Congratulations to one of our clients, Prinovis, for passing their stage 2 audit for ISO 50001 Energy Management at their Liverpool site.

Prinovis have carried out an extensive energy management programme and the systems provided by Strategic Safety Systems helped gain certification.

The systems are part of an integrated environmental, energy and health & safety management system provided by SSS and we are proud to have contributed to their success in ISO 50001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

More information on certification and other business improvement support can be found at http://www.strategicsafety.co.uk/BusinessImprovement.html .

Essex company fined £17,000 for failure to have statutory inspections carried out

Welsted Joinery Ltd of South Woodham Ferrers was been fined a total of £17,240 (inc.costs) for repeatedly failing to have statutory checks carried out.

The company failed to have checks done on:

• Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system for extracting wood dust and 
• Lifting equipment on its rider operated trucks

Previous enforcement notices had been issued on these matters and others over a period of ten years identified in a number of inspection visits to the company.

The HSE inspector said:
“This case sends out a clear message that HSE will prosecute when Inspectors find serious health and safety failings particularly when previous enforcement and advice has been provided. This year HSE is targeting the woodworking industry because of the significant health risks associated with wood dust exposure. I strongly urge such businesses to consult the HSE website for further information to ensure that control of exposure is managed and their statutory duties are complied with”.

JLR fined £50,000 for lack of risk assessment

Car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover was fined £50,000 (inc. costs) for failing to have a risk assessment for an event which lead to an employee's death.

The circumstances were:

• On 26 September 2011, Graham Begley was moving 24 tonne dies using a crane.
• There was no risk assessment for the pre-lift process.
• It is thought that the lifting chains snagged on the die, causing it to move towards him and crushing him.
• It was accepted in court that the lack of risk assessment was not causative of Mr Begley’s death

The HSE head of operations for the north west said:
“A suitable risk assessment is an essential step in ensuring that the risks arising from work activities are properly controlled. This is particularly important where the work is hazardous and has the potential to result in serious harm. Employers are therefore reminded of their legal responsibility to identify the hazards and decide on the precautions that may be necessary.” 

Automotive company fined after employee suffers crush injury in carpet forming machine

International Automotive Components Limited, a West Midlands automotive components company was fined £9,190 (inc. costs) after an employee suffered crush injuries after entering a guarded area of a machine. 

The circumstances were:

• On 13th Sepetmber 2014, an employee who had just been promoted from operator to tool changer, was maintaining a carpet forming machine.
• While under supervision, he became trapped when the top hood of the carpet heating press descended on him while he was working.

There are no further details on this, but the only circumstances that this could happen are:

1. Inadequate guarding
2. Inadequate isolation/lock-out when entering this area, and/or
3. Guarding interlocks overridden

Gloucester Council hide behind health and safety "rules"

Refuse collectors at Gloucester City Council say health and safety rules stop them collecting bins which do not have the lid fully closed.

Gloucester City Council defended the policy and said bins in the city are emptied if the lid is fully closed.

Councillor Jim Porter, cabinet member for environment at Gloucester City Council, said: "The city council has a closed lid policy to stop too much waste going to landfill.

In other words, it's nothing to do with 'elf n safety, it's part of the environmental agenda

- See more at: http://www.punchline-gloucester.com/articles/aanews/councilrefusestocollectbinsunlesslidisfirmlyshut#sthash.BAxF5LCo.dpuf