Lack of an isolation and lock-out system causes death of one worker and serious injuries to another

Waste recycling firm Stonegrave Aggregates Ltd., was fined £248,952 (inc costs) and its director and site manager sentenced after an employee died and a second employee was seriously injured when they became trapped inside machinery.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a waste processing line.
• This included a trommel, incorporating a large perforated revolving drum, which acts to agitate, rotate and sieve the waste materials.
• The line was not adequately guarded to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.
• Control systems, including emergency stop controls, were not compliant with relevant standards. 
• Management did not adequately monitor or enforce machinery isolation procedures.
• What guarding was provided to the trommel was being regularly bypassed by staff.
• This included the site manager David Basham.
• On 12 December 2015 the line became blocked at various points including the trommel.
• Two employees, Simon Hogg and Raymond Garret, stopped the trommel and entered the drum to clear the blockage.
• There was no isolation and lock-out procedure in place.
• Two other employees, who were unaware that they were inside the machinery, restarted the production line.
• Mr Hogg and Mr Garrett remained inside the revolving trommel drum for approximately four minutes before the line was stopped and the two men were found inside.
• Simon Hogg died at the scene after sustaining multiple injuries to his head and torso.
•  Raymond Garrett sustained multiple serious injuries to his legs, arms and torso requiring extensive hospital treatment.

Director of Stonegrave Aggregates Limited Bruce Whitley was given a 12-month community order.

Site manager at Stonegrave Aggregates Limited Aycliffe Quarry site David Basham was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

The HSE inspector said:
“These tragic consequences could have been avoided. This case highlights the importance of implementing effective power isolation procedures when interacting with machinery and the need to monitor compliance to make sure these procedures are followed. HSE will not hesitate to prosecute companies or individuals who fail to implement and monitor safe systems of work.”

Saint-Gobain Construction Products UK Limited fined £509,000 after 3 cases of hand arm vibration syndrome

 Saint-Gobain Construction Products UK Limited, a large foundry in Telford, was fined £509,453.(inc.costs) after a number of its workers were diagnosed with hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

The circumstances were:

• Three employees were diagnosed with HAVS in 2016.
• The employees used tools such as hand grinders, air chisels, spindle grinders, and earlier on in their employment, jackhammers to finish cast iron drainage products.
• One of these had been using vibrating tools at the company since 1989.
• Until 19 December 2017, the vibration risk assessment did not identify each employee’s daily exposure to vibration.
• Also, it did not measure cumulative exposures of using different vibrating tools throughout a shift.
• There was inadequate health surveillance in place.
• Employees were not made aware of HAVS and its symptoms. 
• Despite health surveillance notifying the company of a HAVS diagnosis, the company had failed to take effective action to adjust the affected worker’s job. 
• This meant that staff continued to be exposed to excessive vibration.

The HSE inspector said:
“This was an established multinational company that had the resources to protect its workers from the effects of excessive vibration, but failed to do so over a long period of time. All employers have a duty to provide effective measures to ensure the health of their staff is not seriously or permanently harmed by the work they are asked to do.”

Dreamtouch Mattresses fined £70,000 after employee was drawn into a mattress rolling machine

 

Nottingham mattress manufacturer, Dreamtouch Mattresses Ltd., was fined £70,836 (inc. costs) after an employee of the company suffered multiple injuries after being drawn into an inadequately guarded machine.

The circumstances were:

• The accident occurred on a a NG-06 Semi-Automatic Mattress Rolling Machine (MRM).
• There was nothing to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.
• There was no documented safe system of work for the use of the MRM
• There was no training for the use of the MRM.
• As a result, the common practice at the site was for employees to use their hands, and or arms when feeding and pressing mattresses on the unguarded rotating winding film reel
• An employee was drawn into the MRM
• He suffered multiple injuries to his arm, shoulder, ribs and neck

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.”

Nasmyth Technologies Limited fined £22,500 after a chemical spill including hydrofluoric acid

The fabrication division of Nasmyth Technologies Limited was fined £22,551(inc.costs) after four employees were exposed to hazardous substances that caused significant ill health and time off work as a result.

The circumstances were:

• This involved a chemical which included Hydroflouric Acid. 

NOTE Hydrofluoric acid is far more dangerous than hydrochloric acid which just gives burns. HF is capable of causing death by skin contact. See http://bit.ly/2Q1myEc .

• Nasmyth Technologies failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment
• They had not prepared for an emergency situation.
• Available respiratory protective equipment (RPE) did not have the correct type of filter for protecting against hydrofluoric acid gas.
• No face fit tests had been undertaken to ensure the masks fitted workers’ faces.
• Furthermore, workers were unshaven meaning their beards or stubble prevented an effective seal of the RPE to their faces
• On 9th October, there was  spillage of up to 200L of this chemical. 
• Four workers were involved in the clean-up that took several hours.
• They were provided with inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) including respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
• They had no training on clearing up this kid of spill.
• Some of them suffered ill health following the incident, which included an asthma attack, a severe headache, nausea, sore eyes and throat. 
• One of the workers, whose symptoms persisted, was referred by his doctor to a specialist for treatment.

The HSE inspector said: 

“This incident could have so easily been avoided had the company firstly undertaken a suitable and sufficient risk assessment and then implemented the necessary controls, including emergency arrangements for dealing with a chemical spill and the provision of instruction and supervision to ensure safe working practices are followed. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”