Fire caused during decanting of highly flammable liquid

Chemical company LMA Services Ltd was fined £16,377 (inc. costs) for safety breaches after a fire which quickly took hold of buildings and storage areas at the site.

The circumstances were:

• On 30 June 2016, a highly flammable liquid, was being decanted from a bulk storage container into 4-litre metal cans. 
• The process involved placing a bulk container of heptane onto racking at a height of about 1.5m.
• A table was then positioned beneath the bulk container onto which a small electrical weighing scale was positioned. 
• Metal cans were placed onto the scale and an employee filled the cans by weight by manually operating a tap on the bulk container in the warehouse building.
• A flammable vapour created during the process came into contact with an ignition source causing the vapour to ignite. 
• The operator dropped the can he was filling, exited the warehouse quickly and raised the alarm. He did not suffer any serious injury. 
• The fire spread quickly and destroyed the warehouse, the adjacent warehouse and an external storage area between the two.
• The HSE’s investigation found that the most likely source of ignition was a spark from the electrical weighing scales.

The HSE inspector commented: 

“The risks associated with the decanting operation were not fully understood by the company. There were potential ignition sources present within the area where a flammable vapour was likely to occur.  This case highlights the importance of assessing risks associated with flammable atmospheres. Employers should ensure that adequate measures are taken to reduce the formation of flammable atmospheres so far as is reasonably practicable, and to ensure that only suitable electrical equipment is used in areas where a flammable atmosphere may be present.”

Fedex fined £543,000 after employee was struck by a forklift truck

Fedex UK Ltd was fined £543,033 (inc.costs) after an employee was seriously injured when he was struck by a forklift truck.
The circumstances were:

• Whilst a risk assessment had been carried out, it failed to identify the importance of achieving robust segregation in an area where frequent forklift truck movements took place.
• There was inadequate segregation of forklift trucks and pedestrians within the workplace at Burntwood Business Park.
• On 2 November 2017, an employee was walking across the depot.
• He was struck by a reversing forklift truck and trapped on the ground by the forklift truck. 
• He had to be freed by colleagues using a pallet truck. 
• He suffered serious fractures to his arm and soft tissue injuries to his legs. 
• He was off work for several months.

The HSE inspector said: 
“Those in control of work have a responsibility to provide safe methods of working and a safe working environment. Collisions between vehicles and pedestrians can be avoided if the workplace layout is properly planned, effectively segregated and suitable systems of work are introduced. If physical barriers and a suitable system of work had been in place the injuries sustained by this employee could have been prevented.”

Unguarded rollers leads to degloving injury and £35,840 fine

Plastipack Limited, a manufacturer of swimming pool covers was fined £35,842 (inc.costs) after a worker suffered a degloving injury when his hand got caught between two power driven rollers of an extruder machine.

The circumstances were:

• There was no guarding of the in-running nip point between the rollers of the machine.
• On 21 February 2018, an employee was performing a manual intervention on the machine.
• His hand got caught between two power driven rollers.

The HSE inspector said
‘’ This injury was easily preventable, and the risk should have been identified. Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.’’

Haulage company fined £8,000 after fall from trailer

W D Cormack & Sons, a partnership operating a haulage business, was fined £8,000 by Perth Sheriff Court after a driver fell from a trailer to the ground.

The circumstances were:

• On 9 February 2016, an employee was securing a load of grain bags on a curtain-sided trailer.
• W D Cormack & Sons had failed to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment
• They had also failed to provide and maintain a safe system of work.
• The employee fell 2.88 metres from the trailer to the ground. 
• He sustained severe injuries as a result of the fall.

The HSE inspector said:
“This incident could have been avoided by implementing effective measures to control work at height on trailers. Load securing systems, which allow drivers to secure loads from the ground, can be easily fitted to curtain-siders. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standard.”

Thames Water Utilities Limited fined £316,000 for confined space failures and failure to co-ordinate different activities

Water and wastewater company Thames Water Utilities Limited (TWUL) was  fined £316,000 (inc.costs) following an incident in which three workers were carried along a sewer following the collapse of a 150-year-old sewer gate.

The circumstances were:

• On 29 August 2017, three workers were carrying out preparatory work in a sewer for the Thames Tideway Tunnel at East Greenwich.
• TWUL's permission and authorisation system was fragmented. 
• TWUL had no effective means of collating, comparing and adapting to the impact of multiple work activities.
• TWUL had planned individual work activities but failed to properly coordinate these.
• Due to an unrelated planned power outage, sewage pumps vital to the control of sewage levels for the work being undertaken at East Greenwich were not available.
• This resulted in the failure of a 150-year-old cast iron penstock, which engulfed the workers and carried them along the sewer. 
• The three workers suffered minor physical injuries but have been mentally affected. 
• One worker has been treated for the long-term traumatic stress because of the incident which has prevented him from continuing work in his specialised career.

The HSE inspector said:
“This serious incident endangered the lives of three workers and caused lasting adverse mental health effects; the workers narrowly avoided death by drowning in sewage. It should serve as a warning and a reminder to all those that work in confined spaces that work in these challenging environments must be properly planned, coordinated and managed.”

Overridden interlock allowed machine to restart, causing 3 fractures to the pelvis of a machine setter

Sink manufacturing company Carron Phoenix Limited was fined £16,000 after a tool setter was struck by a moving part of a machine.

The circumstances were:

• The tool changer on a machine tool had become jammed.
• There was no safe system of work to address this.
• The setter overrode the guard interlock by using a spare interlock switch tongue.
• This meant that there was nothing to prevent the machine from restarting.
• He entered the guarded area of the machine tool.
• As soon as the jam was removed, the machine immediately restarted.
• It struck the tool setter on the body, pinning him against the machine’s outer wall. 
• He sustained three fractures to his pelvis.

The HSE served a Prohibition Notice preventing any of the interlocks being overridden.

They also served an Improvement Notice requiring Carron Phoenix Ltd to develop and implement a safe system of work and to review all risk assessments. 

The HSE inspector said:
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standard.”

Packaging Waste

You know the Packaging Waste (Producer Responsibility) Regulations aren't working when a memory stick comes in a container like this.  It may be that Amazon equipment can't handle anything smaller.
On the other hand, it is recyclable. If it was in a small plastic bubble-protected envelope, then it would have less waste but not be recyclable.
Maybe there's scope for the Packaging Waste (Producer Responsibility) Regulations to be changed to have a weighting that encourages the use of recyclable materials and penalises plastic.

Sirap UK Ltd fined £150,000 after 1 tonne bag fell and hit forklift truck driver.

Sirap UK Ltd, a plastic packaging manufacturer, was fined £151,061 after an accident  resulted in an employee suffering multiple fractures to their pelvis and legs.

The circumstances were:

• There was no safe working practice for stacking Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), commonly called bulk bags, or repairing them.
• FIBCs had been stacked in an unsafe manner to a height of approximately 2.2 metres.
• An employee was operating a forklift truck next to these FIBCs.
• He reversed the forklift truck and it caught one of the lower FIBCs causing it to tear and spill its contents. 
• He descended from the truck and attempted to repair the tear.
• However, the top FIBC, weighing about 1 tonne, fell and struck the employee.

The HSE inspector said:
“There are many companies using this type of container and they should note that the use of FIBCs requires safe stacking formations and safe systems for reuse and repair. Had the company adopted the correct standards this worker would not have been injured”.

Nichol McKay Limited fined after load fell and struck supervisor on the head

Nichol McKay Limited, a manufacturer of engineering products, was fined £12,000 after an employee was struck on the head by a falling load.

The circumstances were:

• An automatic shot blaster was being loaded.
• The Profile Shed Supervisor helped a colleague load components into a suspended basket.
• The components weighed 60 kg each.
• There was no safety catch on the hooks used to hold the basket to prevent it becoming detached.
• A loaded basket and its contents became detached and fell, striking the supervisor on the head and rendering him unconscious.
• The HSE served a Notice of Contravention and an Improvement Notice which required a review of the company’s management of lifting operations. 
• The notice was complied with when the company confirmed a new lifting operations procedure and safe system of work.

The HSE inspector  said:
“This incident could easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standard.”

Brooks Forgings fined after an amputation caused during a setting operation

Brooks Forgings Limited was fined £4,011 (inc.costs) had to have fingers and a thumb amputated.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on an Upset Forging machine.
• There was no safe system of work whilst undertaking setting procedures on this.
• There were no effective measures to prevent access to the dangerous parts.
• There was no isolation procedure.
• On 25 June 2018 a forger had his left hand crushed between dies and moving parts on the press whilst setting the machine.. 
• Following hospital treatment his thumb, index finger and part of his middle finger had to be amputated.

The HSE inspector said:
“The implementation of an isolation procedure for the setting of the machine would have ensured that the machine could not have operated whilst the forger was setting the machine; which would have prevented the forger from losing significant parts of his hand. Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to eliminate or minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery."

Partners given suspended sentence for failing to control Legionella

Partners Kulwant Singh Chatha and Satpaul Kaur Chatha were each sentenced to serve 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay costs of £12,115 each for failing to control Legionella.

The circumstances were:

• There was a cooling tower at their company Isher Hangers in Spring Hill, Birmingham.
• The partners ignored concerns raised by their own water treatment consultants.
• There were no Legionella risk assessments in place.
• The partners failed to put in place suitable measures to control the risk of Legionella bacteria from the cooling tower. 
• For example, there was no biocide dosing of the water.
• These failures exposed employees and members of the public to Legionella which can cause Legionnaires’ disease, which can be fatal.
• People who have underlying or current medical issues are especially susceptible to infection.
• This was a particular concern as Isher Hangers’ premises are in the vicinity of two major hospitals.

The HSE inspector said,
"Isher Hangers were operating a cooling tower without biocide, ignoring the advice of their own consultants. Cooling towers have the potential to spread bacteria that can cause serious illness or death, if not maintained in accordance with the published guidelines."

W S Barrett & Son fined £13,740 for not complying with 3 improvement notices

W S Barrett & Son Limited, a Lincolnshire metal fabrication company was fined £13,740 (inc.costs) for not complying with three improvement notices issued by the HSE.

The circumstances were:

• In February 2018 W S Barrett & Son Limited were notified by a Notification of Contravention letter of the needs for LEV and LEV testing.
• They did not act on this.
• In December 2018 a visit by the HSE found the company had still not made the necessary improvements.
• They were issued with three improvement notices relating to:
• 1. Testing wood dust and powder coating local exhaust ventilation (LEV), and 
• 2. Providing LEV for welding fume extraction.  
• A subsequent follow up visit in April 2019 showed they still had not done the work to meet the improvement notices.

The HSE inspector said,
“The failure to comply with an improvement notice is a serious offence. If you receive a notice, you should ensure you take appropriate action to correct the health and safety problems and breaches that are identified in the notice.”

Director prosecuted for hazardous substance offences

James Harrison, a former managing director, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months with 20 hours unpaid work, and ordered to pay costs of £5428.21.

The circumstances of the offences were:

• Mr.Harrison was the former managing director of the now dissolved Laser Shapes (NW) Limited who manufactured agricultural trailers.
• Employees of Laser Shapes regularly used aerosolised paints containing isocyanates and solvents to spray large tractor trailers.
• Inhalation of isocyanates and solvents can cause occupational asthma, dizziness, liver and kidney damage. 
• This activity was being carried out without adequate controls in place to prevent workers from inhaling harmful substances.
• Mr.Harrison deliberately hid unsafe working practices from HSE inspectors.

The HSE inspector said
“James Harrison was well aware of the unsafe conditions that his employees were being subjected to whilst at work.  The effect of being exposed to these substances has resulted in at least one former employee developing a life changing condition, which could easily have been prevented if proper controls had been in place, such as suitable extraction and respiratory protective equipment.”

Director prosecuted after allowing an unsafe telehandler to be used

Zarif Mohammed, a director of a waste transfer company, was prosecuted and given a suspended sentence after knowingly exposing employees to serious unsafe working conditions. He was also banned from being a company director.

The circumstances were:

• Zarif Mohammed aleady had a conviction for transport-related health and safety offences following a fatal incident in 2013.
• There was also enforcement action in 2017 for using a poorly maintained and damaged telehandler.
• In November 2018, Mohammed allowed the continued use of the same seriously damaged machine on the waste transfer site in Kensulate Park, Blackburn.
• The telehandler was being used without working reversing lights, a camera or mirrors.
• These presented a serious risk of people being struck and seriously injured as the driver would not be able to see adequately when reversing the vehicle.
• Mr. Mohammed was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, and 190 hours of unpaid work with a further six rehabilitation days. 
• He was also struck off from working as a company director for 5 years.

The HSE inspector said
“Mr Mohammed had been previously convicted by HSE following a fatality at a previous company of which he was a director and then was served additional enforcement by HSE on a visit to a new company of which he was a director. Despite this, Mr Mohammed allowed serious unsafe conditions to prevail, presenting a high risk of persons being killed or seriously injured. Workplace transport incidents remain a major cause of fatal and serious injuries in the waste and recycling industry. It is important that vehicles are maintained in a safe condition.”

Weetabix fined £140,000 for diesel spill into river

Breakfast cereal manufacturer Weetabix were fined nearly £140,000 after a leak of diesel fuel entered the River Ise which ran near the company's Burton Latimer site.
The circumstances were:

• There is a disused fuel storage facility onsite which was decommissioned approximately 20 years ago. 
• In 2007 the Environment Agency sent Weetabix notices advising them to remove the pipework from the decommissioned tanks.
• Weetabix did not do this. 
• Weetabix should have had records of the valves and underground pipes in the former storage facility.
• However, the company’s risk assessment did not contain information about secondary valves.
• When these secondary valves in the overground fuel tanks were left open on 10 November 2016, approximately 23,000 litres of diesel road fuel fuel drained through these pipes into the river.
• Wet weather combined with the way the river was flowing at the time limited the amount of damage to fish and plant life.

Staveley's Eggs failed to identify and control forklift overturning risks and driver was trapped.

Staveley's Eggs were fined £64,259 (inc.costs) after a forklift truck toppled on a slope, trapping the driver.

The circumstances were:

• The forklift truck was operating in an area where there were significant changes in slope.
• Staveley's Eggs had failed to identify the risk of a forklift truck overturning and to provide suitable control measures.
• The forklift truck was not suitable for this area.
• On 1st Decmber 2018, an employee was driving the truck in this area.
• The truck overturned, trapping him between the truck and the ground.
• He sustained life-changing crush injuries.

The HSE Inspector commented: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by ensuring the area where FLTs were driven was free of slopes and damage, and that a suitable FLT was used for the site.”

A and L Furnishings fined after amputation caused by unguarded woodworking machine

Furniture manufacturer, A and L Furnishings Ltd, was fined £19,500 (inc.costs) after an employee was injured whilst operating unguarded machinery.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a horizontal drilling machine.
• There was no guard preventing access to rotating drill bits.
• On 19 March 2018, an employee was using a horizontal drilling machine to make parts for a chair.
• The fingers of his left hand came into contact with unguarded counter-rotating drill bits and became entangled. 
• The incident caused extensive damage to his left hand, resulting in the amputation of two fingers.

The HSE inspector said:
“The dangers of unguarded machinery are well-known. If A and L Furnishings Ltd had ensured that suitable guarding was in place, then this incident would have been avoided. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action when the required standards are not met.”

IODS Pipe Cad Limited was fined £60,000 following death caused by unsafe lifting practice.

Engineering company  IODS Pipe Cad Limited was fined £60,000 following the death of an employee who was struck on the head by a wooden bearer in the yard of a fabrication workshop.

The circumstances were:

• On 7 September 2017, James Longair was helping a colleague who was operating a side loader.
• Pipes were being moved from one part of the yard to another by lifting the pipes on the forks.
• The work method used to lift and move the pipes was unsafe.  
• There was no method to secure the pipe on the forks when lifted.
• This meant that, should a pipe begin to roll along the forks, the operator had no control over it
• The men decided that the pipe should be lifted at one end using the side loader. 
• Once the pipe had been lifted at one end it rolled off the forks and struck the deceased on the leg before falling onto a wooden bearer. 
• This sent the bearer into the air, striking Mr Longair on the head. 

The HSE inspector said:

“This tragic incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

Director given suspended sentence for severe injury caused by defective lorry crane

Hafeez Ghafoor, formerly a director of the now-dissolved landscaping company R K United Ltd, was given a suspended sentence for safety breaches after a worker suffered life changing injuries.

The circumstances were:

• On 25 August 2016, an employee of R K United Ltd was using a lorry loader crane.
• The crane had severe defects, including a disabled safety system, 
• Part of the safety guard around the controls had been cut off, leaving a protruding spike. 
• In addition, the worker had not received appropriate training to operate the lorry loader crane.
• As he brought the crane arm down, his left arm was impaled on the spike.. 
• The impact caused several bones in his arm to be shattered.

 

The HSE inspector commented: 

“This injury was easily preventable, and the risk should have been identified. The lorry loader crane should have been properly maintained, regular inspections carried out, and a thorough examination taken place every twelve months. The disabled safety system would have been found during the examination, ensuring that this incident could not have occurred.”

Braithwaite Engineers fined after fall from lorry

Braithwaite Engineers Limited, a manufacturer of steel water storage tanks and supporting towers, was fined £10,080 (inc.costs) after a worker suffered multiple fractures following a fall from height.
The circumstances were:

• The company failed to provide employees with suitable and clear instructions and training when working on lorry beds.
• On 25 October 2017, an employee was injured when he fell from a lorry bed whilst unloading the lorry at their site.
• He sustained multiple fractures to his head, ribs, shoulder blade and fingers. 
• This caused him to miss over five months of work

The HSE inspector said:
“Falls from vehicles can be overlooked by employers when considering risks from work at height. Simple measures would have prevented this accident.”

Siddall and Hilton Products Ltd fined £20,831 for accident during fault-finding

Manufacturing company Siddall and Hilton Products Ltd was fined £20,831  (inc.costs)for safety breaches after a worker suffered severe crush injuries while fault finding on a mesh welding machine.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred when fault-finding on a welding machine.

• There were no robust isolation procedures as part of a safe system of work for entry into and out of the machine’s hazard zones.

• To identify a faulty wire on the machine, the worker opened the interlocked gate which stopped the machine.

• He then climbed on top of the PV (the part of the machine that creates the mesh from the welded materials).

• To release the wire the weld head needed to be lifted.

• To do so, his colleague restarted the machine.

• As the machine was in automatic rather than manual mode, the PV immediately continued travelling towards the weld head, trapping the worker’s lower left leg. 

• He suffered double compound fractures of his tibia and fibula. 

• He was taken immediately to hospital where he had surgery and has since required further surgery to fuse his ankle in November 2018

The HSE inspector said: 

“Maintenance and breakdowns are often the most hazardous and poorly controlled area of work.  If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.  Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

Volvo Group fined after truck crushed employee during brake test

Volvo Group UK Limited was fined £13,333 after an employee at the Cardonald Depot was crushed by a truck, leading to serious injury.

The circumstances were:

• On 7 June 2016 an employee of Volvo Group UK Limited was testing the brakes of a low-loader truck unit and trailer at the Cardonald depot.
• Volvo Group UK Limited failed to provide a sufficient number of wheel chocks for use by its employees. 
• They also failed to provide information, instruction, supervision and training of its employees in their use. 
• They also failed to provide a suitable induction of the employee in safe working practices.
• The employee raised the trailer off the ground using a pit jack. 
• He did not apply the truck handbrake or use any wheel chocks to prevent the vehicle rolling. 
• Whilst adjusting the brakes at the first axle, the truck unit rolled forward causing the jack to slip off the axle of the trailer, roll towards him and strike him on the body, crushing him against a set of steps in the pit and fracturing his spine.

The HSE Inspector said:
“Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working. If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”

Ensure that you carry out air conditioning leak test

Alarmingly, I see many instances where companies fail to carry out a periodic leak test on air conditioning equipment. 

The leak test may be quite simple and even using a spray of soapy water and looking for the bubbles can be acceptable.

Under the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations, you must carry out a leak test at intervals dependant upon:

• The global warming potential (GWP) of the gas, and

• The amount stored in your system.

Go to the Tools section of  http://www.strategicsafety.co.uk/Publications.htm and you'll find a handy little spreadsheet you're free to download to determine if a check is necessary and, if so, how often. 

It is obvious that this interval is based on the risk. For most companies reading this, the interval is every year.

These two articles give you guidance on leak testing. Although the second one is from the USA, it is still relevant.

http://www.on365.co.uk/Articles/Guide_to_Good_Leak_Testing.aspx

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/RealZeroGuidetoGoodLeakTesting.pdf

Employee fined after apprentice fell from makeshift cage on forklift truck.

An employee has been fined £2,560 (inc.costs) after an apprentice sustained serious injuries when he fell from a potato box lifted by a forklift truck.

The circumstances were:

• The employer had carried out a risk assessment and purchased suitable equipment for work at height.
• On 30 July 2018, Mr Francis Yardy  chose not to use this.
• Instead, he attached a potato box to a forklift truck to lift an apprentice electrician to a height of four metres in order to carry out electrical repairs.
• The box was inherently unstable and the apprentice fell to the floor. 
• He was admitted to hospital and sustained a punctured lung and broken ribs.

The HSE inspector said:
“Unfortunately, forklift trucks are frequently used with potato boxes or pallets attached to lift people to work at height. This incident serves as a reminder of the potentially disastrous consequences.”

HSE publishes occupational fatal injury rates for 2018-19

The HSE have just published the occupational fatal injury statistics.

 The good news is that there has been a general downwards trend over the years and at 0.53/100,000, the UK is the safest country in Europe. The EU average is 1.23. (Data from Asia or the USA is not available.) The bad new is that the reduction trend has flattened out.

The predominant causes are falls from height and vehicles. Possibly because of the focus over the years on improving practices in Construction, this is no longer a high-scorer.  However, Agriculture remains high and Waste & Recycling is a major area of concern.

Whilst inexperience has always been something that required attention, the fatality rate in those over 65 is a major concern. As these are just for injuries, old age is not a cause.

The full report is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/pdf/fatalinjuries.pdf

CE Marking applies even if it is for your own use

Whilst CE marking was introduced primarily for trading within the EU, it applies even if you are making machinery for your own use.

The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992 had clause 11 which stated that,
"Where a person being the manufacturer of relevant machinery, himself puts that relevant machinery into service in the course of a business, for the purposes of these Regulations that person shall be deemed to have supplied that relevant machinery to himself."

This was removed from the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, but it's still a requirement because they define a manufacturer as including,
"A person who designs or manufactures machinery or partly completed machinery for that person’s own use in an EEA state."

So, you still have to go through the CE assessment process even if you are not intending to sell the machine.

You can see how to do this at http://www.strategicsafety.co.uk/CEMarking.html

Wrapp Recycling Ltd fined £18,952 after an employee lost two fingers in an unguarded baler.

Wrapp Recycling Ltd of Bolton were fined £18,952 (inc. costs) after an employee lost two fingers in unguarded recycling equipment.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a baler.
• Because blockages occurred frequently, the company had modified the machine so that what was originally a fixed guard was now removable.
• Wrapp Recycling had failed to fit an interlock to this so that the machine would stop when the guard was open.
• There was no suitable risk assessment in place that would have identified the need for this.
• Wrapp Recycling failed to inform employees of the dangers when accessing the machine with power on.
• It was common practice to clear the machine by hand with the machine still running.
• On 2 October 2018, a worker who had been employed at Wrapp Recycling Ltd for just eight weeks, attempted to clear a blocked hopper of a baler machine.
• After removing the guard, he leaned into the machine and moved the blocked plastic.
• The ram then activated and crushed his hand.
• The accident caused extensive damage to his hand, including the amputation of two fingers for which he is still undergoing treatment.
• He has since been unable to return to work.

The HSE Inspector said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and implementing a safe system of work. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

Two companies fined a total of £147,000 for unsafe work at height

James Durrans and Sons were fined £120,000 (inc.costs) and Kingswinford Engineering fined £27,000 (inc. costs) for failings related to work at height.

The circumstances were:

• In April 2016 James Durrans and Sons enlisted the services of Kingswinford Engineering Co to carry out repair work on the roof of its premises.
• Neither James Durrans and Sons nor Kingswinford Engineering risk-assessed the task and implement a safe system of work for the roof access. 
• Instead, each company had assumed that the other had systems in place to protect workers from the risks of working at height. 
• As a result, there were failings relating to how the work – specifically access to the roof – was planned, managed and monitored.
• A “man cage” was lifted into position by a forklift truck.
• The cage fell short of the roof level by about 0.9 m.
• There was also a gap between the cage and the roof, which workers needed to climb across.
• The roof itself was wet and slippery.
• There were no barriers in place to prevent workers falling.

The HSE inspector said:
“This incident highlights the need for contractors to be managed properly. Both the contractors and those engaging them must assess the risks of the site and the specific work to ensure it can be done safely. In this case, no risk assessment was carried out and arrangements made to access the roof put workers at significant risk of falling from height.

Celtic Rock Services Limited fined £40,227 and director given suspended sentence for HAVS

Celtic Rock Services Limited, a company providing specialised services in rock drilling, cliff stabilisation and rock anchors have been fined £40,227 (inc. costs) and a director given a suspended sentence because of failures to manage hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

The circumstances were:

• The employees use tools such as rock drills and jack hammers for cliff stabilisation work which is often carried out by abseiling down a cliff and using the tools horizontally while working from ropes.
• Celtic Rock Services’ risk assessments did not identify the actual exposure to vibration.
• Out of date vibration data was used.
• Employees were not made aware of HAVS and its symptoms
• Three employees had developed and reported symptoms of HAVS, such as pins and needles and aching hands. 
• One person had had these symptoms since 2000.
• No action was taken.
• There was no health surveillance in place until an occupational nurse was employed in 2016
• The occupational nurse identified the HAVS problems.

In addition to the company fines, Alwyn Griffith Hughes Thomas, director of the company, was given a 12 week custodial sentence, suspended for one year, a 12 week curfew and ordered to pay costs of £3,560.

The HSE inspector said:
“This was a case of the company and its director completely failing to grasp the importance of HAVS risk assessment and health surveillance.  If they had understood why health surveillance was necessary, it would have ensured that it had the right systems in place to monitor workers health and the employees’ conditions would not have been allowed to develop, one of which was to a severe, life altering stage.”

NPS Worldwide fined £35,770 after an agency worker’s hand was caught in a rotating fan blade

Oldham-based NPS Worldwide UK Limited that manufactures absorbent products was fined £35,771 (inc.costs) after an agency worker’s hand was caught in a rotating fan blade.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a filling machine.
• NPS Worldwide failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment
• They failed to adequately guard dangerous parts.
• They failed to provide adequate information, instruction and training to workers.
• On 18 October 2017, the agency worker was removing a blockage in the machine she had been operating.
• Her fingers became caught in an unguarded rotating fan.
• She lost parts of all of her fingers on her right hand.
• No first aid provision was available on the night shift when the incident occurred
• This contributed to her suffering further as incorrect first aid was administered.
• She subsequently sustained extensive scarring to her stomach following an unsuccessful attempt to generate new skin growth to save her fingers.
• She continues to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident and the injuries sustained

The HSE inspector said:
“This injury could have easily been prevented and the risk should have been identified. Employers must make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”

Updates in SSS Compliance Register on hold

The following changes in the Strategic Safety Systems Compliance Register are on hold until a decision is actually made on Brexit:

• Ozone-Depleting Substances and Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
• The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
• The Environmental Noise (Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
• The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
• The Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) (Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
• The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018

Unguarded machine causes major injuries at RSM Castings

RSM Castings Ltd was fined £33,739 (inc.costs) after an employee

 suffered severe crush injuries while working on a mould making machine.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a moulding machine on 11 April 2018
• There was inadequate safeguarding to prevent access between the closing pattern parts of the moulding machine.
• The employee was attempting to light the burners on the machine.
• While he leant into the machine the pattern plate closed on his head and upper body.
• He suffered extensive injuries, including a broken neck, back fractures, broken ribs, a fractured shoulder blade, a ruptured spleen, torn liver, a punctured lung, facial fractures and loss of teeth. He remains unable to return to work as a result of his injuries.

The HSE Inspector commented:
“This case highlights the importance of foundries checking guarding on their machines and not to be complacent about machinery safety. In this case RSM Castings failed to ensure that the machine was guarded to the correct standard and it could have easily resulted in a fatal injury.”

Company fined £16,181 for non-compliance with Improvement Notices

Kitchen worktop manufacturing company, The Solid Surface Shop UK Ltd was fined £16,181(inc. costs)  for non-compliance of Improvement Notices and failure to effectively manage health and safety.

The circumstances were:

• The HSE inspected the premises in March 2016.
• There was a poor standard of health and safety management including significant accumulations of dust.
• Local exhaust ventilation units present were not subject to thorough examination and test.
• No CoSHH assessments had been completed.
• The company was served with five Improvement Notices which were hand delivered to site and discussed with two of the directors. 
• The notices required thorough examination of local exhaust ventilation, monitoring for dusts including respirable crystalline silica, a system to manage respiratory protective equipment and assessments of the risk from noise and hand arm vibration.
• Despite extensions to the compliance dates for all the notices being given, repeated phone calls, emails and letters, no appeals or evidence of compliance was ever received by HSE. 
• A company representative attended an interview under caution but did not provide any reasonable explanations for the non-compliance.

The HSE inspector said after the hearing:
“Improvement notices must be complied with. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”