TWO WORKPLACE FATALITIES IN SW ENGLAND
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that a worker has died in an accident involving portable timber site accommodation at Carnyorth, Cornwall.
Emergency services recovered the man but he had succumbed to crush injuries, the circumstances of the accident are being investigated by the HSE.
In another workplace tragedy Sean Rowe, 30, died at a landfill site in Plympton, Devon. According to one account Mr Rowe was operating lorry-mounted lifting equipment when he was electrocuted as it contacted overhead power cables.
50 UK COMPANIES HAVE SIGNED UP FOR EMS STUDY
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Participants in the European-wide Environment Agency-led project, Remas, a study of the benefits of formal environmental management systems (EMS), now number over 50 in the UK, however more are wanted and as an inducement every business doing so will receive a free and confidential report benchmarking it against its sector and across the whole of Europe.
Larfage, Pilkington Smurfit Group, Rockware and BPB Paperboard for example have already signed up to the project that aims to prove a direct link between the use of EMS and positive environmental performance.
REGISTER ONLINE
Companies with certified EMS and those with no EMS are equally eligible.
The plan is now to roll out Remas to mainland Europe from January 2004, inviting other Member States to take part and aiming for up to 500 sites to register and complete the questionnaire over the next six months.
Remas is actively seeking companies to join the study – they can register online at remas or by contacting project manager Martyn Cheesbrough on 0117 914 2989 or enquiries@remas.info.
Remas is led by the Environment Agency in England & Wales and co-funded by the EC Life fund, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency (in Ireland), and the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment.
"Well managed, properly implemented, robust environmental management systems are the way ahead. I wholeheartedly support the remas project in its bid to gather information aimed at helping to inform the highest standards of environmental management practice and regulatory policy in England and Wales as well as across Europe". - Elliot Morley, Minister of State for the Environment
"We are currently in the process of benchmarking and we believe taking part in the remas project will provide us with a better understanding of EMS. In addition, the registration process was simple and the survey was easy to complete, taking only one hour." - Adrian Hann, Environmental and Services Manager at Smurfit Townsend Hook Paper Mill, Kent.
CORONER CONCERNED ABOUT FIXINGS CONTACTING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Coroner Michael Sheffield has decided to write to a number of electrical and building bodies to alert them to the possibility that more could perhaps be done to prevent the risk of electrocution arising from wall fixings becoming live when they inadvertently make contact with hidden conductors.
Coroner Sheffield was speaking at the inquest into the death in August last year of joiner George Olaman, 58, who died after he touched a pipe in a cupboard in contact with wall studding and screw driven into a live conductor in a new house in Ingleby Barwick, Teesside. Testing before the accident had not identified any problem with the installation.
The jury arrived at a unanimous verdict of accidental death.
UNCONTROLLED ULD RISK PROSECUTION
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Unsatisfactory arrangements to prevent the likelihood of musculoskeletal disorders and a reluctance to co-operate with the HSE has landed Intier Automotive Interiors of Bitton, Avon, with a £10,000 fine at Bristol Crown Court. In particular, production workers routinely used rivet guns for long periods without the benefit of lighter tools, postural variety or job rotation at the suggestion of HSE officials.
TWO CASES OF LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Two persons have in recent weeks contracted Legionnaires disease, one in the Coleraine area, Northern Ireland, the other lives in Solihull, Birmingham. The Birmingham victim is a quantity surveyor aged 61 who is described as seriously ill. Health authorities at both locations are working to identify the source of the bacteria.
SWIMMING POOL INCIDENTS
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Daniel Readshaw, 13, has died following an incident on Thursday during swimming lessons at St John's Comprehensive School, Bishop Auckland. Almost unbelievably, his sister died two years ago in a leisure centre swimming pool incident which earlier this week culminated in a fine for Sedgefield District Council.
Earlier this week a boy aged 14 was removed from Carlisle Leisure Ltd's Pools swimming facility in Carlisle, resuscitated and taken to hospital. A City of Carlisle Swimming Club session was in progress at the time.
GAS EXPLOSION AT DOMESTIC PROPERTY
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A resident at house in Levenmouth, Methil, in Fife, and a Transco employee arriving to investigate a report of a smell of gas have been injured in an explosion. The resident, Peter Gordon, has sustained 40% burns and is described as critical. The engineer was struck by building debris and is in hospital but is not believed to be seriously injured. One explanation given is that gas emanating from a portable gas heater may have caused the explosion that removed the wall of the terraced house.
MAN DIES WORKING ON POWER LINES
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that an employee of Scottish Power has died while undertaking maintenance on overhead power cables. The accident occurred at Damhead Farm, near Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.
LIFT ENGINEER DAMAGES FINGERS IN LIFT
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A lift maintenance engineer became trapped by the fingers in a lift's mechanism at St Richards Hospital, Chichester, when it suddenly and unexpectedly activated. According to one account he alerted emergency services to his predicament himself using a mobile phone.
CHRISTMAS PARTY TEMPTATIONS!
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
RoSPA is warning partygoers to be on their guard against the temptations to drink and drive and or to get behind the wheel when over-tired. At a time of year that sees many motorists enjoying free workplace hospitality, staying late at parties or making long journeys to see friends and relatives, RoSPA reminds that fatigue is a factor in about 10% of road accidents and 20% on boring roads such as motorways, and urges drivers to plan ahead.
RoSPA says companies offering hospitality at Christmas need to point out the dangers of drinking and driving to staff and take measures to help them overcome the problem. Taking alternative forms of transport, sharing driving, not being on the road in the early hours and scheduling rest breaks or overnight stops into a journey can all help.
Sleep is the only cure for tiredness, but if you start to feel sleepy while driving: find somewhere safe to stop (not the hard shoulder); drink one or two cups of strong coffee or other high caffeine drinks; and take a nap of about 15 minutes.
SEE ROSPA’S SAFE JOURNEY PLANNER .
“Many Christmas and New Year holiday accidents could be saved through better planning. Pubs, clubs and restaurants will be busy from now until Christmas, and there will be big demands on taxis and public transport.
It is important that people make arrangements early so that if they are drinking alcohol they can get to and from their destination without having to drive. They should also consider whether they need alternative transport next morning in case they are still over the limit.
It is important that people are honest with themselves about their fitness to drive. It is vital that they do not set out when they are tired, and if they start feeling sleepy while driving that they stop and take a proper break.” - Kevin Clinton, RoSPA Head of Road Safety.
NURSERY SHELTER COLLAPSED KILLING CHILD
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The proprietors of the Baytree Nursery, Weston, Lincolnshire, garden centre where work to dismantle a shelter during September 2002 went disastrously wrong claiming the life of Esther Harvey, 3, have been fined at Lincoln Crown Court for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in the circumstances of the accident.
Reinhard Biehler admitted his breaches and was fined £63,000 with £25,000 costs, and Yvonne Biehler was fined £37,000 with £25,000 costs.
The tragedy occurred because little forethought had been given to the way the structure was to be dismantled. The employees carrying out the work were inadequately trained and risks, especially to visitors had not been properly assessed.
A forklift was used to remove the structure's bases, but materials on its roof had not been removed. As a result it became unstable and collapsed, a member striking Esther Harvey to the ground, sustaining injury from which she later died. Two employees were also injured.
Investigation also revealed poor standards of equipment maintenance.
HEALTH AND SAFETY.... BUT AT WHAT PRICE?
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A report has been published of a study to determine what the costs are for SME's who wish fully to operate in compliance with health and safety legislation. Costs of compliance with health and safety regulations in SME’s - RR174 also considers how effective the activities have been in improving health and safety performance.
It would appear that the costs of compliance are disproportionate across different sizes of organisation, although the ‘size’ at which these costs became disproportionate varied across the different pieces of legislation.
NORTHERN IRELAND COMPANY FINED FOR CONVEYOR BELT FATAL ACCIDENT
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Edham Limited, also known as Westland Horticulture, has pleaded guilty to and been fined £18,000 at Omagh Crown Court for breaching health and safety legislation in the circumstances of the death of David Burrows in an industrial accident in May 2001.
Mr Burrows, 25, was pulled into conveyor equipment that was inadequately guarded at the company's peat operation in the Granville Industrial Estate, Dungannon, inflicting fatal crush injuries.
The standard of guarding of equipment had been raised with the company on 3 previous occasions.
LAMBING AND RISK TO PREGNANT WOMEN
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
With the lambing season on the horizon the HSE, Department of Health, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have issued advice aimed at pregnant women who could come into close contact with sheep. Although the incidence of infections in humans and human miscarriages resulting from contact with sheep is extremely small, it is important that pregnant women are aware of the potential risks during the lambing season.
Farmers have a responsibility to minimise the risks to pregnant women, including members of their family, the public and professional staff visiting farms.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 require employers to assess risks to health from harmful substances, including micro-organisms, and to take steps to prevent or control those risks. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to further assess any risks which affect pregnant women.
Any action should be determined by these risk assessments.
INFECTIONS
Infections that can occur in some ewes include chlamydiosis (enzootic abortion of ewes - EAE), toxoplasmosis and listeriosis, which are common causes of abortion in ewes. Pregnant women who come into close contact with sheep during lambing may risk their own health and that of their unborn child.
The Department of Health advisory leaflet - While you are pregnant: How to avoid infection from food and from contact with animals, is available free of charge to general medical practitioners and midwives from: Department of Health, Prolog, Unit 8, Sherwood Park, Annesley, Nottingham NG15 ODJ.
Further information is also available in the 1997 publication Infection risks to new and expectant mothers in the workplace - a guide for employers, by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ref: ISBN 0-7176-1360-7). Copies are available, price £10.50, from HSE Books .
Advice is additionally available from the Employment Medical Advisory Service offices listed under HSE in the telephone directory.
ADVICE
To avoid the possible risk of infection, pregnant women are advised that they should:
NOT HELP TO LAMB OR MILK EWES
AVOID CONTACT WITH ABORTED OR NEW-BORN LAMBS OR WITH THE AFTERBIRTH
AVOID HANDLING CLOTHING, BOOTS ETC WHICH HAVE COME INTO CONTACT WITH EWES OR LAMBS
Pregnant women should seek medical advice if they experience fever or influenza-like symptoms, or if concerned that they could have acquired infection from a farm environment.
If a ewe aborts, farmers are advised to ask their veterinary surgeon to take a sample to their local Regional laboratory of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to determine the cause. In the interests of hygiene, farmers should dispose of all afterbirths promptly and safely in accordance with relevant legislation.
POSITIVE OUTCOMES FROM FARMING BLITZ PROGRAMME
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
HSE reports that it is pleased with the positive outcomes of health and safety blitz inspections of farms and horticulture sites in Leeds and North Lincolnshire and hopes the blitz visits to sheep farms in Kirklees and Calderdale early in the New Year will continue this trend. The inspectors will be paying particular attention to workplace transport, falls from height, manual handling, managing asbestos, sheep dipping and lone working.
HSE officials will also be working closely with and passing information on, if appropriate, to the Environmental Health Departments of Kirklees Metropolitan and Calderdale Councils who have enforcement responsibilities for animal welfare and some non-farming, farm-based activities e.g. farm shops, livery and overnight accommodation
"These checks are being made to ensure that adequate precautions are taken by employers and the self employed to protect the health and safety of all workers. We are particularly keen to see what arrangements farmers have in place to prevent their exposure to hazardous chemicals including those used to dip sheep.
We will also be checking on the training of and personal protection used by people driving Quad bikes. As the recent accident involving rock star Ozzy Osbourne has illustrated, the importance of correct standards by users of Quad bikes, which have resulted in 3 fatal accidents (2 of which involved children) on farms in the UK this year, cannot be underestimated.
Although the inspectors will offer help and advice, we will not hesitate in taking enforcement action to deal with any matter of evident concern which could affect the safety of workers or any other person, including members of the public." - Pat Caunt, HSE Inspector.
IIAC PUBLIC MEETING IN GLASGOW
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), who advise the government on which accidents and diseases should qualify for industrial injuries payouts, is holding a day of presentations and structured workshops at the 18 March 2004 meeting in Glasgow. IIAC says one can learn about the process of 'prescribing' occupational diseases - picking the ones that get added to the list; seek opinions about new issues of concern in occupational health; and possibly contribute ideas on IIAC’s future work programme. For details visit the IIAC website.
MOTOR MECHANIC SET HIS OVERALLS ALIGHT
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that Gary Cameron, 44, a car mechanic from Bathgate, West Lothian, is being treated for serious burns after he inadvertently set his clothing alight apparently while using welding equipment.
MAN FELL FROM AIRCRAFT WING
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
During February this year Mark Wilson, 32, an employee of Airbus UK Ltd, fell 2 metres to the ground from an aircraft wing on which he was working at the company's Broughton, Flint, premises. He sustained damage to the vertebrae of his back and has been unable to return to work.
At Flintshire Magistrates' Court Airbus admitted failing to ensure Mr Wilson's safety and was fined £18,000 for the breach of duty with £3,000 costs, Mr Wilson had been working without the benefit of a safe system of work. Despite an ongoing programme of fall prevention measures, he had not been so protected, the court hearing that this work was now accomplished.
CUSTODIAL SENTENCE FOR MOBILE PHONE DRIVER
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Kevin Moran, 46, has received a 5-year custodial sentence for causing the death of a motorcyclist in road traffic accident in Atherton.
At Liverpool Crown Court Mr Moran denied causing death by dangerous driving but a jury found him guilty.
It was described how last November he had permitted himself to become distracted using the phone and illegally turned right into the motorcyclist's path.
His employers had indicated to him that a mobile phone should not be used while driving.
AWE PLC'S STRATEGY FOR DECOMMISSIONING
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), in consultation with the Environment Agency, has published its latest 5-year review report on AWE plc's strategy for the decommissioning of its nuclear licensed Aldermaston and Burghfield, in Berkshire, sites.
HSE says that overall it regards AWE plc's strategy to be generally appropriate at this time.
AWE plc's strategy for the decommissioning of its nuclear licensed sites: a review by HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate" is available on the HSE's web site.
COUNCIL FAILED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT LIFEGUARDS AT POOL
Posted Saturday, December 20, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Sedgefield Borough Council has been fined £20,000 at Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in the circumstances of the death during 2001 of Anne Marie Redshaw at one of its premises.
Anne Marie, 13, drowned at the Council's Spennymoor Leisure Centre at a time when insufficient lifeguards were deployed to supervise the pool.
FENCING COMPANY IN COURT OVER DIESEL SPILL
Posted Sunday, December 14, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Following information from the public during May this year the Environment Agency sought to trace the source of diesel appearing on the surface of Seaton Burn in Northumberland just upstream of Six Mile Bridge. With the assistance of Northumbrian Water Agency, officials explored an unnamed tributary to the burn eventually arriving at Brunswick Industrial Estate. After a brief search evidence was found of a spillage at the premises of Scott Fencing who reported there had been a leak the previous night. On inspection the officers found the red diesel tank had no protective bund and there was evidence of staining around the base.
At Gosforth Magistrates' Court Scott Fencing Ltd, of Brunswick Industrial Estate, Newcastle, admitted causing polluting matter, namely diesel, to enter a tributary of Seaton Burn at Wideopen. It was fined £2000 with £500 costs.
"The Agency takes seriously breaches which involve pollution of even a relatively minor watercourse because of the impact it has and will prosecute under its guidance criteria to reinforce its commitment to protect the environment." - Keith Landers, Environment Management Officer.
FREQUENCY OF UNDERGROUND CABLE STRIKES PROMPTS WARNING FROM ELECTRICITY COMPANY
Posted Sunday, December 14, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) is warning contractors that more care is needed when excavating in the vicinity of its underground cables. They cite the number of incidents - 15 in 8 weeks, each with the potential to claim lives of workmen involved.
Contractors and developers can contact NIE on 08457 643 643 for service drawings before starting work.
On the same theme NIE officials have been reminding farmers and agricultural contractors of the dangers from overhead power cables at the annual Winter Fair at Balmoral and on HSENI roadshows. There have been over 100 such incidents during the last 2 years.
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT (DDA) ACCESS DEADLINE APPROACHES
Posted Sunday, December 14, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The British Standards Institution (BSI) is urging businesses to act on the deadline that will see a marked improvement in access for people with disabilities when the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), Part III, Access to Goods, Facilities and Services comes fully into force. It means that all organisations providing goods, facilities or services to the public must make reasonable adjustments to overcome physical barriers, which deny access to people with disabilities, by October 2004. Sadly the DDA does not prescribe what constitutes a reasonable adjustment, but to assist, BSI offers workshops and best practice guidelines and a series of one-day workshops beginning in February 2004 and taking place throughout the year at various locations in the UK.
MORE THAN PROVIDING RAMPS
An example of what requires consideration - accommodating people whose vision or hearing is impaired by, for example, installing a fire alarm that is both audible and visible. BSI Business can throw light on the issue to help architects and facilities managers understand and examine the implications of the DDA.
British Standard BS 8300:2001, Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people - Code of practice provides a source of best practice guidelines and recommendations, setting out detailed access solutions for a range of disabilities in a variety of settings. Improvements are not restricted to building access, but also include introducing additional features such as grab rails, touch legible signs, hearing enhancement systems and disabled parking facilities.
"With less than a year to go to the October 2004 deadline, I would strongly recommend businesses address the issue of disabled access if they have not already done so. Rather than being a hindrance to business this legislation should help companies widen their customer base.
Businesses should not assume that substantial infra-structural change will be required. In some cases, putting in place effective management and maintenance policies to create safer access for people with disabilities to existing facilities may suffice. Businesses should consider using BS 8300:2001 for guidance on how to approach meeting the needs of people with disabilities." - David Williams, Head of Construction for BSI Business Information and British Standards.
FALL FROM HEIGHT ACCIDENT IN KENT - UPDATE
Posted Saturday, December 13, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The workman employed by a contracting organisation deployed on the construction of a tank at a BP fuel depot has now sadly died from the injuries he sustained following an accident in which he fell around 25 meters into the tank on which he was working.
NUCLEAR POWER STATION TO DECOMMISSION
Posted Saturday, December 13, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
HSE has granted Magnox Electric plc consent for a decommissioning project at its Bradwell power station. The consent is made under the Nuclear Reactors (Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning) Regulations 1999 which are enforced by Her Majesty’s Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII). Conditions have been attached to the consent concerning mitigation measures to prevent, reduce and, if possible, offset adverse environmental effects of the project, requiring Magnox Electric plc to prepare an environmental management plan that identifies mitigation measures, and reports on implementation and effectiveness of, and any changes to, those measures, including the reasons for any changes in light of experience.
Comment by Laurence Williams, HSE Director of Nuclear Safety and HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations.
"NII has done its utmost to ensure that the process of considering potential environmental impacts has been open and inclusive. This has involved extensive public consultation, and there has been a great deal of interest shown by national bodies and local groups alike. I sincerely thank everyone who has been involved in this important work, and especially those who took the time to send comments on the documentation provided by the licensee.
All of us, and particularly the local population, have a keen and vested interest in the effectiveness of controlling environmental impacts during the decommissioning of Bradwell power station. NII has attached conditions to the Consent to require the licensee to provide a copy of its environmental management plan and its subsequent revisions to NII.
I believe our decision-making process has been open and transparent. Openness and transparency will continue to be key factors in managing environmental impact throughout the coming decades of this decommissioning project."
YORKSHIRE COUNCILS WIN SAFETY AWARDS
Posted Saturday, December 13, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Work carried out by Leeds City Council on a health and safety risk assessment training initiative it developed for small and medium-sized businesses in its area has earned it a HELA (HSE/Local Authority Liaison Committee) Award for Innovation.
The authority identified a need for a service provision to SMEs, obtained funding for their project from the Leeds Health Action Zone, and then planned, prepared and delivered a training forum providing half-day training sessions, with follow-up support where required. The training session material has now been incorporated into a free CD-ROM that can be used as a stand-alone training package. The risk-assessment training package has also recently been made available as a free-to-access tutorial on the Internet.
"The HELA Award for Innovation aims to recognise those local authorities which have identified, developed and applied innovative ways to promote health and safety and provide an effective service to businesses and other stakeholders. The standard set this year by all entries was very high. I am delighted that Leeds was chosen as the winner, not only because they targeted a key sector that were often confused about the requirements of risk-assessments, but also because they sought to answer this need with clear guidance that was delivered in a number of innovative ways." - Gordon MacDonald, HSE's Regional Director for Yorkshire and the North East
OCCUPATIONAL ILL HEALTH
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council has also received a Highly Commended certificate for its project, which targeted occupational ill health.
The multi-agency Bradford Area Occupational Health and Safety Forum examined how it could produce a local occupational health strategy. A strategy document was produced and circulated to key stakeholders for consultation. From this initiative the Forum has appointed a HAZ-funded Development worker who will take the project forwards by developing links with Primary Care Trusts and linking in with the training of General Practitioners by providing them with specific information on work-related ill-health subjects.
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR DRINK DRIVING WARNING
Posted Saturday, December 13, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The maximum penalties for driving or attempting to drive whilst above the legal limit or unfit through drink are 6 months imprisonment plus a fine of up to £5,000 and a ban for at least 12 months (3 years if you're convicted twice in 10 years). This reminder is once again being conveyed to television viewers in an advertising campaign already underway.
Although drink drive deaths have fallen consistently over the years, in 2002 there were an estimated 560 drink-drive fatalities representing a 6% increase over 2001.
"Drink drivers are still killing people. Last year, 1 in 6 deaths on our roads was drink drive related. The vast majority of motorists know the dangers and obey the law - but a minority of irresponsible and reckless drivers are ignoring it. If you are going out and enjoying yourself over Christmas - don't turn your night into a nightmare - leave the car at home, and if you can't use public transport, designate a non-drinking driver. Remember that you could still be over the limit in the morning after a good night out."- David Jamieson, Road Safety Minister.
COVENTRY LIFTING OPERATION FATALITY
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Investigation continues into last week's death at the premises of Strimech Engineering of Bentley, Walsall. An employee sustained crush injuries between a wall and a suspended excavator bucket on which he was working.
HSE USES CSG PROSECUTION TO CONVEY WARNING ON SAFE STORAGE OF SUBSTANCES
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Last week's prosecution of Cleansing Services Group Ltd (CSG), of Botley, Southampton, over the fire at the company's waste treatment site has been followed by an HSE warning for others of the importance of safe storage and control of dangerous substances.
The investigation revealed a multitude of failings in the way CSG managed the risk inherent in handling dangerous substances:
the most likely cause of the fire was the storage of bottles containing chemicals that could react together; the fire spread due to the failure to follow published guidelines on separation and segregation of flammable materials; containers of waste were stored incorrectly and had been kept on site longer than permitted; drums of low-level radioactive material were found on the site, CSG were not authorised to accumulate or dispose of such materials & CSG failed to comply with their site working plan.
Areas of failure included: waste verification, qualifications for technical sales personnel, testing and maintenance of the wells where waste was treated, storage of waste and keeping records of hazardous waste movement.
"The charges brought by HSE in this case relate to the lack of adequate arrangements at the CSG site for the safe storage of dangerous substances. If the company had put in place simple measures of effectively segregating different types of hazardous waste this major incident could have been avoided. It is essential that all companies dealing with chemical waste implement suitable arrangements for storing dangerous substances to ensure not only the safety of their own staff but also of the general public in the vicinity of their site." - Chris Eaton, Principal Inspector with HSE's Hazardous Installations Directorate.
INSTRUCTOR DIES USING AERIAL RUNWAY
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The enforcing authority for health and safety is investigating the death of Tania Brocking, 41, at Blackland Farm, East Grinstead, West Sussex, an activity and camping site managed by Girlguiding UK. According to one account Ms Brocking got into difficulties using an aerial runway and became entangled in her equipment at a height of 7 metres from the ground. She is said to be an instructor employee of the charitable organisation Adventure Unlimited.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMME LAUNCHED TO MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR AMBULANCE CREWS
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
It is known that ambulance crews are the most likely public service workers to suffer injury through lifting and handling or as a result of aggression and violence. A conference - Managing Risk Together, held yesterday involving the Ambulance Service Association (ASA), in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), the HSE and the Unison and GMB unions has marked the launch of a UK-wide improvement programme to better manage health and safety risks in ambulance services.
The ASA's Health, Safety & Risk Committee's programme comprises a series of policy and strategy frameworks, the conference highlighting the first two - violence and aggression against staff and patient handling practices - designed to help ambulance services adopt a consistent approach to managing risks.
The programme follows recommendations in the recent National Audit Office report - A Safer Place to Work: Improving the management of health and safety risks to staff in NHS trusts.
"Risks should be managed by a combination of employers, employees and outside agencies working together. The HSE is committed to being a partner in this process with the whole of the NHS, including the ambulance service." - Bill Callaghan, Chair of the Health and Safety Commission.
"This is a significant step forward for ambulance staff. For a long time ambulance staff have had to face the possibility of injury in the course of their duties and this initiative will help reduce that risk. This issue has a very serious impact on staff and cost implications for ambulance services. This is a positive approach through joint working which we hope all services will adopt to make the working environment for ambulance staff much safer." - Peter Bradley, ASA President.
WORKER ELECTROCUTED
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A Co. Tyrone worker has died following a lifting operation accident involving a forklift truck being used to relocate a cabin in Strabane.
According to one account, Aodhan Maguire, 18, was positioning the cabin when either it or the forklift came into contact with overhead power cables.
FALL FROM HEIGHT ACCIDENT IN KENT
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that a workman employed by a contracting organisation deployed on the construction of a tank has fallen into it at the BP fuel depot at the Isle of Grain, Kent, sustaining multiple injuries. According to one account he fell around 25 metres, his rescue through an access hatch at the bottom of the empty vessel being accomplished by emergency services.
HSE POSITION ON CHRISTOPHER PULLEN DEATH VINDICATED BY HIGH COURT
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A judicial challenge at the High Court to the HSE decision not to prosecute, instigated by the family of Christopher Pullen who died during September 2000 after a vandalised door in residential property in Islington's Market Estate fell on him, has proved unsuccessful.
HSE decided not to instigate proceedings against Islington Council or Hyde Housing Association. The Inquest into Christopher's death arrived at a verdict of accidental death.
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY AT ROSPA
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
RoSPA is offering employers free courses on the dangers of employees drinking and driving at work to improve all road-users' safety. It says representatives from the first 30 businesses or organisations to apply will be offered a free place on courses to be held next year. RoSPA already runs one-day courses for employees to learn more about issues such as the strength of different types of alcoholic drink and how little it takes to be 'over the limit'.
RoSPA reminds employers that research shows that drivers do not perceive 'morning-after motoring' as being as dangerous as 'same-day' drinking. Company drivers are more likely than private motorists to see driving after drinking heavily the night before as less dangerous.
Employers wishing to have a chance of one of the free places at Birmingham and Reading should contact Donna Grady on 0121 248 2124 or dgrady@rospa.com .
One aim is to give facts and advice to help employees not to drive when they may still have alcohol in their bodies.
“Christmas is the time when the drink-drive threat is highlighted most, but it is a problem which is with us all-year-round.
If someone is caught drinking and driving, it can have catastrophic effects both on the individuals concerned and businesses.
Innocent people may be killed or injured, employees may well lose their jobs and employers face the costly business of replacing experienced staff.
Far too many people still do not understand how easy it is to fail a breath test, especially the morning after a few drinks. People who test positive next day often say they wish they had been given the knowledge to prevent them facing a ban.” - Charles Davis, RoSPA Head of Driver and Fleet Solutions.
THAMES TRAINS GUILTY
Posted Friday, December 12, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Thames Trains has pleaded guilty at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in relation to duties owed to employees and rail passengers in the circumstances of the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster in which 31 died and many sustained serious injury in October 1999. It will be sentenced at The Old Bailey some time in the coming months.
WASTE TREATMENT OPERATION BREACHED SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
Posted Wednesday, December 10, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
In September this year Cleansing Service Group Ltd (CSG) of Southampton admitted over 15 offences arising out of a serious fire during October 2000 that occurred at its Upper Parting waste-treatment site in Sandhurst, near Gloucester and at its operation at Exhall, Coventry. The cause of the fire which triggered a series of explosions was never conclusively determined but investigation of CSG work there, and at another base, by the HSE and Environment Agency revealed the extent that legislation was being breached.
The most likely cause of the fire was due to the storage of bottles containing chemicals that could react together. The fire spread due to the failure to follow published guidelines on separation and segregation of flammable materials. Investigations later revealed that a number of toxic substances would have been released including hydrogen chloride and phosgene.
THE CHARGES AND FINES IMPOSED
S2.(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and one charge of contravening r.8(1) of the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 fined £30,000.
3 charges of breaches of S.33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which include keeping controlled waste in a manner likely to cause harm to human health and pollution of the environment, and failing to comply with waste management licence conditions and failing to comply with the requirements of the site’s working plan, fined £60,000.
2 charges of breaches of the duty of care requirements within S.34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for failing to prevent the escape of waste from their control, namely special wastes containing Selenium and solvents contaminated with BSE, fined £40,000.
breach of the Special Waste Regulations 1996, by failing to maintain a complete register of special waste consignment notes, fined £10,000.
breach of S.3(1) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 in that CSG knowingly permitted the illegal deposit of controlled waste where compound three now stands, fined £50,000.
3 charges of breaches of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 relating to keeping and accumulating radioactive closed sources, laboratory smalls and varnish without being registered or not in accordance with an authorisation to do so, fined £30,000.
two charges relating to breaches of S.33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in relation to waste management licence conditions at their site at Exhall, Coventry, fined £30,000.
CLEAR, SERIOUS FAILURES OF MANAGEMENT
At Gloucester Crown Court the company was fined a total of £250,000 with £400,000 costs for breaches of the Principal Act (HSWA) and regulations including those concerning ionising radiation and the pollution of the environment.
CSG will no longer operate at the Upper Parting site but is to continue its waste management, transportation, processing and disposal services to a wide range of industrial, domestic and local authority customers throughout the country. In a statement the company says it has 'instigated changes and improvements to its management systems and operation of such activities.'
"There were clear, serious failures of management in a number of key areas. The company failed to adequately protect their own workers and local residents." - His Honour Judge Tabor QC.
"The company’s conduct fell well below the applicable standard and that the range and extent of offences admitted by the company demonstrated ingrained and fundamental management failings.
A high degree of risk and extensive danger was created by the fire of 30th October 2000. The releases from the fire impacted on the health of local residents. The company illegally allowed hazardous waste to be buried under part of their site, near to the village of Sandhurst in Gloucestershire…and accepted radioactive waste when it was not authorised to do so and lost control of wastes including Selenium and BSE contaminated solvents." - Mark Harris, Counsel for the Environment Agency and the HSE.
"This brings to a conclusion a long and complex investigation where the Agency has worked very closely with the HSE. The seriousness of the offences are borne out by the fact that this is the highest fine the Courts have ever issued for a case taken by the Environment Agency relating to illegal waste management. It sends a very clear message to the waste management industry that the Agency will not tolerate negligent and deliberate acts resulting in the mismanagement of waste and the consequent unacceptable risk to people and the environment." - Harvey Bradshaw, Environment Agency Area Manager.
"The company would like to take the opportunity to apologise to the public for the distress caused by the events and wished to express their sincere regret and remorse for what happened. The company accepted the seriousness of the offences and had pleaded guilty on the first opportunity." - Rhodri Price-Lewis, Counsel for CSG.
TACKLING VIOLENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT AT WORK
Posted Wednesday, December 10, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Advice has been made available on an HSE website subject area concerning the HSC and the HSE approach to tackling violence and psychological harassment at work .
It explains by definition what is meant by work related violence (WRV), the legal position, information on its programme, the British Crime Survey and enforcement action.
It relates how during the two most recent complete years (2001/02 & 2002/03) there has been a virtual doubling of the number of Improvement Notices over the previous two years (1999/00 & 2000/01), with two prosecutions relating to WRV since 1998, in the social and health care sectors respectively.
From April to August 2003 there have been over 300 inspections conducted and 75 investigations commenced.
DOUBLE PROSECUTION FOLLOWED DISCOVERY OF ASBESTOS
Posted Wednesday, December 10, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Two companies have been prosecuted and fined for the way in which they conducted the demolition of a public house where pipes were lagged in asbestos.
Barratts Homes Ltd and Rankin Demolition Ltd pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges relating to the demolition of the pub in Ascot, after work proceeded without the benefit of a proper survey for the presence of asbestos.
At Reading Crown Court Barratts Homes Ltd, of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, the client commissioning the demolition, was fined £20,000 with £10,000 costs for a contravention r.11 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994, for failing to arrange an adequate survey for asbestos before allowing the demolition to start.
Rankin Demolition Ltd of Aldershot, the Principal Contractor, was fined £7,500 with £2,500 costs for a contravention of r.12 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, for failing to control the work on site, permitting demolition to continue even after asbestos had been discovered.
"All too often demolition is carried out without proper consideration of the risk from asbestos. Clients must not leave it to contractors to discover the hazards. For buildings old enough to contain asbestos, a full, type 3 asbestos survey must be carried out at the pre-tender stage. Demolition companies, in their turn, must maintain sufficiently competent supervision on site to ensure that, if hazardous materials are discovered during demolition, work is stopped and appropriate action is taken to control the risk." - Andrew Gordon, HSE Principal Inspector for Construction, commented.
JANUARY DATE FOR FARMING SAFETY SUMMIT
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
An Agricultural Health and Safety Summit takes place in Oxford on 8th January 2004 at the Examination Schools, High Street, the HSC/E hosted event taking place the day after the annual Farming Conference.
The summit will be attended by top representatives of organisations in the farming industry, trade unions and associations, those involved in supplying, educating and financing the industry and those involved with delivering farm products to consumers.
Des Browne, Minister of State for Work and Lord Whitty, Minister for Farming, Food and Sustainable Energy, will speak.
ACTIVE SUPPORT
HSC/E is calling for "the active support of everyone associated with farming", and says it is a major opportunity for stakeholders in agriculture and the food chain to work with them to achieve lasting improvements in farm health and safety standards, by influencing and incentivising farmers.
Attendees will: learn more about the main ways in which people lose their lives on farms; learn more about how HSE seeks to protect people and reduce risks in agriculture; hear about new strategies and approaches for tackling the problems & contribute ideas, support and commitment for future work towards safer farming.
”Over the past 17 years the incident rate for fatal injuries among employees has gradually declined. This needs driving down further, but the particular challenge now is to reduce the incident rate in the self-employed sector which has seen consistently higher rates and a rising trend over the same period.
Engaging with the widest possible range of stakeholders who have the potential to influence the industry to better manage farm health and safety will help achieve this. This is not just important for farmers, workers and their families. It is also an essential ingredient in developing a modern, sustainable and productive agricultural industry which everyone connected with the industry wants to see.” - Roger Nourish, HSE’s Chief Inspector of Agriculture.
MESOTHELIOMA DEATHS TO PEAK AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN PREVIOUSLY PREDICTED
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The HSE has published updated predictive statistics forecasting the future numbers of people likely to die in Britain as a result of mesothelioma which has a strong association with exposure to asbestos dust. They suggest the number of deaths will peak at a lower level than previously predicted in 1995 and will peak sooner. Mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain are now predicted to peak between 1,950 and 2,450 annually between the years 2011 and 2015. Details of the mesothelioma projections can be found in a fact sheet available on the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/proj6801.pdf
“Previous projections have been based on a rather simple statistical model in which mesothelioma deaths were related to age and date of birth. More recent data suggests a different and more complex model is needed to account for the changing pattern of asbestos exposure. This latest analysis suggests a lower estimated peak for mesothelioma deaths than predicted in 1995, occurring sooner. But the total numbers are still substantial.” - John Hodgson, HSE’s Senior Statistician.
NO DICKENSIAN SWEAT SHOP
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
During January last year a printing company operative, Colin Ellis, 49, was treating the plates of a printing press with gum at his employers when his hand became caught in the equipment resulting in him losing a finger tip. The equipment guard was removed for this operation which should have stopped the machine, however an override device was available and the press continued to operate without the guard in place.
At Telford Magistrates' Court the company, Precision Colour Printing Ltd of Halesfield, Telford, admitted that in the circumstances of the accident it had breached the Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (risk assessment).
It was fined £9,000 and £3,000 respectively for the breaches with £1,375 costs, its legal representative declaring in mitigation that the business was not a 'Dickensian sweatshop' and it had otherwise an excellent record.
SITE ENGINEER WAS STRUCK ON HEAD BY FALLING CONCRETE BLOCK
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
During May 2003 Jack McCann, 61, a site engineer working on the construction site at Ocean Village, Southampton, was struck on the head by a falling concrete block and sustained severe injury to his neck even though he was wearing his safety helmet. The block had considerable momentum, having fallen from 4th floor level.
At Southampton Magistrates' Court Construction Company Wilson Bowden Developments Ltd of Bardon Hill, Leicestershire, was fined £15,000 with £1,128 costs for breaching S.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974, in failing to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that persons other than its employees were not exposed to risks to their safety from falling materials
"There was clearly a time of risk when debris could easily fall. The company should have erected a safety fence at the lower level" - Chris Love, Chairman of the magistrates who heard the case.
"This case shows the life-saving value of wearing safety helmets, but also the importance of safety planning so that workers are not put at risk." - Mike Sarson, HSE inspector who investigated the accident and prosecuted the case in Court.
SHOULD VEHICULAR TRAFFIC BE PERMITTED IN SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS?
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Two recent incidents involving the death and serious injury of children in Welsh schools is focussing attention there and elsewhere on the wisdom of permitting anything other than absolutely essential vehicular traffic to enter school grounds, and even then only when the playground is empty. One can commonly observe traffic movements generated by staff, parents and visitors within and immediately outside school grounds at both ends of the school day where segregation is ineffective in separating child and vehicle.
Some authorities place building contractors working in schools under obligation to restrict traffic movements and lifting operations to certain times of the day, yet permit relative chaos twice a day each day of the school year.
In November Huw Emyr Roberts, 2, was killed by a car in Pwllheli and last week Michael Morris, 8, was struck by a taxi in a Porthmadog school.
17-YEAR-OLD DIED DURING HIS FIRST WEEK ON BUILDING SITE
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Clayton Wiltshire, 17, was working as a labourer on The Rex Cinema site in Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, just over 2 years ago. The development consisted of a cinema and a row of shops with living accommodation on 2 floors above the shops. Access to the shops is on the ground floor, with access to the flats above from a balcony along the rear of the building at the 1st floor level
On 20th September 2001 Clayton climbed up the staircase leading to the balcony along the rear of the shops/flats, went along the balcony and entered one of the flats. He walked onto the floor which then collapsed and he fell onto the concrete shop floor below, sustaining fatal injuries.
It was alleged that Nicholas King Homes Plc of High Wycombe and Henry Demolition Ltd of Milton Keynes, contravened S.3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974, in that they failed to ensure that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety, and at Hemel Hempstead Magistrates' Court both pleaded guilty to the charges.
At St Albans Crown Court Nicholas King Homes Plc was fined £50,000 with costs of £8,370.94, Henry Demolition Ltd was fined £50,000 with costs of £8,759.44.
"There was no visible warning making clear to those wishing to explore or enter the flats, the fact that each step on the rotten floor could lead to serious injury or death. It would have been so easy to block the access steps up to the balcony and so prevent unauthorised access. No such steps had been taken." - His Honour, Judge Cripps.
"Clayton's tragic death illustrates the dangers involved in demolition and refurbishment work when there is a failure to implement safety precautions. Organisations involved in such work must ensure that structures are properly assessed. Safe entry into buildings must be established and employees notified of this at the start of any work. This is particularly so where inexperienced workers are involved. A failure to do so can result in risk to workers, as we have seen so sadly in this case." - Trevor Tollervey, HSE Investigating Inspector.
ROSPA CONVEYS RADICAL VIEWS TO HSC/E ON FUTURE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) wants to see a tougher line being taken by HSE - getting tough on businesses with poor health and safety records.
In the submission responding to consultation on HSC's strategy for 2010 and beyond, the content of which the Society describes as radical, it considers there is need for a co-ordinated national health and safety services strategy and for work-related road safety to be given top priority within that strategy, given that twice as many people are killed while driving in the course of their work as in all notifiable accidents put together. Copies of the submission can be obtained at RoSPA.
Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser explains what his organisation believes is the way forward for HSC/E
“It would be a mistake if poor performers thought that HSC/E had gone soft on enforcement. We want to see a system under which higher performing companies, which also make use of independent external audit, could be put on trust to manage their own health and safety risks without HSE intervention. This would free up more inspector resources to deal with persistently poor employers.
RoSPA has suggested a new system of remedial sentencing to compel persistent offenders to undergo retraining and to implement health and safety management improvement plans under the supervision of external experts. This approach would be underpinned by use of suspended fines, which would have to be paid if businesses did not come up to scratch.
HSE needs to become the development agency for the whole health and safety system. It must develop formal partnership agreements between key players and HSE in which each agrees what they can deliver to help meet shared priorities and objectives.
RoSPA also wants to see an expansion in the make-up of the Commission and the setting up of new strategic groups on issues such as corporate health and safety management and workforce involvement.”
NO SAFE SYSTEM PROVIDED FOR MEDIA COMPANY EMPLOYEE
Posted Tuesday, December 9, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Newsquest (Sussex) Ltd, of the London Borough of Morden, has been fined £6,000 with £4,711 costs at Brighton & Hove Magistrates' Court following an incident which arose as a consequence of circumstances that constituted a breach of s.2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
During September 2001 its employee, John Donovan, crushed his chest between a barrier and a reel, which he was retrieving after it had become stuck in a Lowerator lifting machine at Argus House, Crowhurst Road, Brighton. Investigation led to the allegation that Newsquest had failed to provide and maintain a safe system of work, namely the removal of stuck reels in the offload area of a reel room.
DRAFT WORK AT HEIGHT REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The HSC has published the proposed new regulations and guidance on work at height set out in a consultation document, CD192.
Included in the consultation document are a number of key questions including:
SHOULD THERE BE A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD BEFORE THE REGULATIONS COME INTO FORCE?
IS THE DEFINITION OF WORK AT HEIGHT APPROPRIATE?
SHOULD COMPETENCE BE DEFINED?
HAS AN ACCEPTABLE APPROACH BEEN TAKEN CONCERNING FRAGILE SURFACES AND THE DUTIES OF PERSONS AT WORK?
HAVE WE GOT THE DETAILS RIGHT ON THE USE OF PARTICULAR EQUIPMENT SUCH AS ROPES AND LADDERS?
The draft regulations bring together relevant parts of the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (CHSWR), the Workplace Regulations 1992 and certain other current legislation relating to work at height, and reiterate parts of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98).
RISK-BASED APPROACH
Risk assessment is the key to the proper planning and organisation of all work at height. The draft regulations adopt a risk-based approach and propose that the following three key steps be considered before carrying out work at height:
avoidance: if you can avoid the need to work at height then do so – with a little planning many activities can be conducted safely from the ground; if you can't avoid it: then you must take steps to prevent falls by either working from a safe place of work at height or, if this is not available, by selecting the most suitable equipment for working at height - you should take into consideration the risks and factors such as the duration of the work and the environment in which the equipment is to be used; and
if there is any remaining risk of a fall: you should take steps to mitigate the effect, for example by using fall arrest equipment.
HSC’s approach to developing the regulations
Bring together all the current legal requirements for safe work at height, making a cohesive, single set of goal-setting regulations which will be flexible enough to apply to all industries and allow for technical innovation;
Ensure that the regulations are practical and tackle high-risk areas whilst avoiding unworkable requirements; and
Adopt a risk-based approach, so that measures taken to comply with the regulations are proportionate to the risks involved, and can build upon existing good practice in the various industries they will apply to and be compliant with the current law.
UNGUARDED SECTION OF PTO SHAFT CLAIMED CHILD'S LIFE
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
An inquest into the death during October of Evan Thomas, 12, who died on his father's farm has arrived at a verdict of accidental death. Evan, from Penmynydd on Anglesey, succumbed to multiple injuries sustained when he came into contact with a 150mm unguarded section of a rotating tractor shaft powering a farm feed mill.
MAKING WORK AT HEIGHT SAFER
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The HSC seeks views from all quarters on draft work at height regulations and guidance which when effective might save some of the 50 to 60 workers lives otherwise lost in falls and prevent the suffering of approximately 4,000 workers who have serious injuries each year. The aim is to improve the planning, organising and management of work at height.
The draft regulations bring together all existing regulations on working at height into one set of regulations and will eventually implement the E.C. Temporary Work at Height Directive.
The consultation period ends on 2nd April 2004, after which time final drafting and changes will be made, based on respondents’ feedback. Final proposals are timetabled to be put to ministers by late 2004.
Electronic responses to Proposals for Work at Height Regulations, CD192, should be sent to: Work.at.height.consultation@hse.gsi.gov.uk
“Despite recent improvements, falling from height remains the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and the second biggest cause of serious injuries.
Working at height is a common activity at work. While the risk of injury will differ, for instance when constructing buildings or using a step ladder, it is important that the risks are properly managed.
These draft regulations are designed to ensure that people work at height safely in Great Britain across all industries.
The consultation document sets out the draft regulations and guidance and we welcome views from all those with an interest.
We have already consulted widely with industry in drafting these regulations in an effort to get them right. But if there are any outstanding issues or concerns about the proposed regulations and guidance, now is the time to tell us. If you are already working to current good practice standards and are complying with existing regulations for preventing falls, then this should be enough to also comply with the proposed new regulations.” - Bill Callaghan, HSC Chair.
ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY RECEIVES PROHIBITION NOTICE
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that the UK Atomic Energy Authority has been served with an HSE Prohibition Notice related to the danger of falling from a scaffolding structure erected at one of its buildings being modified at Dounreay, Caithness.
Work on the project has necessarily stopped until a remedy is implemented.
DIESEL FROM GENERATOR POLLUTED CUMBRIAN BECK
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A plant hirer, Ashtead Plant Hire Company Limited, trading as A-Plant, has been fined £5,000 with £3,724.57 costs following the pollution of a Cumbrian beck with diesel. The pollution incident during December last year was in a very sensitive location, just 10 metres from Thirlmere Aqueduct drinking water supply, causing a significant risk of serious harm. Had the diesel entered the aqueduct it would have resulted in a major drinking water pollution incident affecting supplies to a quarter of a million homes throughout the region. Fortunately the supply was not affected.
STOLEN
The company based in Leatherhead, Surrey, pleaded guilty to causing polluting matter to enter controlled waters at Sillfield Beck, Cumbria, contrary to s.85(1) & s.85(6) of the Water Resources Act 1991.
A-Plant was the owner and supplier of the generator and fuel tank that was stolen by a third party at the site of a mobile phone transmitter at Gatebeck, permitting red diesel to leak from the storage tank directly on to the ground, where it had got into surface water drains and then a nearby ditch. Although the incident resulted directly from the action of another, it was Ashtead’s responsibility to ensure that such equipment was kept safe and secure.
"Great care must always be taken to avoid pollution incidents, and in a sensitive location such as this the results could have been very serious. The outcome of this case shows that companies that pollute the environment can expect to be prosecuted and to pay the penalty." - Environment Agency Area Manager Kim Nicholson.
OPEN VERDICT OVER ELECTRICIAN'S DEATH AT COMMUNITY CENTRE
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The inquest into the death last November of David Baughan, 63, who was electocuted while working at Hagard Youth and Community Centre, Coventry, has arrived at an open verdict.
Mr Baughan, an employee of contractor Fred Linnett, was working on a thermostatic control at the City Council property when he contacted live parts and died as a result.
ASSOCIATED BRITISH PORTS (ABP) FINED £100,000 FOR BREACH
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
During a wet evening in November last year David Gammell, 22, a contract worker at Cliff Quay, Ipswich Docks, fell 8 metres down a gap of approximately 75cm between two containers on board a ship berthed there, sustaining multiple injuries including a fractured skull.
At Ipswich Crown Court dock proprietors Associated British Ports (ABP) pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety legislation. Prosecution maintained that, despite a process of induction, Mr Gammell had been inadequately trained and instructed in container work, and that it was the accepted practice of some workers working in the environment to jump gaps of the dimensions that he had fallen through, and that this constituted part of an unsafe system of work.
ABP was fined £100,000 with £6,000 costs, its spokesman explaining that it had now responded with changes to prevent recurrence.
LEARNING ABOUT SAFETY BY EXPERIENCING RISK
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has produced new good practice guidelines for safety schemes concerned with providing opportunities for children, adolescents and the elderly to learn about safety and accident prevention in an interactive mock setting. They typically are run by agencies such as the police, fire and health services and other organisations involved in safety education issues, covering such subjects as fire and electrical safety in the home and hazards on the road, permitting participants to gain the practical skills to deal with potentially dangerous situations.
EVALUATION TOOL KIT
The LASER (Learning About Safety by Experiencing Risk) project guidelines will be of value to the wide variety of existing schemes and for those planning new ones, dealing with questions such as ideal group size and how long activities should last. A key feature is the evaluation tool kit, which is essential to those already running schemes and others who would like to be involved, so they can plan and develop their programme for their needs.
The guidelines provide for flexibility of resources, examples of lesson plans can be photocopied and adapted for each individual scheme. The LASER good practice guidelines can be downloaded for photocopying.
"I see the guide as being crucial to ensure that key safety messages are delivered in a fun and interactive way, based in a realistic setting. The schemes will encourage children and other participants to discuss their experience and share their knowledge.
In the past, organisers of LASER schemes have almost been working in the dark, which is why we felt is was necessary to draft this document.
The guidance is comprehensive and user friendly, so those involved in the 200 safety schemes around the country can now strengthen their good work and build on their success. It is hoped that the guidelines will encourage schemes to share good practice.” - Juliet Brown, RoSPA Head of Safety Education.
SECOND HEREFORD LEGIONNAIRES' DEATH
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A 50-year-old woman has this week become the second victim of the Hereford Legionnaires' disease outbreak.
HOUSE BUILDING COMPANY FINED OVER CHILD WHO DIED ON SITE
Posted Saturday, December 6, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Turnberry Homes, based in Glasgow, has been prosecuted and fined £30,000 at Paisley Sheriff Court following the death during September 2002 of Alexander McGarry, 8, who died after he entered one of its development sites in Renfrew, West Scotland. Alexander, in the company of other children, was playing with a section of drainage pipe when it became unstable and rolled on to him, inflicting fatal crush injuries.
Insufficient steps had been taken to exclude children from the site. The pipe involved had not been secured to exclude the possibility of it becoming unstable. Although Turnberry was Principal Contractor in terms of the Construction (Design and Management Regulations) 1994 (CDM), it maintained that the failures had arisen through misunderstanding with contractors over responsibility for security, especially with its demolition contractor.
Regulation 16(1)(c) of CDM Regulations requires the Principal Contractor to 'take reasonable steps to ensure that only authorised persons are allowed into any premises or part of premises where construction work is being carried out.'
INVESTIGATION INTO MIDLANDS FACTORY DEATH
Posted Wednesday, December 3, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that the investigation continues into the death of John O’Connor who died in a recent workplace accident at Butcher’s Pet Care factory in Crick, Northants.
According to one account he sustained fatal crush injuries in an incident involving machinery.
BREWERY DELIVERY WORKER KILLED
Posted Wednesday, December 3, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The man who died from crush injuries on Monday has been named as Andrew Hough, 20, from Runcorn. According to one account Mr Hough was directing a reversing brewery lorry on to a ramp at the Trawlboat pub in St Annes, Cheshire, when he became trapped between it and a gate.
The accident is under investigation by the police and officials of both the HSE and Fylde Borough Council.
STEEL COMPANY FINED OVER FATAL RAIL ACCIDENT
Posted Wednesday, December 3, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Corus has been fined £150,000 with £50,000 costs at Grimsby Crown Court having admitted breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in the circumstances of the death in September 2000 of Michael McGovern, 40.
Mr McGovern, a locomotive driver at Corus's Scunthorpe operation, was crushed when a wagon derailed as it passed over points. The wagon came to rest in the track ballast but the locomotive engine continued its progress, striking the rear of the wagon and crushing Mr McGovern.
REACTIVE MAINTENANCE
Although it was not possible to determine with certainty the immediate cause of the unwitnessed derailment accident, HSE investigation attributed the event to an inadequate system of inspection and maintenance of the track, rolling stock and signalling system.
It was discovered there existed irregularities in wheel flange size and the points displayed an intermittent fault condition.
Legal representation for Corus explained how it has now installed a proactive system for maintenance overseen by a railway specialist.
"This incident demonstrated the dangers of relying on reactive maintenance when dealing with plant and machinery. Workplace transport is the second biggest cause of fatal accidents in British workplaces, killing around a hundred and injuring thousands of people every year. The vast majority of these accidents are preventable.
Our investigation concluded that the company's system of inspection, maintenance and repair was deficient. There were faults with the vehicle involved, intermittent faults in the points mechanism, as well as defects in the track and signals." - Dave Bradley, HSE investigating inspector.
WORKER SURVIVES 11KV EXPLOSION THAT MELTED HIS BOOTS
Posted Wednesday, December 3, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A workman who applied his pneumatic drill to an 11kV cable last week probably owes his life to his rubber soled footwear and the efforts of his colleagues when the power discharged through him setting light to his clothing.
According to one account the accident occurred on a road in Binley, Coventry, and the man who is employed by MTE Construction has sustained 20% burns.
5 PROHIBITION NOTICES, 14 IMPROVEMENT NOTICES IN MILTON KEYNES
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Business premises including factories, warehouses, retail businesses, nursing homes and construction sites in Milton Keynes were visited by a team of HSE Inspectors and Environmental Health Inspectors from Milton Keynes Council last week. Of the 120 workplaces visited by HSE officials it was deemed in 5 instances that there existed a risk of serious personal injury that required an activity to be stopped until remedial action was taken.
3 of the immediate prohibition notices served addressed the issues of falls from height and transport: one prevented use of formwork on a construction site because of the risk of falling; one prevented use of an unsafe access cage on the forks of a forklift truck; use of an excavator on a construction site was also prohibited because of a lack of visibility from the cab; two other prohibition notices prevented use of dangerous machinery until additional guarding had been provided, or overridden existing safeguards had been reinstated.
Environmental Health Officers visited another 25 premises, serving several enforcement notices.
NOT ALL BAD NEWS!
Employers were required to make improvements in health and safety associated with transport, manual handling, prevention of occupational asthma, and noise.
Improvement notices were issued requiring: the provision of proper handling and storage arrangements for highly flammable liquids;
improvement in electrical safety & proper management of hot surfaces in a nursing home.
"Many firms had clearly made good attempts to comply with health and safety legislation and at most visits, only advice, written or verbal was given. Nonetheless, it is disappointing that so many notices were needed. Inspectors also identified a number of other situations where formal enforcement action was not taken as firms agreed to take immediate steps to prevent risks to health and safety, for example, by voluntarily taking out of use dangerous machinery or electrical equipment. The risks were not only to employees, but also to members of the public. In one case, work on a town centre construction site was stopped voluntarily when the inspector identified a lack of effective precautions to prevent risk to members of the public passing by.
The news is not all bad: we did find a number of the firms visited demonstrating good standards of health and safety performance and showing what can be done to control risks to employees. However, I would advise all employers to be more active in protecting their employees from injury by assessing their health and safety standards: not just for the priority risks we are targeting, but also for all their activities." - Mike Harrison, HSE Principal Inspector.
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY DUTY HOLDERS BEWARE! HEALTHY HANDLING INITIATIVE ON HORIZON
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
If you are involved in some capacity in the construction industry in London, the East of England and the South East? Are you responsible for procurement, design and planning of future construction work?
The HSE Construction Division London, East and South East England wishes to give notice of an initiative to commence early in 2004 in which blitz activity throughout the region will focus exclusively on the four topics - housekeeping and organisation; lifting and carrying; wet cement; and hand-held vibrating equipment.
HSE Construction Division Inspectors will be carrying out the Healthy Handling blitz designed to determine on an individual site/ case basis if adequate steps are being taken by duty holders to prevent the long-term disability that can arise during the handling and use of tools, materials, articles and substances resulting in fractures, strains, musculo-skeletal disorders, dermatitis, cement burns, hearing loss and hand arm vibration syndrome.
RISK ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING
HSE reminds duty holders that these matters should be considered in designer and contractor risk assessments and covered in the project health and safety plan that is accepted by the client before work starts.
HSE say enforcement action may be taken where adequate precautions are not in place. Inspectors will follow up any deficiencies with clients, designers and planning supervisors where appropriate.
Free information is available from the HSE Infoline on 08701 545500 and from the HSE construction website .
Site visits will focus exclusively on the topics below unless other matters of evident concern are discovered. Inspectors will expect to see the following measures in place if dutyholders are to avoid the harm identified:
HOUSEKEEPING AND ORGANISATION - fractures and strains - clean, tidy and well organised sites with access routes free from obstructions; materials safely stored and placed near where they are needed.
LIFTING AND CARRYING - musculo-skeletal disorders - mechanised where possible and clear assessment of all significant manual handling tasks; handlers instructed and trained in both general and specific safe handling techniques.
WET CEMENT - cement dermatitis and burns - control of exposure to wet cement and simple health surveillance procedures; hot and cold running water, adequate sized basins and means of washing and drying hands.
HAND-HELD VIBRATING EQUIPMENT - hearing loss and hand arm vibration syndrome - information obtained on noise and vibration levels and risk assessments carried out to determine safe periods of exposure; maintenance systems for all hand-held equipment that produces noise and vibration.
INSPECTORS ISSUED PROHIBITION NOTICE OVER UNSAFE WORK AT HEIGHT
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
During a recent HSE surprise blitz of 47 companies in Lowestoft carried out by 12 inspectors one Prohibition Notice was served on a company for permitting work at height without fall protection. Generally the officials found good standards but at some companies there was still room for improvement - standards at many were reasonable, but some companies were not adequately controlling risks to their staff from workplace transport, working at height, slips and trips and working with hazardous chemicals
In total eight Improvement Notices were issued. These related to workplace transport and the risk of slips and trips. Incidents in the area during the year have included several accidents resulting from vehicle movement, lifting and from slipping or tripping.
"We were encouraged to see that many firms take the issue of health and safety in the workplace very seriously and had good standards. However, during one visit we were disappointed to find employees working at height without appropriate fall prevention measures, an activity so dangerous that a Prohibition Notice was issued to stop this immediately." - Eddie Scoggins, HSE Inspector, Norfolk and Suffolk.
SKIN CANCER INCIDENCE OUTPACES RISES IN OTHER FORMS OF THE DISEASE
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The Office for National Statistics figures published last week show cases of skin cancer, likely to be related in some cases to long exposure to the ultraviolet component of sunlight, and mesothelioma resulting from asbestos exposures to the workforce last century, continue to rise.
Through the 10 years corresponding to the 1990's male malignant melanoma rose by nearly two-thirds, making it the fastest growing disease of its kind. Experts are also concerned about the effect that the use of sunbeds may have long term. Many sun-tanning premises are now offering 'season tickets' backed by radio advertising campaigns, to induce greater use of their facilities.
TWO PEOPLE STRUCK BY HOARDING
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
A man was in a stable condition in a Belfast hospital after he and a woman were injured by a falling building site boundary hoarding in the City's High Street at the weekend. The woman was only slightly injured.
WORK IN BOILERHOUSE EXPOSED WORKMEN TO ASBESTOS
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
In January 2002 two insulation contractors, Malcolm Brewer and Mark Reeve from Wessex Insulation Ltd of Weymouth, were sub-contracted to carry out work which involved stripping and re-lagging pipework in a boilerhouse at the Ministry of Defence's Lulworth camp site near Bournemouth, Dorset. Mr Brewer and Mr Reeve carried out the work unaware that the resulting debris contained high levels of blue, brown and white asbestos.
As a consequence, two companies working for the Ministry Of Defence were fined £50,000 and a further £144,000 in costs at Bournemouth Crown Court for failing to prevent the exposure of the two workers to asbestos while they worked.
Serco Ltd, based in Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, and Sovereign Consultancy Services Ltd, with offices in Leeds were charged with a breach of S.3(1) of The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
GIVE IT UP SAY BEREAVED FAMILIES
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents observes that many motorists are apparently more interested in trying to find ways to continue using a phone, rather than accepting that phone conversation while driving is hazardous. The mobile phone and accessory industry continues to promote the use of hands-free kits as safe. RoSPA says it knows of more than 20 deaths on Britain’s roads involving mobile phones - hands-free phones were being used in at least two of those tragedies.
Families of two people killed in mobile phone road accidents join RoSPA in urging drivers not to try to get around the new law banning the use of hand-held phones while at the wheel.
“If you have a mobile phone, whether it is hand-held or hands-free, you should switch if off when you get into your vehicle and not turn it on until you are parked in a safe place. The law may only cover hand-held phones, but that does not mean hands-free kits are safe to use when driving.
Employers could play a major part in making this law even more effective if they stopped their workers using mobiles when driving on company business.
Research clearly shows that using a hands-free phone while driving is just as dangerous as using a hand-held phone – there is little point in having both hands connected to the steering wheel, if the brain is not connected to the hands.” - Kevin Clinton, RoSPA Head of Road Safety.
“The only safe thing to do is to not have your mobile phone switched on when you are driving. I would hate to see other families having to suffer needlessly in the way we have done, just because a driver puts a phone call before someone’s life.” - Val Hammond whose daughter Carol Pattinson, aged 32, was killed by a driver hanging up his mobile phone.
“My daughter would be alive today if this law had been introduced earlier. Any phone call while driving is dangerous. It is the height of selfishness to risk people’s lives for the sake of a call.” - Lynda Hudd, whose daughter Rebekka, aged 11, died when she was hit by a driver on a mobile phone.
SHELTERED HOUSING FIRE
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Police and Tayside Fire Service are investigating the cause of a fire at a large sheltered housing unit in Dundee. A heat detector activated on Sunday afternoon and arriving firefighters assisted in the evacuation of residents.
Several firefighters conducted a search of the 36 individual units of the smoke-logged premises using breathing apparatus.
A spokesman for the service expressed the view that it was only good fortune that prevented casualties among the elderly residents.
TREE SURGEON SUFFERS CHAINSAW WOUND IN TREE
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
An arboricultural worker sustained a severe arm injury inflicted by his chainsaw in Woodbury, Devon last week.
According to one account he required to be rescued from a height of 10 metres by his colleague.
BRIDE LOSES LEGS AFTER ACCIDENT
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Dawn Auty, 42, being taken to her wedding on Saturday by a hired three-wheeled motorcycle, has lost her legs after emergency services attended a horrific accident in Blackpool in which, it would appear, her wedding dress became entangled in the motorcycle's moving parts.
She is reported to be in a stable condition.
ATV SAFETY IN FARMING INITIATIVE BEGINS – TEESIDE & WEARDALE TARGETED
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Transport-related incidents, including ATVs, accounted for 12 of the 32 fatal accidents in agriculture last year. Because they have consistently been a significant cause of fatal & major injuries to rural workers, during December HSE inspectors will be targeting quad bike (ATV) users on farms in Teesdale & Weardale. It was in this region that a gamekeeper was killed last year while riding a quad bike. When on farms inspectors will consider aspects of training, head protection & maintenance, particularly tyre pressures, brakes & steering. Suppliers of the equipment are also being visited.
Agriculture Information Sheet No. 33 on ATV safety offers advice, see the HSE web-site.
"If an impact is to be made on the injury toll, preventing transport-related accidents must be a priority for all farmers. ATV safety is an important part of that. Our inspectors commonly meet farmers who think they don't need to wear a helmet or get any formal training.
During the blitz we will to take enforcement action, including issuing Prohibition & Improvement Notices where appropriate & I would urge everyone in the industry to ensure that they and their equipment meet the required standards." - Peter Dodman, HSE's Principal Inspector responsible for agricultural activities in the area.
INQUEST INTO WORKPLACE DEATH
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
An inquest has commenced into the death of Daniel Askew, 22, from Pembrokeshire who sustained injuries in a fall from a scaffolding structure earlier this month.
Mr Askew was engaged in work for Philip Handley Transport, Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire.
STRAY FIREWORK HITS WOLVES SUPPORTER IN FACE
Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2003 by Ahmed Khan
Onlooking spectators watched in horror as a firework display performed by pyrotchnics company, Jubillee Fireworks, at Wolves' Molineux ground went badly wrong as a rocket seemingly toppled from the vertical and fired across the pitch and struck Denise Butler, inflicting a facial laceration.
Several other fans required assistance from the ambulance service.