A glass company and a ventilation system engineer have both been fined after a contractor sustained life threatening injuries.
The
injured person was one of three contractors who had started to
dismantle an industrial box oven at the premises when the incident took
place.
The injured person was standing on the roof of the oven
when he stumbled and fell from the top of the oven, landing on the
ground. His injuries were so severe he was put in an induced coma by
paramedics at the scene. He sustained a number of injuries, namely a
fractured neck, sternum, skull, and collarbone and has permanently lost
the sight in his right eye. He has not returned to work since the
accident.
The injured person was an employee of Neil Shield
(trading as Shield Ventilation Services) who was contracted to undertake
the work at Peterlee Glass Company Limited.
An investigation by
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the dismantling work had not
been properly planned by the contractor, and the control of contractors
by the glass company was inadequate.
Peterlee Glass Company
Limited, of Lister Road, North West Industrial Estate, Peterlee, pleaded
guilty to Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
and were fined £1,500 with costs of £1,131 at Peterlee Magistrates’
Court today (23 June)
Neil Shield of Dumpling Hall, Newcastle,
pleaded guilty to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
1974 and was fined £3,500 with costs of £1,080.
NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Monday, 29 June 2015
British Grand Prix – Your chance to visit Silverstone
- Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sahara Force India F1 VJM08.
Austrian Grand Prix, Sunday 21st June 2015. Spielberg, Austria.
Team Principal, Dr Vijay Mallya said “We come to Silverstone off the back of two strong results in Canada and Austria, two races that have been a big boost for everyone in the team. As we approach the mid-season point, being fifth in the championship is an tremendous achievement, especially when you take into consideration our start to the season. It’s a reward for the hard work by everyone in the team, both at the factory and trackside”.
“Our recent results are an excellent platform to build on for the second part of the season, with our eagerly-awaited upgrade package making its debut in Silverstone. Everyone is full of anticipation, but we know it will be a very steep learning curve to fully understand and get on top of the changes in just a few free practice sessions. However, I remain optimistic we will see progress sooner rather than later.
“Silverstone is a special place for us. It's our local race, with our headquarters just across the road giving a chance for all our factory staff to be close to the action. It is also a great race thanks to the atmosphere in the grandstands: the fans in Britain have an incredible passion for motorsport and they always turn up to create an amazing event.”
CRS are offering you the chance to visit Sahara Force India on Friday 4th September as we will be holding our third FREE seminar:
ISO 14001:2015 Conversion Workshop Seminar.
This workshop has been put together to give you practical advice on how to convert your existing EMS to meet the new requirements of the ISO 14001:2015 standard which comes into effect from 1st September 2015.
This new version, the first for 11 years, includes a number of significant changes reflecting the growing importance of environmental issues to the business sector. The seminar is designed for anyone looking to implement the changes within their organisation, so if you currently have ISO 14001:2004 attendance at this seminar is a must.
For more information and to get on the guest list please contact Ros Stacey – rs@crsrisk.com
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Congratulations David Lindsay you are our Delegate of the Month – July
This month our Delegate of the month was nominated by our Tutor Caroline Skinner and we say congratulations to David Lindsay. David is currently employed by Liberty Gas based in Havant, Hampshire as a Contract Manager/Health & Safety, he attended our NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety at our Southampton Training venue. We asked David why he chose CRS and he said “I chose CRS purely because of location and the course was split into two one week blocks”. David then went on to say “the other delegates and the tutor created a great learning atmosphere”. David is married to wife Melanie and they have three daughters, Libby, Gemma and Ellen and when the girls give David a break he likes sailing, golf, badminton, cycling and fishing. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for Davids’ results which will be landing on his door mat any time soon.
David will now be entered into our Annual Prize draw for our M&S voucher.
If you would like to be nominated please let your tutor know or contact Ros Stacey – rs@crsrisk.com
Monday, 22 June 2015
Death of young worker leads to court for recycling company
A recycling company in South Devon has been sentenced for serious
safety breaches after a worker was killed after likely being thrown from
a six-tonne dumper truck.
Ben Sewell, 30, from Dartmouth, was found lying on his back on a bank, a few metres behind the overturned dumper, on a sloping dirt track at Dittisham Recycling Centre on 21 September 2012. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the firm after an investigation discovered that Mr Sewell, who was single, had not been properly trained by his employer to use the vehicle. The company had also failed to properly enforce the wearing of seat belts fitted to the dumpers used by Ben and other staff.
Plymouth Crown Court heard that HSE’s investigation uncovered a catalogue of dangers at the Dittisham Recycling site and served a total of eight Prohibition Notices on the company preventing its use of various plant and machinery until adequate safety measures were taken.
The court was told that on the day of the incident Mr Sewell was using the dumper to take loads of oversized material from one part of the centre to another. The extensive site sits in a steeply sided valley. At one point he stopped at the top of the site to deal with a customer before setting off in his empty dumper down to the bottom of the site along the main dirt track.
The customer noted the truck was going at speed and that Mr Sewell was not wearing the seat belt. Minutes later, a colleague at the bottom of the site noticed smoke rising from a section of the dirt track above where he was working and he could just see the overturned dumper. He rushed to the scene and found Ben lying on his back at the side of the track some ten metres from the dumper truck.
Paramedics later confirmed he had been fatally injured.
HSE found a series of safety failings with other dumper trucks, a tracked excavator and with processing machinery for rock crushing and screening. Tipping operations were also unsafe and some of the roadways about the site were inadequately protected. Inspectors issued two Improvement Notices requiring safety changes to the site’s roadways and tipping safety measures.
Having taken into account the current financial circumstances of the defendant Company, the Judge – His Justice, Judge Dingemans ordered Dittisham Recycling Centre Ltd, of Dittisham Cross, near Dartmouth, South Devon, to pay a fine of £50,000 and also ordered them to pay £25,000 towards the prosecutions costs (all payable over the next 5 years) for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
After the case, HSE inspector David Cory said: “Ben’s death was entirely preventable. The lack of competent training, poor monitoring and inadequate supervision of staff added up to a fatal combination. Although there were no witnesses, his injuries were consistent with being thrown from the truck.
Ben Sewell, 30, from Dartmouth, was found lying on his back on a bank, a few metres behind the overturned dumper, on a sloping dirt track at Dittisham Recycling Centre on 21 September 2012. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the firm after an investigation discovered that Mr Sewell, who was single, had not been properly trained by his employer to use the vehicle. The company had also failed to properly enforce the wearing of seat belts fitted to the dumpers used by Ben and other staff.
Plymouth Crown Court heard that HSE’s investigation uncovered a catalogue of dangers at the Dittisham Recycling site and served a total of eight Prohibition Notices on the company preventing its use of various plant and machinery until adequate safety measures were taken.
The court was told that on the day of the incident Mr Sewell was using the dumper to take loads of oversized material from one part of the centre to another. The extensive site sits in a steeply sided valley. At one point he stopped at the top of the site to deal with a customer before setting off in his empty dumper down to the bottom of the site along the main dirt track.
The customer noted the truck was going at speed and that Mr Sewell was not wearing the seat belt. Minutes later, a colleague at the bottom of the site noticed smoke rising from a section of the dirt track above where he was working and he could just see the overturned dumper. He rushed to the scene and found Ben lying on his back at the side of the track some ten metres from the dumper truck.
Paramedics later confirmed he had been fatally injured.
HSE found a series of safety failings with other dumper trucks, a tracked excavator and with processing machinery for rock crushing and screening. Tipping operations were also unsafe and some of the roadways about the site were inadequately protected. Inspectors issued two Improvement Notices requiring safety changes to the site’s roadways and tipping safety measures.
Having taken into account the current financial circumstances of the defendant Company, the Judge – His Justice, Judge Dingemans ordered Dittisham Recycling Centre Ltd, of Dittisham Cross, near Dartmouth, South Devon, to pay a fine of £50,000 and also ordered them to pay £25,000 towards the prosecutions costs (all payable over the next 5 years) for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
After the case, HSE inspector David Cory said: “Ben’s death was entirely preventable. The lack of competent training, poor monitoring and inadequate supervision of staff added up to a fatal combination. Although there were no witnesses, his injuries were consistent with being thrown from the truck.
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Bedforshire haulage firm fined £8K after driver injured while delivering to Israeli embassy
A Bedfordshire haulage contractor has been sentenced for safety failings after a driver suffered serious injuries when he was catapulted from a powered access platform as he was unloading it from a heavy goods vehicle. The driver was employed by RC Robinson Haulage Ltd, which had been contracted by a platform hire company to transport the seven ton piece of plant.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard recently (10 June 2015) that the driver was delivering the plant to the Israeli Embassy in Palace Green, London, when the incident occurred on 7 April 2014.
The driver got into the extendable cage attached to the plant, used its controls to move himself higher and drove it off the low loader. The plant slipped on wet metal ramps and landed on the grass verge narrowly missing a member of the public. The driver was thrown onto the pavement and suffered a number of severe injuries, including a broken pelvis and multiple broken ribs.
The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which found that the correct loading and unloading procedure had not been followed. The driver should have used the low loader’s winch to lower the plant off the trailer.
The court heard that the driver had not received adequate training to load and unload powered access platforms from vehicles. While other drivers at the firm received in-house training, this driver was missed.
RC Robinson Haulage Ltd of The Ridgeway Business Park, The Ridgeway, Blunham, Bedfordshire, was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £782 and a Victim Surcharge of £120 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the case, HSE Inspector Zameer Bhunnoo, said: “This was a serious accident which could have resulted in the fatality of the driver or passing members of the public. Had adequate training been provided, the incident would not have happened. Haulage drivers usually work on their own and need to be able to rely upon their skills to carry out work safely. A key part to managing risks for firms is to make sure drivers are competent before they leave the gates of their depot.”
Rochdale timber firm fined £18K after 16-year-old suffers severe hand injuries
A Rochdale timber mouldings manufacturer has been fined after a young
apprentice lost two fingers of his right hand while working on
machinery. Liam Hagan, a 16-year-old was an apprentice with Dresser
Mouldings (Rochdale) Limited and was working alongside an experienced
colleague on a moulding machine when the incident happened on 23 July
2014.
Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard recently (29 May 2015) that the teenager had been working alongside a colleague on the machine at the company’s Station Yard Sawmill, when a piece of wood jammed and would not feed through properly. The machine was opened to try to rectify the problem. The teenage apprentice was looking inside and trying to help adjust the machine when his gloved right hand caught on one of the rotating cutters. His right hand was severely injured, and he lost the entire middle finger and part of the thumb.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that company had failed to ensure the guards were positioned safely and that a safe system of work was in place.
Dresser Mouldings (Rochdale) Ltd, of Station Yard Sawmill, Wood Street, Rochdale, was fined £18,000 with costs of £844.50 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Emily Osborne, said: “This incident could have been easily prevented if the company had suitable measures in place to ensure workers did not come into contact with the rotating cutters. This would include not allowing apprentices to operate machinery and ensuring the guards on the machine were fitted correctly. There was no safe system of work in place for the task as well as a lack of instructions and training to ensure workers knew how to carry out the task safely. Instead, the firm’s failures led to a young worker suffering a severe injury, losing a finger and part of his thumb.”
CRS believes that incidents like this are avoidable when managers, supervisors and workers understand hazards and how to control them. Our IOSH Managing Safely and IOSH Working Safely courses are the perfect means of providing this information, and making health and safety important to workers at all levels in the organization. Contact us for more details.
Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard recently (29 May 2015) that the teenager had been working alongside a colleague on the machine at the company’s Station Yard Sawmill, when a piece of wood jammed and would not feed through properly. The machine was opened to try to rectify the problem. The teenage apprentice was looking inside and trying to help adjust the machine when his gloved right hand caught on one of the rotating cutters. His right hand was severely injured, and he lost the entire middle finger and part of the thumb.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that company had failed to ensure the guards were positioned safely and that a safe system of work was in place.
Dresser Mouldings (Rochdale) Ltd, of Station Yard Sawmill, Wood Street, Rochdale, was fined £18,000 with costs of £844.50 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Emily Osborne, said: “This incident could have been easily prevented if the company had suitable measures in place to ensure workers did not come into contact with the rotating cutters. This would include not allowing apprentices to operate machinery and ensuring the guards on the machine were fitted correctly. There was no safe system of work in place for the task as well as a lack of instructions and training to ensure workers knew how to carry out the task safely. Instead, the firm’s failures led to a young worker suffering a severe injury, losing a finger and part of his thumb.”
CRS believes that incidents like this are avoidable when managers, supervisors and workers understand hazards and how to control them. Our IOSH Managing Safely and IOSH Working Safely courses are the perfect means of providing this information, and making health and safety important to workers at all levels in the organization. Contact us for more details.
Lincolnshire company fined £187K after worker crushed under forklift truck
A Lincolnshire transport and storage firm has been prosecuted after a
father-of-two died when a metal frame being loaded onto a lorry trailer
fell on top of him. Jonathan Newham, 52, of Skegness, died in hospital
from head and chest crush injuries following the incident at George H
Kime and Co Ltd in Wrangle, near Boston, Lincolnshire, on 10 July 2012.
The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
and the company was charged with serious safety breaches.
Lincoln Crown Court heard that George H Kime and Co Ltd had transported a consignment of goods from Wiltshire to Wrangle in readiness for the items to be auctioned in Skegness. Mr Newham and a colleague were using forklift trucks to move the goods, which were not on pallets, from the trailer to a second vehicle, as the trailer was needed elsewhere. Mr Newham had moved a large metal-wheeled chassis, also known as a ‘dolly’, from the first trailer. His colleague then attempted to load the dolly onto the second trailer. For unknown reasons, Mr Newham climbed onto the second trailer. As his colleague loaded the dolly onto the trailer with the forklift, it fell off the tines of the forklift truck, trapping and fatally injuring Mr Newham underneath.
HSE’s investigation identified that George H Kime and Co Ltd had failed to ensure the safety of their employees during the movement of the metal dolly. They had failed to plan and supervise the lift and there was no safe system of work in place for the movement of loads not placed on pallets.
The court heard the Company should have made sure there was someone in charge who was qualified to plan the lift to ensure it was suspended securely, and to ensure that the item could be safely placed down after being moved. A properly planned and supervised lift would have resulted in the risks being identified and controlled and exclude people from the area. The court heard that whilst the company had some procedures in place, the absence of strong management systems meant that the Company was complacent about the risks and failed to ensure that the procedures were followed.
George H Kime and Co Ltd of Main Road, Wrangle, was fined £125,000 and ordered to pay £61,935 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
CRS says “Mr Newham’s death was entirely avoidable and his life was needlessly lost. Lifting large, heavy and awkward items requires planning by a competent person and safe systems of work. Lifting operations, which often present severe risks to workers, must be properly planned, controlled and adequately supervised. By taking these steps, businesses can prevent tragic incidents such as this from happening.”
Speaking after the court hearing, Mr Newham’s wife of 33 years, Mrs Gillian Newham, said: “It is difficult to describe what we as a family lost on that terrible day. John and I were very much in love. We had raised a family and now it was our time to do the things we had dreamed about. We had big plans for the house, holidays abroad and were excited about a future that John had worked so hard to provide for. It all ended that day and our hopes and dreams were shattered. John was my strength, my rock and my comforter. He is missed enormously. He was quite simply a marvelous, selfless husband and father.”
Lincoln Crown Court heard that George H Kime and Co Ltd had transported a consignment of goods from Wiltshire to Wrangle in readiness for the items to be auctioned in Skegness. Mr Newham and a colleague were using forklift trucks to move the goods, which were not on pallets, from the trailer to a second vehicle, as the trailer was needed elsewhere. Mr Newham had moved a large metal-wheeled chassis, also known as a ‘dolly’, from the first trailer. His colleague then attempted to load the dolly onto the second trailer. For unknown reasons, Mr Newham climbed onto the second trailer. As his colleague loaded the dolly onto the trailer with the forklift, it fell off the tines of the forklift truck, trapping and fatally injuring Mr Newham underneath.
HSE’s investigation identified that George H Kime and Co Ltd had failed to ensure the safety of their employees during the movement of the metal dolly. They had failed to plan and supervise the lift and there was no safe system of work in place for the movement of loads not placed on pallets.
The court heard the Company should have made sure there was someone in charge who was qualified to plan the lift to ensure it was suspended securely, and to ensure that the item could be safely placed down after being moved. A properly planned and supervised lift would have resulted in the risks being identified and controlled and exclude people from the area. The court heard that whilst the company had some procedures in place, the absence of strong management systems meant that the Company was complacent about the risks and failed to ensure that the procedures were followed.
George H Kime and Co Ltd of Main Road, Wrangle, was fined £125,000 and ordered to pay £61,935 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
CRS says “Mr Newham’s death was entirely avoidable and his life was needlessly lost. Lifting large, heavy and awkward items requires planning by a competent person and safe systems of work. Lifting operations, which often present severe risks to workers, must be properly planned, controlled and adequately supervised. By taking these steps, businesses can prevent tragic incidents such as this from happening.”
Speaking after the court hearing, Mr Newham’s wife of 33 years, Mrs Gillian Newham, said: “It is difficult to describe what we as a family lost on that terrible day. John and I were very much in love. We had raised a family and now it was our time to do the things we had dreamed about. We had big plans for the house, holidays abroad and were excited about a future that John had worked so hard to provide for. It all ended that day and our hopes and dreams were shattered. John was my strength, my rock and my comforter. He is missed enormously. He was quite simply a marvelous, selfless husband and father.”
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