Wheelnut fined £33,718 after a teenage apprentice was overcome by fumes in an ‘acid room'

Alloy wheel repair company Wheelnut was fined £33,718 (inc.costs) after a teenage apprentice was overcome by fumes in an ‘acid room'

The circumstances were:

• Wheelnut failed to properly risk-assess the chemical wheel stripping process. 
• As a result, Wheelnut had not implemented appropriate control measures, such as an exhaust ventilation system.
• Although staff were provided with respiratory protection equipment (RPE) it was not maintained in efficient worker order nor in good repair. Several parts of it were damaged and the air feed to it from the compressor was not filtered correctly.
• Employees were not provided with suitable information, instruction and training on the risks involved with using the chemicals, particularly dichloromethane (DCM). 
• On 12 December 2017, the apprentice entered the acid room to retrieve wheels.
• These wheels were in a barrel filled with an alloy wheel stripping substance made up of DCM, methanol and hydrofluoric acid. 
• He was not wearing RPE.
• He was found by a colleague, unconscious and slumped over the barrel.

The HSE inspector said: 

“A young worker suffered a potentially serious injury. Breathing in DCM vapour can produce narcotic effects and, at high concentrations, unconsciousness and death. In this instance, the boy made a full recovery, but it could have easily resulted in his death.”

DCM poses inhalation risks and is a restricted substance under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation.

A similar incident several years ago with an alloy wheel repair company using DCM resulted in a fatality and prison sentences for two directors.