Young apprentice loses finger on rotary press

The owner of a business that manufactures specialist adhesive tape for industrial applications has been fined after a young apprentice lost his finger on a rotary die press.

Nuneaton Magistrates’ Court heard how the 16-year-old apprentice was adjusting guides on a laminating head which is part of a rotary die press. Whilst making the adjustment he tripped, put his hands forward and his index finger got caught in the drive gear at the rear of the laminating unit. His finger needed to be amputated as a result.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 9 September 2014 found that the machine did not have appropriate measures, namely guards, in place to prevent access to dangerous parts of the rotary press.

James Fussell (trading as Tecman Speciality Materials), of Berrington Road, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £6,000 with £1,754 costs.

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Man sentenced after worker is fatally crushed in a trench

A self-employed contractor has been sentenced after an employee was killed when the trench he was working in collapsed on him.

Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard how William Ryan Evans was contracted to construct a drainage field comprising of infiltration pipes laid at the bottom of deep trenches. He employed two workers and a subcontractor excavator to undertake the work at Longstone Farm, in Pembrokeshire.

Hywel Glyndwr Richards, aged 54, entered the trench to remove a clump of soil that had fallen into the trench when it collapsed, burying him. He died at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 26 June 2012 found that the work was not planned appropriately and the risk assessment was not suitable or sufficient. The workers were not appropriately trained and suitable equipment to a prevent collapse were not provided.

At Swansea Crown Court on Monday 11 April, William Ryan Evans, of Blaenwaun Twr, Trelech, Carmarthenshire was found guilty of breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was given a six month custodial sentence.

HSE Inspector Phil Nicolle said: “This tragic incident could have been prevented by undertaking a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks, providing the correct equipment or safe working methods to the workers and managing and monitoring the work to ensure it was done safely.

“Work in excavations needs to be properly planned, managed and monitored to ensure no one enters an excavation deeper than 1.2m without adequate controls in place to prevent a collapse.”

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Worker suffers chemical burns at electropolishing company

An electropolishing company based in Hampshire has been fined after a worker suffered chemical burns.

Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court heard how Keith Brown, a 51-year-old worker at Poligrat (UK) Limited was told by his manager to dispose of some waste cleaning chemicals at their Aldershot site. The method agreed was to pour caustic pearl granules into the top of an intermediate bulk container (IBC) containing acids to help neutralise the chemicals inside.

It was during this process that an exothermic reaction occurred, the container became unstable and erupted over the worker, throwing him to the ground.

His glasses were blown off and he suffered alkaline burns to his eyelids and ulcers to both corneas, including grazing and burns to his legs.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 13 February 2015 found that the activity and substances used in the process were not suitably or sufficiently risk assessed.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew Johnson said: “The use of an IBC as a reaction vessel was wholly inappropriate. IBC’s are designed for the storage of a range of substances. They are not designed for use as a chemical reactor. Other safer reasonably practicable options were available, such as using a waste management company to remove and safely dispose of the chemicals.”

Poligrat (UK) Limited, of Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,072.

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