Strategic Safety Systems Ltd financially sound. Similar name companies not so sound

Don't get Strategic Safety Systems Ltd., mixed up with companies with a similar name but much less financially sound.
According to credit rating agency Experian, we have a credit score of 88 and are classed as Low Risk.
Other companies are:

• Strategic Safety Services, credit score 19, classed as High Risk.
• Strategic Safety Consultants, credit score 14, classed as Maximum Risk.
• Strategic Safeguarding Solutions, credit score 10, classed as Maximum Risk.

We're going to be around for some time. Others may not.

Inadequate guarding results in loss of finger

Swansea company ITW Limited, which manufactures plastic sheeting was fined £26,018 (inc.costs) after an employee suffered serious injury when his hand was caught and dragged into machinery.

The circumstances were:

• There was inadequate guarding along the length of the production line, despite ITW Ltd having identified the risks.
• On 30 May 2012 an employee was part of a maintenance crew repairing a break in the plastic sheeting processed by this line.
• He was rethreading broken plastic sheeting into a pinch roll when his gloved hand was caught and dragged into the rollers. 
• The first finger on his right hand was so badly damaged it was surgically removed below the knuckle.

Incorrect gloves causes entanglement with drill, loss of finger and £28,000 fine

Birmingham-based automotive company Lander Automotives Limited was fined £28,694 (inc. costs) after a worker lost his finger in a drill.

The circumstances were:

• Lander Automotives failed to provide adequate training, a safe system of work, a risk assessment or method statement for drilling.
• On 17 June 2015 an employee was operating the drill whilst wearing gloves.
• A glove became entangled in the drill bit. 
• He suffered partial amputation to the third finger on his right hand.

SSS Note: This is an example of where PPE if worn must be appropriate and not introduce additional risks. Any gloves worn near moving machinery must have low tensile strength so that they rip rather than cause this level of injury.

Advanced Gate fined £25,000 after gate fell off runners

Advanced Gate Limited, who produce and install gate systems was fined £25,000 (inc.costs) after a leaf of a gate fell and struck a man.

The circumstances were:

• Advanced Gate were contracted to manufacture and install a gate system at PHS Limited in Caerphilly.
• The gate consisted of two leaves; one of which was driven by a motor and connected to the second leaf by a chain and sprocket which provided the drive motion for the second leaf.
• The design was inadequate, as were assessment and control measures to ensure the gate was safe for use.
• There was a failure of the gate mechanism.
• On 30 September 2014 an employee of PHS Limited went to manually close the gate. 
• The leaf he was pulling came out of the runners and it collapsed on him.
• A vertical rail struck his leg and resulted in severe trauma to his leg with muscle and nerves torn away. 
• He was hospitalised for ten days and off work for one year.

The HSE inspector:
“Powered gates pose a risk to employees and members of the public. Those responsible for installing, maintaining and operating these gates need to make sure they are safe during installation and use. This accident could have been avoided if the clearly foreseeable risk of the gate falling had been identified and controlled.”

Defeated interlock on press cause finger injury and £41,000 fine.

Walraven Limited, an Oxford based company who supply heating equipment, was fined £41,353.60 (inc.costs) after a worker suffered injuries to his fingers in a hydraulic press.

The circumstances were:

• The employee was setting up a horizontal press.
• It had become custom and practice to defeat the interlock during the set-up of the press.
• The risk assessment for the work was inadequate and had not been reviewed regularly.
• Because the press had a defeated interlock, when he inadvertently activated it, it crushed the tips of his index finger and thumb.

The HSE inspector said:
“A risk assessment needs to be suitable and sufficient and carried out by a competent person. It should identify the risks associated with all aspects of a machine’s operation including setting and maintenance. Had this been the case then the defeated interlock would have been identified and suitable control measures put in place”

Worker's arm trapped in forklift truck mast for 2 hours

Scrap metal firm Ultimate Traders Ltd, were given a nominal fine and its director a suspended sentence after a worker suffered severe injuries to his left arm when it became stuck in a forklift truck.

The circumstances were:

• On 8 November 2013 Nasir Rashid told to stand on the forks on the truck to help move scrap cars into the back of a shipping container at the Ultimate Traders. site in Manchester.
• His arm became trapped in the mast of the truck.
• He remained trapped for over two hours. 
• It took the combined effort of three fire crews, a specialist major rescue unit, two air ambulances, a medical team from Manchester Royal Infirmary and three ambulance crews to rescue him. 
• He sustained nerve damage to his left arm which makes it difficult for him to grip or lift items, and was in hospital for nearly two months. 
• He still needs to visit Manchester Royal Infirmary for treatment and has been unable to return to work due to the extent of his injuries. 
• Ultimate Traders failed to report the incident to HSE for nearly three months, despite being told on several occasions that this was a legal requirement.
• Ultimate Traders Ltd, was given a nominal fine of £2 after discussion concerning the company’s finances.

The gap in which the injured man’s arm was trapped

The HSE Inspector said:
“The worker remained trapped for over two hours while the emergency services battled to cut him free, but this incident could easily have been avoided. Ultimate Traders and Nasir Rashid had a legal responsibility to make sure the worker stayed safe, but instead he was instructed to climb onto the forks of a forklift truck to move scrap cars into a container. He suffered severe injuries as a result which will affect him for the rest of his life.  Workers should never be allowed to stand directly on the forks on a forklift truck because of the risk of them falling or being injured by moving parts on the mast. This case should act as a warning to firms that they will find themselves in court if they do not take the safety of workers seriously.” 

William Fry Fabrications fined £15,860 for failure to have cranes examined

William Fry Fabrications Limited, who fabricate structural steel products was fined £15,860 (inc.costs) for failure to comply with improvement and prohibition notices.

The circumstances were:

• William Fry Fabrications had two cranes.
• There is a legal obligation to have these examined by a competent person every 12 months.
• Following failure to do this, the HSE issued improvement and prohibition notices in 2011.
• An investigation by the HSE found that between 2012 and 2015 the cranes had not been thoroughly examined.