for workplace H&S until 2010 before the year is up.

Following the scheduled ending of the pilot Workplace Health Connect scheme, the Welsh Assembly has ensured that free occup health advice for SMEs will not end.  They are being partnered by the HSE in a new health, safety and return to work pilot service in Wales.

The number of case studies on the HSE website has increased to 10.

The HSE issued a statement on 8 April showing how the HSE's high-level policies ensure it is already working in line with the Regulators Compliance Code.

Overseas workers in Britain can now access information on their H&S rights and responsibilities in 13 languages.

HSE has added five new model risk assessments to its website covering a village hall, road-haulage company, car-parking service, nightclub and food preparation and service.

The HSE has published research on the links between emotional demands and burnout.

Firefighters and ambulance crews need greater protection against violent attacks.  (Andrea Oates)

Table reviewing all HSC/E activity between 6 October 2007 and 7 April 2008.

HSE welcomed the Members' Debate which was due to take place on 1st May to recognise the importance of International Workers' Memorial Day.

HSE has issued a safety alert aimed at homeowners, tenants, landlords and heating professionals following five incidents in the last five years where redundant solid fuel back boilers exploded after fires were lit in front.

Dr Paul Stollard has now taken up the post as the new Director for the HSE in Scotland.  He is an architect and fire engineer and has worked in the safety industry for the last 25 years.

Everyone working in the offshore oil industry has a part to play in driving up safety standards in the sector further.  Nearly 200 participants attended the "Play Your Part" Offshore Workforce Involvement Day.

Trak Build Ltd (Principal Contractor) fined £10,000 and costs of £8,278.92, plus a victim surcharge of £15.  Midland Steel Structures Ltd (subcontracted firm) fined £10,000 and costs of £8,278.92, plus a victim surcharge of £15.  In 2006, a worker suffered massive head injuries following a fall down a concrete staircase being installed.  He remains in hospital requiring 24 hour care for the rest of his life.

Echo 2 fined total of £10,500 and costs of £16,549 under HASAWA 1974 s20.  Following visits to the site and meetings with the company, notice was given for the company to produce documents that would allow HSE to identify people who might be carrying fireworks by road.  These documents were not produced as required and an investigation was carried out.

Murray Construction and Development Ltd fined £10,000, costs of £1,414, compensatory award of £5,000 to the injured worker and a victim surcharge of £15.  Three workers were working on a new house construct and moving a rafter.  The IP was standing on a joiner's stool to do this and fell through a gap onto the concrete floor 2.8 metres below.  He sustained serious injuries and has been unable to return to work since.

Fined £8,000 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  Failure to ensure the scaffold working platform was safe.  Person working on platform was seriously injured when part of it collapsed causing him to fall to the ground.

Fined £4,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Failure to have in place adequate procedures or supervision to ensure a scaffold working platform was in a safe condition before use.  Employee was instructed to use platform to gain access.   Part of the platform collapsed and employee fell sustaining severe injuries.

Fined £13,000 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Prosecution arises from unsafe access onto the conveyors of a fragmentiser.  Injuries to an employee when the conveyors started unexpectedly whilst he and a colleague were cleaning a blockage.

Fined £1,875 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  Failure to make an assessment with regard to operation, maintenance and cleaning of horizontal band saw.  Failure to prevent access to dangerous parts of horizontal band saw whereby employee was injured.

Fined total of £3,500 under PUWER 1998 and MHSWR 1999.  This case resulted from the investigation of a fatality.  Bed rails used could not be fixed to the bed frame such that they could not slide out of position.

Fined £9,000 under PUWER 1998.  Failure to ensure that access to dangerous part of a conveyor was prevented.  Whilst clearing wood shavings from conveyor, employee was injured.

Fined £7,500 under HASAWA 1974 s3.  A Scarab Minor street sweeper was sweeping a roadway during which it reversed hitting the IP who was seriously injured.  Police and VOSA are investigating.

Fined £1,000 under PACAR 1998.  This case resulted from the investigation of a facility.  A tragic accident stemming from an unwise action by the responsible person allowing an under-age person to drive the tractor.  The accident was entirely preventable.

Fined £25,000 under the PUWER 1998.  IP was Polish, spoke very little English, suffered a broken arm and lacerations within a few hours after starting at workstation for the first time.  A biscuit hopper and fixed plough had been installed onto the conveyor line with no guarding.  Biscuit crumb not being dispensed as well as intended and IP intervened. Person giving instructions for task could not be identified by company or IP.

Fined £4,500 under HASAWA 1974 s2.  A 39 year old suffered a serious injury to his left foot.  Mill-ring approx 5'6" dia, weight approx 1.5 metric tons, fell on top of him whilst he was assisting in moving the mill-ring to carry out maintenance work on it.

Fined £2,500 under HASAWA 1974.  Guard interlocks defeated.  No system in place to check safety features were in place and functioning.  No RA in place for machine.

Fined £4.000 under PUWER 1998.  Employee injured whilst operating a circular saw bench, thus identifying the deficiency in machinery guarding standards.

Fined £300 under ELCIR 1998.  This case resulted from the investigation of a fatality.  Fatal accident to employee revealed that there was no ELCI in place at the time of the accident.