GAS FITTER BECOMES FIRST EVER PERSON TO BE JAILED FOR WORKING UNREGISTERED!
Posted Monday, May 27, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The first gas fitter to be jailed for working without being legally registered was given a 4 month sentence at Derwent Magistrates' Court, Derby, on 7 May.
Mark Towle, of Crawford Avenue, Stapleford, Nottingham, was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) under Section 33(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in contravention of the requirements imposed by a Prohibition Notice. The Notice prohibited Mr Towle from undertaking work in relation to gas fittings until he was Corgi registered & competent. The notice was issued as the result of an HSE/CORGI investigation into a dangerous gas fitting in 1999.
He was charged under Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998, Regulation 3 (3) in that he carried out work in relation to a gas fitting whilst not a member of CORGI & under regulation 3 (7) in that he falsely pretended to be CORGI registered.
He was jailed for 4 months for breaking the prohibition order.
In sentencing, the Magistrate stated that, after considering all the facts, the matter was so serious that a custodial sentence was justified. Mr Towle had continued to undertake gas work despite the Prohibition Notice. They stated that Mr Towle should serve no less than half the 4 month sentence & that there were no separate penalties for the other matters.
HSE Inspector Mark Dawson, who prosecuted the case, said: "This sentence reflects the most serious nature of the breaches & should act as a warning to those gas installers who are not members of CORGI but who continue to undertake gas work. Prohibition notices are issued when HSE inspectors consider there to be a risk of serious personal injury arising from any work activity. The breach of a prohibition notice is one of the most serious matters in health &
safety law & the penalties that may be imposed reflect this.
"Every year about 30 people die & 200 suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of faulty gas fires, central heating boilers, cookers & other appliances. There are tight laws to try to prevent these kinds of incidents & the HSE's job is to make sure these laws are enforced."
43 NORTH EAST CONSTRUCTION SITES CLOSED DOWN!
Posted Friday, May 24, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A health and safety blitz on North-East construction sites has revealed shocking levels of safety problems.
More than half the sites in the region visited by inspectors last week have been issued with prohibition notices because of serious safety risks, mostly associated with hazards in working at heights. It follows a similar Health and Safety Executive (HSE) programme in London.
Inspectors visited 69 building sites & issued prohibition notices at 43, as well as 6 improvement notices. The prohibition notices stopped work on the sites until the problems found were rectified. Inspectors found people working near roof openings, on unsafe scaffolding & on high platforms without edge protection. Bill McKay, of the HSE in the North-East, said: "This blitz has shown that working practices on many sites are totally unacceptable."
THERE WERE 114 FATAL INJURIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LAST YEAR, NEARLY HALF CAUSED BY FALLS.
NEW CODE CALLS FOR LIMIT ON COMPANY CAR DRIVER MILES
Posted Tuesday, May 21, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Three new codes to cut the number of accidents involving company car and van drivers will be launched by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents at a seminar next month.
RoSPA wants professional and trade associations, unions, local authorities, insurers, police and safety groups to sign up to the guidelines covering speed, driver fatigue and driver competence.
Recommendations to employers include: safe journey planning, with limits on the number of miles their drivers are allowed to cover in a day; possibly introducing "black box" technology to check on speeds; not letting people drive powerful cars unless they have proved they have the correct skills and attitude; taking action against persistent speeders; and assessing drivers to see if they need training.
About 1,000 of Britain's annual road deaths involve people who are on the road when at work - making it the country's biggest occupational safety problem. Company car and van drivers have been shown to have a poor accident record when compared with other drivers.
The three ten-point safety codes will be launched at a seminar on The Practical Aspects of Managing Occupational Road Risk at Volvo Truck and Bus, Warwick, on June 18. Fleet bosses, transport operators, safety and human resources managers, insurance brokers and solicitors are among those urged to attend.
Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, said: "Employers can no longer afford to avoid this vital safety issue. The Government's task force on work-related road safety has shown there is a massive consensus for action.
"It is in the interests of every company and their employees to sign up to our codes covering the key areas of speed, fatigue and driver competence.
"When driving to locations to carry out other work tasks, drivers should not normally be behind the wheel for more than 350 miles in a single day. If they are, we believe they will be too tired to be on the road and are likely to speed to get the job done.
"Black box technology can help employers monitor the way people are driving and allow them to spot speeders and erratic drivers. Research shows that it is often the more powerful company cars that are involved in speeding incidents. Driver training has been proved to make people less likely to have accidents."
SIMPLY WORKWEAR SUPPLIES APRONS FOR QUEEN'S JUBILEE VISIT!
Posted Friday, May 3, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Her Majesty the Queen will be carrying out a number of Official Engagements on her Jubilee Tour of the North East in early May - including a visit to South Shields where she will attend an official lunch at the Town Hall!
Simply Workwear are delighted to announce that they have been selected by South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council to supply waitress aprons for the Queen's visit!
COULD THIS BE ROYAL APPROVAL???