FREE SAFETY ADVICE IN FIFE
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
'Improved safety can boost profits and productivity' is the theme of a free HSE seminar for businesses in Fife targeting large and small organisations at a seminar in Glenrothes being held next month.
HSE in partnership with the Small Business Gateway aims to assist businesses identify what steps they need to take to ensure they provide a safe and healthy working environment for their employees. Significantly, HSE Inspectors will be carrying out a programme of inspections in Fife around the time of the seminar, focusing mainly on manufacturing and industrial premises.
The Health and Safety Awareness Seminar takes place in Kingdom House, Saltire Centre, Glenrothes, on Wednesday November 20, from 11.30am until 2.20pm.
Safer working environment - increased profitability
Fiona Craig, HM Inspector of Health and Safety said: "Regardless of whether your business is big or small, controlling the health and safety of you and your employees from work activities needs to be addressed. The need to produce risk assessments and safety policies may appear cumbersome, but they will help you identify risks and have measures in place to enable you to manage health and safety more effectively. A safer working environment will almost certainly increase profitability as well as reduce the risk of accidents at work."
Those attending will have the opportunity to seek advice on matters specific to their business. Free New Business Packs, leaflets and sources of information sheets will be provided.
To attend contact Linda McCallie of the Small Business Gateway on 01592 623 072.
CHILD FELL TO HIS DEATH AFTER ACCESSING SCAFFOLDING
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A boy of 12 who accessed a contractor's scaffolding structure erected around an occupied building, fell 11 metres to his death on 18th January 2000. Construction firm Galliford Hodgson Ltd of Chelmsford, Essex, which was the principal contractor on the site at Alfred House, Hackney, pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in the circumstances of the accident. It was fined £40,000 at the Old Bailey for the breach, with costs of £11,150. It had failed to prevent unauthorised access to the scaffolding.
It is thought that the boy while playing with 3 other boys fell over guard rails while negotiating a change in level between adjacent parts of the scaffolding, which he climbed onto from a balcony. He died of his head injuries.
Robust fencing should have been used to prevent access to the scaffolding from the balcony, but no such barrier was present at the time of the accident.
Philip White, HSE’s construction division, head of operations for London, East and South East, said: “This case emphasises that all those involved with refurbishment of occupied premises, including principal contractors and clients, need to think carefully about how members of the public, children in particular, might be harmed by construction work.
Companies must take this issue seriously and carry out a proper risk assessment so that they can adopt appropriate safety measures. In situations where there is a risk of children climbing onto scaffolding, suitable barriers such as mesh fencing should be erected to prevent access from balconies and walkways.”
NO TOAST TODAY!
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Many employers are hurriedly finalising safety preparations in view of the impending fire service strike action. Measures deemed necessary range from banning the use of toasters in hospital premises to prevent triggering responses from possibly hard-pressed army personnel in Green Goddesses .... to more in-depth appraisal of matters such as the adequacy of arrangements for the evacuation of the disabled in the event of fire.
Fire risk assessments in particular require review, given the potential withdrawal of the sophisticated and speedy rescue facility offered by the fire service being replaced by the slower response times expected when the army attends emergencies.
Some are considering the option of postponement of certain hot-work activities, and of work requiring entry into confined spaces. Local authorities are known to be putting in place plans to enhance out-of -hours surveillance of buildings.
Typical of the reaction is that of Northumberland and Tyne and Wear Health Authority who have augmented staff training and set up special teams trained to respond to small outbreaks of fire.
Nissan has prepared at its Washington site by investing a further £40,000 in fire fighting equipment and establishing fire-safety teams for 24-hour cover.
FATAL ACCIDENT AT DUNLOP
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
It has been reported that an employee of Dunlop has died in an accident last week at its plant in Wear Industrial Estate, Washington, Tyne and Wear.
A spokesman for the HSE said: "It is our understanding that the man was crushed between a tractor and a gritter unit."
TEACHER TO FACE MANSLAUGHTER AND S.7 HSW CHARGES
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A 42 year old teacher at Fleetwood High School has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a 10 year old pupil who drowned during a school outing to Glenridding, in the Lake District in May this year.
He also faces the seldom used charge that he breached s.7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in the circumstances of the accident.
The pupil's mother attempted a rescue but she was also swept away but survived, being later rescued from the water unconscious.
SCAFFOLDER ENTERTAINS!
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A scaffolder who seized his back while up 4 lifts on a scaffold structure had to be rescued by the fire service last week. The emergency provided dramatic entertainment for a sizable crowd of onlookers in the centre of Bath after Jamie Davis, 29, collapsed in severe pain.
Mr Davis remarked he had never previously experienced trouble with his back saying: "I just twisted round & I must have caught a nerve. I was paralysed with the pain. It was a bit embarrassing really."
NOISE EXPOSURE IN THE FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY
Posted Thursday, October 31, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Most food & drink industries have processes which emit high noise levels exceeding the current 85dB(A) & 90dB(A) Action Levels. Typically noise levels range from 85dB(A) to over 100dB(A).
The HSE has published new guidance, Sound solutions for the food & drink industries - Reducing noise in food & drink manufacturing industries, HSG 232, from which it is clear high noise levels can be reduced by relatively simple & inexpensive means. Irreversible hearing damage can be a consequence of such exposures.
The guidance has 60 'real life' case studies showing cost-effective ways of reducing the risk of hearing damage, successful solutions to actual problems. The new guidance: indicates food & drink processes associated with high noise levels & noise levels recorded at these processes, sets out the hierarchy of control measures to prevent noise exposure - considering noise data when purchasing machinery, designing out noise at source, segregating noisy machinery & processes from workers, enclosing machinery, reducing noise by engineering means & where all else fails, providing hearing protection & training in its use.
It also sets out 60 noise control solutions which have been found to work successfully for 10 of the noisiest processes & many other processes & covers the legal requirements.
Practical industry experience
Negotiations are currently underway in the EU on the final details of a new Noise Directive that lowers the action levels to 80 & 85 dB(A) & introduces a limit value of 87dB(A), above which exposure (taking hearing protection into account) will be prohibited. Adoption of this Directive is expected before the end of this year & all member states, including the UK, will then have 3 years to implement it in their own legislation.
Richard Morgan of the HSE's Food Sector said: "This guidance will be of help to those food & drink manufacturing industries where noise levels exceed the Action Levels . It draws together a lot of useful information drawn from practical industry experience, particularly on noise control solutions found to be successful. The contents of the guidance result from collaboration with food & drink manufacturers & should therefore be of benefit throughout these industries."
Information about reducing noise levels at source is also available in:
Reducing Noise at Work - Guidance on the Noise at Work Regulations 1989, L108, ISBN 0 7176 1511 1;
Sound Solutions - Techniques to reduce noise at work, HSG 138 , ISBN 0 7176 0791 7; and
HSE Information Sheet Reducing noise exposure in the food and drink industries, Food Information Sheet No.32. The HSE will be producing new guidance to accompany this new legislation.
Copies of Sound solutions for the food and drink industries - Reducing noise in food and drink manufacturing, HSG 232, ISBN 0 71762548 6, price £15.95, can be ordered online at www.hsebooks.co.uk .
JUDGE SCATHING OF ANTEDILUVIAN RAIL SAFETY
Posted Saturday, October 26, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Judge Anthony Thorpe, speaking of the rail accident in February when a Brighton to Portsmouth Connex South Central service hit a Fiat Ducato van on a "non-public" crossing at Lancing, West Sussex, described the safety arrangements at such crossings as providing "an inherently unsafe system allowed by Railtrack with inadequate sighting times for train lights to be visible to anyone crossing."
He added:"It was but for the grace of God that people were not killed that night. The origin of the timing requirement seems lost in the mists of time. I suspect it was very many years ago, perhaps even before 1900."
"... a further degree of scepticism"
The van driver, Anthony Watling, 43, was cleared by jury trial of endangering passengers, Chichester Crown Court heard that the Lancing crossing was one of 4000 such rural crossings which are not strictly "public" & whose gates are opened by a keyholder such as a farmer or local tradesmen.
Financial constraints meant that the upgrading of the crossing by installation of a £3000 phone link to the nearest signal box was deemed too expensive, a pittance set against the £1.2m costs of the accident.
Although Network Rail assumed control of the network earlier this month the judge demanded stricter safety guidelines: "The public is rightly concerned over safety on the railways & Railtrack has repeatedly sought to assure them that safety is paramount. Based on this case I suspect there will now be a further degree of scepticism about that assurance, particularly on the rural lines."
Railtrack responding through a spokesman maintains: "The safe operation of the railway is our first priority, without question. Level crossings have a 100% safety record when used correctly."
CHEMICAL INCIDENT AT ROLLS ROYCE FACTORY
Posted Saturday, October 26, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
It has been reported that more than 12 employees of Rolls-Royce at Hillington, Glasgow, were taken for treatment to the nearby Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, following a chemical incident with 3 of them needing immediate attention because they had breathing difficulties, the others attended more as a precautionary measure.
One report described a chemical process involving nitric acid reacting with another substance with violent effect releasing large quantities of gas or vapour.
A fire service spokesman said: "We have a full response crew at the incident including technical support & specialist advisers who are trying to identify what is involved. Tests are being carried out on the atmosphere & the area has been evacuated as a precaution."
CASH & CARRY FINED £15,000
Posted Saturday, October 26, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Sandwell Council has brought a successful prosecution against cash & carry firm Hyperama, of West Bromwich, magistrate John Spittle fining the company a total of £12,000 with £3582 costs, for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act by failing to ensure the safety of employees & non-employees.
The court heard the company pleaded guilty in respect of the accident in July last year in which an inadequately trained worker driving a forklift truck collided with a colleague who sustained a leg fracture.
KIDS WANT 'COOL' WINTER SAFETY WEAR!
Posted Saturday, October 26, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
With the dark winter nights approaching & with child safety in mind road safety charity Brake took a poll of schoolchildren from one of Britain's darker winter corners to gauge opinion over the practicality of wearing high-visibility reflective clothing as they trek in twilight & darkness to & from school.
Among 400 children aged 11-14 in Aberdeenshire such high-visibility clothing was deemed, perhaps unsurprisingly, "uncool."
While 87% acknowledged they would be safer so attired, only one third owned a reflector, only one sixth wore them, and while one quarter admitted they would feel safer if wearing one, less than 5% felt "cool" about them.
"Brake challenges clothing companies to design a range of high-visibility clothing that is trendy & affordable," concludes Chief Executive Mary Williams.
CORUS ACCEPTS LIABILITY
Posted Friday, October 25, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Steel makers Corus has accepted civil liability for the fatal accident at their Port Talbot plant which killed 3 & injured 12, some seriously, in a matter still under investigation by HSE.
One theory held by some is that the devastating explosion of molten steel was caused by the ingress of boiling water into a furnace. A decision on any possible prosecution is not expected to be made public until next year.
A company spokesman said: "It's about Corus facing up to its responsibility. We have a duty of care for those working on our sites. We are sorry for what happened & we apologise unreservedly."
NON-TRANSCO MEDIUM PRESSURE DUCTILE IRON GAS PIPES MUST BE REPLACED
Posted Thursday, October 24, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The HSE is warning occupiers of sites, including local authorities with their own gas mains, that medium pressure ductile iron (MPDI) pipes need to be replaced. HSE is also contacting the owners of other sites such as hospitals, universities, prisons, Ministry of Defence premises as well as some industrial & commercial premises, to eliminate any other potential problem areas.
Enforcement action was taken requiring Transco to carry out an accelerated programme of replacement of all their MPDI gas mains located within 30 metres of buildings, work which is nearing completion.
The risk of failure of MPDI mains located close to buildings is such that they should be replaced on all networks as soon as reasonably practicable. HSE is to begin a programme of work to ensure non-Transco MPDI networks are also replaced as soon as possible.
Ductile iron can fail unpredictably
Dan Mitchell, Head of Land Division, HSE Hazardous Installations Directorate comments: "Presently we don't know how many of these networks exist. Although Transco has brought a number to our attention, there may be many more. Occupiers of large sites and local authorities need to establish who own the pipes, determine what material they are made of and, where appropriate, implement a suitable programme of replacement.
The problem with ductile iron is that it can fail unpredictably. In view of this and the difficulties with accurately assessing its condition, mains close to property need to be replaced as soon as reasonably practicable. As Transco's programme is drawing to a close, HSE is now turning its attention to other organisations who may own MPDI networks. This is an important issue and inspectors will be taking a firm enforcement line to ensure occupiers take the necessary action promptly."
While HSE is currently focusing on MPDI networks, occupiers and local authorities should be aware that there is also an ageing population of cast iron and low pressure ductile iron networks which should be considered for replacement.
WORKSMART VIDEO COMPILATION
Posted Thursday, October 24, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The ground breaking series of mini-documentaries Worksmart by the HSE already aired in a TV series is now available on video. The Worksmart series has been screened in the North West, South, South East and North East of the country.
The series features real people talking about real experiences in the workplace involving loss of life, injury and ill health. Research on the impact of the programme in the North West shows a huge increase in the awareness of health and safety issues among workers in that region.
45 seconds
The 45-second programmes contain a wealth of stories that can be dramatic, humorous, moving, thought-provoking and even tragic.
Each programme raises a health and safety issue and offers a solution based on the subject's personal experience. Stories have been grouped together to reflect work activities that carry the highest accident and ill health incidence rates across a number of industries and sectors including construction, agriculture, stress, and musculoskeletal disorders.
The Worksmart Video compilation ISBN 0 7176 2573 3 price £25.00 plus
VAT can be ordered online at www.hsebooks.co.uk/ . The Worksmart DVD compilation is available early November 2002, priced £25.00 plus VAT, ISBN 0 7176 2579 6
UNDERTAKERS CONCERNED OVER INFECTION RISK
Posted Thursday, October 24, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Funeral Directors in Scotland are voicing concern about the risks they & their staff face in the course of their work which brings them into potential contact with pathogens such as hepatitis, HIV, TB, MRSA, CJD & hepatitis. In particular they bemoan the absence of consistent information on how the person died being relayed automatically in all cases.
Funeral director Gerard Boyle of Clydebank Cooperative Society comments: "I am concerned for the safety of my staff, myself & other people in the profession. The notification from hospitals to funeral directors is patchy with some hospitals telling us there is a risk of infection but not telling us what it is. We just want the same courtesy that is given to medical professionals when they treat the same people before they die. With no national code of conduct, the need for reform is high.
WELSH AUTHORITY FINED £100,000 OVER MARKSMAN INCIDENT
Posted Thursday, October 24, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Monmouthshire County Council, who pleaded guilty to 2 breaches of the Health & Safety at Work Act, has been fined £100,000, with £8,360 costs, over an incident during the foot & mouth disease outbreak in which a slaughterman with a gun was deemed to have endangered the public in the manner he conducted a cull of sheep. The slaughterman, Adrian Walker, shot the stray livestock from a distance of up to 30 metres at Gilwern, Abergavenny in April 2001.
Philip Marshall, prosecutor at Cardiff Crown Court critically described the Council's part in the incident: "A policy of tight containment should have been employed by the council," who had discussed using containment, but they had "embarked on an operation of which they had no real experience at all and sought no advice. There was no specific discussion on how to deal with an event such as a large number of stray animals."
Mr Walker had previously been found not guilty to breaching the same legislation.
STRESS - IS IT WORSE THAN WE THINK?
Posted Thursday, October 24, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The extent to which stress in the workplace may be a hidden killer may be underestimated warns RoSPA, who last week issued a 14-point 'Safety Under Stress Alert' to help tackle the problem. The Society hopes its initiative will spark a debate among health and safety advisers and safety representatives so that they can share ideas and contribute to guidance on how to stop stress-related accidents. Their concern stems from the possibility that a link between stress and accidents is widely overlooked.
Stress leads to error
Roger Bibbings, RoSPA Occupational Safety Adviser, says: "More than a million people are injured in occupational accidents each year, but we have no idea in how many cases stress experienced by employees - either in their private lives or at work - may have been a contributory factor. What we do know is that one in five people suffer from high levels of work-related stress and over 500,000 people take time off as a result. High stress levels are likely to lead to errors and these can increase the risk of accidents. Employers need to take positive steps to deal with this problem and prevent avoidable deaths and injuries."
Stress Alert
It is not only the person under stress who is at risk as they could be endangering their colleagues, members of the public and also production.
RoSPA's 14-point Safety Under Stress Alert includes warnings that:
people under stress are more likely to make mistakes at work that can contribute to accidents, high stress levels can affect concentration, information processing, decision-making and behaviour & workers undertaking safety-critical work should be a special focus for stress prevention and support.
RoSPA offers one-day courses on managing stress which are being held over the coming months, for more information visit www.rospa.com/stress
FATALITIES ON BERKSHIRE FARM
Posted Monday, October 21, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that 2 men have died in an accident at Loddon Park Farm, near Twyford, Berkshire on Saturday evening. According to Thames Valley Police both men received fatal injuries from being caught up in twine-binding equipment, it being surmised that one of the men had got into difficulties with the machine & the other attempted a rescue.
PESTICIDE INCIDENT REPORTS FALLING
Posted Monday, October 21, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
HSE has published its Pesticide Incidents Report for 2001/02. 167 (164, previous period) pesticide incidents were investigated by them during this period, 63 (lowest annual total recorded to date) of them involved allegations of ill health.
HSE's Pesticide Incidents Appraisal Panel (PIAP) has so far considered 35 of the ill-health cases confirming links between the allegations of ill health & exposure to pesticides in 2 of the 35 cases & classified the link as 'likely' in a further 8 cases.
47 enforcement notices under pesticide legislation were issued during the year & a total of 37 informations (charges) were brought before the courts. The courts awarded conditional discharges in respect of 21 charges & adjourned proceedings 'sine die' in a further 9. 7 convictions were secured for which the average fine imposed by the courts was £1,064. This compares with an average of £1,154 for 2000/01.
ENCOURAGING
Linda Williams, HM Chief Agricultural Inspector, commented: "A decrease, however small, in the number of complaints reported to & investigated by the HSE is encouraging. However, the figure varies a lot from year-to-year & was almost certainly affected by the reduced access to the countryside brought about by the Foot & Mouth outbreak last year. It is not therefore possible to detect any long-term trend.
As in previous years, the majority of complaints are from members of the public about agricultural crop spraying. I strongly advise farmers to heed the requirement to carry out & record a LERAP risk assessment before spraying adjacent to watercourses. I would also encourage them to give prior notification of the intention to apply pesticides to the occupiers of land, houses & other premises close to the target crop. By giving prior notification & taking measures to minimise spray drift, users can do a great deal to allay the concerns of neighbours & members of the public about possible ill health effects from pesticides."
PROSECUTION 'FIRST'
Complaints about spray drift from the application of agricultural pesticides represent the largest category of incidents investigated by HSE inspectors. Allegations that spraying has taken place in adverse weather conditions (generally when the wind speed is too high), &/or of failure to notify neighbours of an intended application, figure prominently. The case studies also include details of the first prosecution in Great Britain for failure to carry out a Local Environment Risk Assessment for Pesticides (LERAP) required so as to protect water & safeguard aquatic life forms.
Copies of the Pesticide Incidents Report 2001/02 are available from HSE (Agriculture & Wood Sector) at: www.hse.gov.uk/shadow/wwwroot/
agriculture/information.htm .
HSE GUIDANCE
Posted Monday, October 21, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The following guidance is now available direct from the HSE website:
INSPECTING FALL ARREST EQUIPMENT MADE FROM WEBBING OR ROPE INDG367
NOISE AT WORK - ADVICE FOR EMPLOYERS INDG362
PROTECT YOUR HEARING OR LOSE IT! PROTECT YOUR HEARING OR LOSE IT! INDG363
THE RIGHT START- WORK EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: HEALTH AND SAFETY BASICS FOR EMPLOYERS INDG364
PORTABLE NUCLEAR MOISTURE/DENSITY GAUGES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY - IONISING RADIATION INFORMATION SHEET NO 3
OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE AND HEALTH SURVEILLANCE AT INDUSTRIAL TREATMENT PLANTS - WOODWORKING SHEET NO 29 (REVISED)
WASTE INDUSTRY SAFETY AND HEALTH - REDUCING THE RISKS
FATAL ACCIDENTS AT A SHEET FED PRINTING PRESS PIAC BULLETIN 2002/01
HEROLD PAPER CUTTING GUILLOTINES WITH HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED SWEEPAWAY GUARDS PIAC BULLETIN NO 2002/02
BEHAVIOURAL STUDIES OF PEOPLE’S ATTITUDES TO WEARING HEARING PROTECTION AND HOW THESE MIGHT BE CHANGED RR 028
REDUCING RISK OF HAND-ARM VIBRATION INJURY FROM HAND-HELD POWER TOOLS - HSE 246/31
REGULATORY IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYSICAL AGENTS (VIBRATION) DIRECTIVE 2002/44/EC
NORTH EAST COUNCILS ACT ON UNSTABLE CEMETERY MONUMENTS
Posted Monday, October 21, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Local authorities in Newcastle, Sunderland & both South & North Tyneside are taking steps to make cemeteries safer places. The commencement of a 2-year programme is imminent, beginning with inspections to identify monuments requiring attention to render them safe. In what they perceive as a sensitive operation a Newcastle Council spokesman said: "If we do find any that are unsafe we will carry out repairs as we go along. We won't be putting yellow bags on gravestones or laying them flat. We will be contacting families where possible but once we identify a grave as being unsafe we become liable for it so we have to do the necessary repairs as soon as we can."
HIGH PRESSURE HOSE EXPLOSION RESULTS IN INJURY
Posted Monday, October 21, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
An HSE investigation is underway into the accident at Anson Ltd of Gateshead, who supply valves, manifolds & pipes to the offshore oil industry, which left a 41 year old employee in a high dependency hospital ward after a high pressure hose exploded causing a metal bolt to inflict serious leg injuries.
"A specialist from Leeds has been brought in to look at the hydraulic pressure equipment. But it is too early to say anymore at this stage," said Chris Gillies who is leading the HSE investigation at the company's Team Valley Industrial Estate premises.
MIX UP LED TO CHILDREN BEING SERVED DISHWASHER FLUID
Posted Monday, October 21, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
An incident with the potential for a serious outcome has fortunately passed without apparent injury at a day nursery when a member of staff inadvertently served dishwasher fluid to the children instead of orange juice. The employee who made the error was described by Wigan's Walkden Hall Private Nursery as a teenager on a work placement. Although several children were taken to hospital, all are apparently unharmed by their experience.
The local authority environmental health department & Ofsted, the licensing authority, are investigating the incident at the nursery managed by the Just Learning company whose spokesman said: "The nursery's own inquiry concluded that the accident was the result of human error.
The accident was immediately reported to Ofsted & the environmental health department who visited the nursery to check its procedures. The person involved is no longer working at the nursery."
The nursery has undertaken a review of its procedures covering the storage of chemicals.
COSHH - CONSULTATION BEGINS ON SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENT
Posted Friday, October 18, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The HSC has published a consultative document setting out proposals for making 2 significant changes to the forthcoming Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).
Users of substances classified by the European Union as Category 1 or 2 mutagens - substances that may cause heritable genetic defects - will have to apply the control measures that COSHH requires for carcinogens - substances which can cause cancer. The change implements part of the EU's 2nd Amendment to the 1990 Carcinogens Directive which extends the scope of the original directive to include the mutagens concerned.
TRIGLYCIDYL ISOCYANURATE
In practice, this will only affect the users of a substance known as triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) because it is the only mutagen not already classified as a carcinogen. TGIC is used most commonly as a curing agent in powder coating paints applied to industrial & household products, such as car parts, washing machines & refrigerators as well as architectural finishes & as a solder mask in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. In most cases, the main impact on employers will be the need to clean regularly & whenever necessary, floors, walls & other workplace surfaces in areas where preparations containing TGIC are used.
DIOXINS
The second change proposed in the consultative document would clarify the status of 17 'dioxins' by explicitly defining them as carcinogens. These substances, which are unwanted by-products of some industrial processes, have various toxic effects including carcinogenicity. On the advice of its Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances, HSC is recommending the reclassification in order that the stricter requirements in the COSHH Regulations for carcinogens will also be applied to the dioxins.
Workers in the aluminium recycling industry are the main occupational group with the potential for significant exposure to dioxins. The proposed change to COSHH would complement new guidance on dioxins for this sector, which the HSE expects to publish early next year.
HSE is preparing a Chemical Hazard Alert Notice (CHAN) to alert industry in general to the concerns about dioxins & to give employers information on their legal duties.
Dioxins are complex mixtures of chemicals generated by burning organic matter containing chlorine. They are ubiquitous in the environment & the foods we eat, especially fatty foods. If dioxins are absorbed beyond a safe level they have the potential to produce a wide range of biological effects including carcinogenicity & adverse effects on the immune & reproductive systems. They are also noted for their ability to accumulate in the body.
Copies of Proposals for amending the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, ref. CD184 are available from HSE Books and can be ordered online at http://www.hsebooks.co.uk/ . The Consultative Document can be downloaded at the HSE website - www.hse.gov.uk/condocs/index.htm.
HSE has prepared a preliminary Regulatory Impact Assessment for the proposed changes & this is included in the consultative document.
Respondents have until 10 January 2003 to submit comments on the consultative document's proposals. Following consideration of the responses & subject to the agreement of the HSC & Ministers, the proposed amendments to COSHH would come into force by the end of April 2003.
METALWORKING FLUIDS - NEW GUIDANCE
Posted Friday, October 18, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Major HSE new guidance on good practice standards for reducing health risks to workers exposed to metalworking fluids (MWFs) is now available. A series of promotional seminars organised by HSE & the Engineering Employers' Federation is underway.
The industry trade bodies who represent the fluid & machine suppliers, the relevant trade union, employers' representatives, & Envirowise, a government programme that provides practical environmental advice for business, have contributed to the guidance.
The main health concern associated with metalworking fluids is dermatitis, with around 200 cases reported each year, related to exposure to cutting oils & coolants. There is also an association between exposure to these fluids & respiratory effects, including bronchitis and asthma.
CURRENT PRACTICE
The new guidance follows studies showing current practice in control of MWF exposures in 31 engineering companies that show some cause for concern. Many of the companies visited were found to have poor control of fluid strength, poor sump replenishment methods & poor control of swarf, fines & tramp oil. Failing to manage sump fluid conditions can not only affect the quality of the machined work piece & tool life, but also increase the risk of ill health through increased bacteria & so on.
This new good practice guidance shows, through case studies & good practice, the steps needed to achieve control & also demonstrates that failings which result in increased worker exposure may also be reducing business profitability.
OPERATOR TASK SHEETS
The guidance pack includes task sheets for operators & a guidance value for airborne neat oil & water-mix MWF mist levels & sump fluid contaminants, such as bacteria. There will also be a poster, monitoring charts & much more aimed at making this a user-friendly package of guidance.
Copies of Working safely with metalworking fluids pack, ISBN 0 7176 2561 3, price £17.50 are available from HSE Books.
TRUST SCHOOL MISPLACED RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES
Posted Friday, October 18, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Northumbrian Educational Trust Ltd, the body which manages the private Westfield School in Gosforth, has been fined for breaches of safety legislation. The breaches relate to the loss, which may have occurred as early as 1997, of 3 radioactive isotopes of americium-241, cobalt-60 & strontium-90 used in physics lessons.
The school did not store the isotopes adequately nor keep records of their whereabouts at the time of a school refurbishment when the isotopes were moved from a lab to a boiler room & from where they disappeared.
SERIOUS OFFENCE
The Trust was fined £1,500 with £2,226 costs & made aware of the serious nature of the misdemeanour at Gosforth Magistrates Court - "These are very serious offences. The school lost track of potentially dangerous substances which were stored inappropriately & whose eventual fate is unknown. This lapse should simply not have occurred."
HSE's Chris Lucas commented: "They were inadequately stored despite concerns expressed by the school's physics teacher. They were put in the boiler room against his advice."
The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRR99) and the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance Work with Ionising Radiations is relevant to the keeping and use of radioactive substances.
NURSE'S INJURY RESULTS IN £400,000 COMPENSATION
Posted Friday, October 18, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Former nurse Angela Knott, 36, has succeeded in obtaining a sum in excess of £400,000 in damages, the outcome of a High Court judgment said to have considerable implications for members of the nursing profession who believe they have suffered loss through an employer's negligence in respect of musculoskeletal injury.
Mrs Knott maintained she sustained back damage moving patients while employed at Newham General Hospital, London, by Newham Healthcare NHS Trust & lists complaints of incontinence, diminished sexual function, pain & leg weakness as a consequence. She has additionally been advised not to have children.
PATIENT LIFTING
Of her experiences Mrs Knott said: "The ward I was on didn't have any staff, it's as simple as that. We were expected to constantly carry out lifting without any proper equipment. My back used to ache all the time, but I didn't take a lot of notice." Her representations to management did not result in any response.
It was deemed that Newham Healthcare NHS Trust's manual handling arrangements were "inadequate" as were the actions taken to reduce risk of musculoskeletal to the lowest level reasonably practicable.
UNISON’s National Officer Jon Richards gave his employer's view: “UNISON is very pleased to see that Mrs Knott has received decent compensation for the appalling back injuries that she received.
Around 3,600 nurses are forced to retire every year through back injuries – nurses that the NHS can ill afford to lose, this cannot be allowed to continue. Trusts must take seriously their responsibilities to staff & patients. It is an utter waste of NHS resources to train staff & then lose them through preventable injuries.
It is a very real problem if equipment is shared too thinly & if staff have not received proper training in its use. Staff shortages & the use of agency nurses add to that risk as staff may be unfamiliar with the equipment on a different ward.”
UNISON RAISES CONCERNS DURING SAFETY WEEK
Posted Friday, October 18, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
UNISON & The Centre for Corporate Accountability (CCA) have chosen Safety Week to publicly express concern over the apparent direction that HSE's inspection, investigation & prosecution is taking.
Raising the question of a possible shortage of resources available to the HSE, a joint CCA/UNISON report has identified what they say is '.. a serious decline in the number of workplace inspections - a 41% drop over the last 5 years.' & that ... 'last year 80% of "major" injuries to workers reported to the HSE, & 70% of "dangerous occurrences", were not even investigated.'
MORE RESOURCES
UNISON's Head of Health & Safety, Hugh Robertson comments: "This report exposes the massive variations in the level of inspections, investigation & prosecution by both region & sector. It also reveals that, rather than increasing, the number of safety inspections has fallen considerably over the past 5 years. Reducing the number of inspections is not the way to help prevent death & injury at work.
The answer lies in more resources. We need the HSE to be pro-actively supporting employers, but we also need more inspections, more investigations & more prosecutions of criminal employers."
SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS
The observations made are based on a detailed analysis of 5 years of raw HSE data.
David Bergman, Director of the Centre for Corporate Accountability, said: "The failure to investigate such a large number of major injuries & dangerous occurrences & to prosecute in such a small number of cases - has serious implications both for prevention in the future & also for ensuring proper accountability of those companies & individuals who have committed criminal offences."
HSC Deputy Head Justin McCracken remarked upon other areas in which HSE was engaged to improve workplace safety. On the matter of resourcing he commented: "Any regulator would like more resources to be able to do more inspections. But our job is to use the resources that we've got in the most effective way. What we have to do is try to get the balance between the different types of activity. We've reduced the amount of inspections we do in order to be able to do more enforcement & have other contacts with people."
KEY FINDINGS
The number of workplace inspections declined by 41% in the last 5 years - a decrease of 48,300 inspection contacts.
On average, a registered premise will receive an inspection once every 20 years.
1 in 10 construction sites received an inspection last year.
Not investigated in 2000/2001: 3% of deaths of workers; 10% of deaths of the public; 80% of major injuries to workers; 93% of major injuries to the public; 55% of industrial diseases.
Only 11% of investigated major injuries resulted in a prosecution.
In the 5 year period 82% of major injuries to trainees & those on work experience were not investigated - 935 not investigated out of a total of 1144.
Half as many deaths in Wales & the West resulted in a prosecution compared to the Midlands.
LOCAL AUTHORITY REVIEW SAFETY FOLLOWING FATAL RIVER ACCIDENT
Posted Thursday, October 17, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Nottingham City Council is to review the safety provisions alongside part of the River Trent following a fatal accident.
At an inquest into the death of a 24 year old man, who tripped, fell & drowned in the river at its Victoria Embankment in September, coroner Dr Nigel Chapman has stated he wishes to see better safety barriers, emergency telephones & rescue equipment at the location.
Speaking of the tragic accident he said: "I will be writing to the authorities asking them to consider improvements along the bank."
Nottingham City Council's Assistant Director of Contract Works, Bryn Orme said: "We have taken note of the coroner's comments & obviously this is something we shall look at. There are 11 lifebuoys along the embankment which are inspected daily. But in view of the advice from the inquest, we shall sit down with the coroner & the police to look in detail at his suggestions & how any additional safety features can best be implemented."
A verdict of accidental death was returned
WOMEN CRITICAL AFTER FAIRGROUND ACCIDENT
Posted Thursday, October 17, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A teenager has sustained serious injury in an accident at the Bomber ride at Hull fair. Her head injuries have left her in a critical condition. Four passengers who were stranded at the top of the ride required treatment for hypothermia. It is not known whether she was a passenger on the ride & fell 30 metres, as was suggested in one speculative account of the accident, or was somehow struck by it.
PETROL STATION PROPRIETOR FINED
Posted Thursday, October 17, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A proprietor of several petrol filling stations in Lancashire, has pleaded guilty to offences relating to his licence to keep petroleum spirit at Baxenden & Haslingden in the eastern part of the county. He was fined over £8,000 including costs. For contravening the prohibition notice preventing him dispensing fuel he was fined £5,000 with prosecution costs of £1,866.
The court heard of an inspection by local authority trading standards officers during June 2001 that discovered unlocked tank filling-pipes allowing access to the fuel tanks, no electrical safety certificate for the premises & a condemned fire extinguisher in the shop with access to others blocked.
On subsequent visits it was found the notice issued prohibiting sale of petrol had been ignored & unlocked fuel filling-pipes were found once more.
The proprietor's explanation was that the filling pipes had been left open following deliveries.
AUTHORITY ACTS ON ITS TREES!
Posted Thursday, October 17, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
In the wake of the prosecution of Birmingham City Council over the death of 3 people in 1999, other authorities are considering their position regarding how they should respond to the risk to the public from similar events. Castle Morpeth Borough Council in Northumberland looks set to act by allocating £45,000 to operate a proactive system of tree management by inspection. A final decision is yet to be made but the money will fund a salary for a competent IT resourced tree inspector.
TACKLING WORKPLACE STRESS - A WEEK OF EVENTS
Posted Monday, October 14, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Stress is the second major cause of work-related illness in the UK with 1 in 5 workers reporting their job as either very stressful or extremely stressful.
Occupational stress is one of HSC's Priority Programmes & recent HSE guidance aimed at helping managers undertake effective risk assessments to tackle stress in the workplace has been published. They are now working with partners from industry, local authorities & practitioners to help develop Management Standards that will act as a yardstick in measuring how successful employers actually are in dealing with this issue.
During this European Week for Safety and Health, between 14th & 18th October, many events will take place to raise awareness of what organisations can do to tackle stress in the workplace, establishing an environment in which to share knowledge & promote best practice.
"I am amazed at the complacent attitude to work-related stress in some quarters. Too often I hear phrases such as 'a little stress doesn't do any harm'. HSE research shows quite clearly that in monetary terms alone, work-related stress costs UK employers approximately £400 million per year. In terms of society, that figure reaches £4 billion. In human terms, depression, anxiety or a physical condition ascribed to work related stress - on average - results in half a million people per year reporting stress at levels that is making them ill.
No one should have to tackle stress on their own - regardless of whether they are an individual, organisation, or business. European Week for Safety and Health, which this year focuses on stress, is a catalyst for action to prevent stress & make work a better place.
The way forward is by working together, sharing knowledge & building foundations to put in place the policies, guidelines & eventually legislation that can not only overcome complacency about stress in the workplace but actually prevent the condition.
The HSC recognises that unless we tackle work related stress, we stand little chance of realising the challenging targets set in Revitalising Health & Safety & Securing Health Together. That is why we made stress one of our Priority Programmes. The HSC has agreed a programme of work that includes the development & dissemination of guidance & recognises as an important plank the need to develop Management Standards. I am very pleased that some of the big UK companies are working closely with HSE to develop these." - Bill Callaghan, HSC Chair.
"We intend using European Week to set out our expectations about what organisations should be doing immediately. We believe that they will have appreciated the business benefits of having staff in work & functioning well. We also expect that managers, in partnership with staff, will be implementing our guidance (HSG 218) & tackling work related stress & that everyone will be identifying best practice & sharing it." - Elizabeth Gyngell, HSE's Stress Priority Programme Manager.
RESOURCES
Tackling work-related stress: A manager's guide to improving & maintaining employee health & well-being, HSG 218, ISBN 0 7176 2050 6, price £7.95, is aimed at larger organisations.
For firms with fewer than 50 employees, there is a free booklet Work-related stress. Both are available from HSE Books.
A new training & resource website www.hse.gov.uk/resources ;
Encourage the sharing of case studies & best practice working www.ohstrategy.net
SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AROUND THE UK DURING STRESS WEEK:
STRESS CONFERENCE-LONDON - 14.10.02;
HSE AT WORK CONFERENCE - 15.10.02;
HSE PERSONNEL ISSUES FORUM - 14.10.02;
STRESS SEMINAR - BRADFORD - 14.10.02;
SAFETY & HEALTH PRACTITIONER - 15.10.02;
SAFETY & HEALTH PRACTITIONER; - 16.10.02;
KENT HEALTH AND SAFETY GROUP MEETING - 16.10.02;
HAMPSHIRE H,S&E GROUP - 16.10.02;
CARDIFF STRESS CONFERENCE - 16.10.02;
SHE SOLUTIONS EXHIBITION -
HARROGATE EXHIBITION CENTRE - 16.10.02;
KENT CC STRESS MANAGEMENT SEMINAR - 17.10.02;
STRESS WORKSHOP - NOTTINGHAM - 17.10.02;
ISMA - LONDON - 18.02.02
ACCIDENT PREVENTION - NEW TRENDS
Posted Monday, October 14, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has published a new report Issue 208 - RESEARCH ON WORK AND HEALTH: New trends in accident prevention due to the changing world of work.
The report considers the relationship between accident prevention & changes in the world of work in terms of: new risks versus old, impact of changes, precarious character of employment, increased mobility, size of companies & downsizing,
mobility of workers within the EU, 'change' as such & social acceptance & regulatory initiatives.
The report also considers research on successful accident prevention strategies & the changing world of work including: aspects to successful safety management, the changing world of work - an opportunity for safety promotion, anticipating new risks by dynamic management systems & integrated/holistic approach & sustainability.
PUPIL GIVEN WRONG MEDICATION
Posted Monday, October 14, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Aberdeen City Council has confirmed a pupil at one of their schools, Northfield Academy, received the drug Ritalin which should have been administered to another boy, despite the recipient pointing out the error to the teacher. The teacher should have given the tablet to another to control hyperactive behaviour.
A spokesman for the City Council explained: "The mistake happened in the first place because a teacher was dealing with two separate incidents involving pupils of the same first name & the wrong child was sent for medication & received a half dose of a Ritalin tablet. As soon as the mistake became apparent medical advice was sought & the pupil concerned was monitored as a precaution throughout the rest of the day. He has suffered no adverse effects."
Procedures have now been amended to reduce the possibility of a repetition.
ELDERLY CITIZENS CLASH OVER SMOKING
Posted Monday, October 14, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Trafford Council have decided that communal areas in their sheltered housing complexes shall remain tobacco-smoke free at the end of a year-long row that became so heated at one stage that police had to intervene.
Residents James Harper, 84, and Hilda Goodwin, 75, prime movers in the anti-tobacco smoke case, are now deeply unpopular with other residents who make it clear they are no longer wanted at the Lostock Court complex in Stretford.
Mr Harper said "We have succeeded in persuading them to change the policy on smoking. I've got asthma & smoking prevents us from using the communal room."
David Acton, Trafford Council leader commented: "We have done a full consultation & taken legal advice. We are trying to protect people's health from secondary smoking. It doesn't stop people smoking. It just stops them smoking in communal rooms & I think that's the right decision."
ELECTRICIAN SERIOUSLY INJURED
Posted Monday, October 14, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A 37 year old electrician probably owes his life to the workbench he was standing at when it deflected some of the impact of a one-tonne lorry trailer roof that fell on him at the premises of Gray and Adams, Fraserburgh, earlier this week.
The electrician is in a stable condition in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with a fractured skull & multiple other fractures. It is understood he was working at the time underneath a crane being used to support the 10-metre long lorry roof. According to one unconfirmed & speculative account published in the press, the cables supporting the load had failed.
TREE SURGEON WAS ENGULFED BY FLAMES
Posted Monday, October 14, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A 28 year old experienced tree surgeon, lost his life after he became engulfed by flames while he worked 15 metres up in a tree in Rothbury, Northumberland in June. An inquest into his death at Bedlington Magistrates Court heard an account of the dramatic &
tragic events after trimmed branches fell onto a bonfire below the pine tree which in turn rapidly ignited. The property owner tried to extinguish the fire & shouted urgent warnings, despite this he later fell from the tree & died at the scene.
The cause of death was extensive burns & he sustained fractured vertebrae in the fall, a verdict of accidental death was reached.
HSE investigating inspector, David Bell, said: "He was working in a harness & with crampons & using a specialist chainsaw. Normally he would have worked with his own groundsman, but there is no evidence anyone could have done anything to save his life."
ROAD HAULAGE SAFETY BLITZ IN GRAMPIAN
Posted Monday, October 14, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Road haulage companies in Grampian should be aware of the commencement this week of an HSE blitz on road haulage safety standards across Grampian. Its inspectors are carrying out the blitz in a bid to cut down on the unacceptable level of injuries in the industry - 16 workers died in the road haulage industry between April 2000 & March 2001, over 1,000 workers suffered major injuries.
The Grampian blitz is part of the intervention strategies developed by the HSE Aberdeen to improve health & safety amongst the peripatetic workforce within the industry. They will visit a sample of road haulage companies across the area & assess the dutyholders' health & safety arrangements for on & off site transport risks (excluding 'on road' issues).
BUILDING FACADES - FREE LEAFLET ON LIMITATION & LIABILITY
Posted Friday, October 11, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The DTI has funded a free leaflet advising building owners & occupiers on legal liability & damage limitation in respect of building façades. It will be of interest to designers & planning supervisors with CDM project duties.
The BRE in co-operation with Lane & Partners, Hammond Suddards Edge & the Association of British Insurers, produced the guidance advising owners & occupiers of their legal responsibility to ensure this aspect of their buildings is safe & of liabilities arising when injury or damage is caused by part of the façade falling.
The façade forms the external weatherproof envelope. In modern buildings it is often attached to the building frame, making no contribution to structural stability. Many different types of construction can be used, such as profiled metal sheets, cladding panels or glass & aluminium curtain walling. Each has advantages & disadvantages that need to be understood if the façade is to be maintained & risks properly managed.
Risk management involves understanding the risks & implementing the practical actions necessary to deal with them appropriately. Proper management procedures will help owners & occupiers to demonstrate to insurers & the courts that they have taken reasonable steps towards discharging their legal responsibilities.
The guide can be downloaded from the BRE website at www.bre.co.uk/services/Facades.html .
YOUR OFFICE FIRE - New Video!
Posted Thursday, October 10, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A new BRE fire safety video poses the question - how would you feel if through your own carelessness your job ceased to exist?.
Your Office Fire follows the Front Room Fire videos that have been widely used as training aids & for television broadcasts. It provides a vivid demonstration of the possible consequences of an office fire & the speed at which it can destroy an office. Office workers are advised on the simple precautions that they can take to avoid this disaster.
Aimed at fire safety trainers, fire professionals & health and safety managers, the video will help organisations to meet current legislation that calls for specific fire training in the workplace.
JUST 4 MINUTES
The progress of a fire in an office, built for this purpose by Underwriters Laboratories, is recorded in real time from ignition to flashover, taking just 4 minutes. The furniture used met current regulations & the ignition source was a chemical igniter designed to simulate an overloaded electrical socket that ignites a nearby plastic waste bin full of waste paper.
Your Office Fire is available priced £48 (plus VAT), from BRE’s on-line bookshop http://www.brebookshop.com/
BACKCARE AWARENESS WEEK
Posted Thursday, October 10, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The charity BackCare, formerly the National Back Pain Association, is running its awareness week from 14th - 18th October featuring nationwide events & activities, all with the underlying theme of prevention in the workplace & schools.
Local branches of BackCare will be involved, all to raise awareness of the impact of back pain.
SPRINKLERS COULD HAVE CONTROLLED SCHOOL FIRE!
Posted Thursday, October 10, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Another Yorkshire school has gone up in flames, the work it is suspected of arsonists. The fire at Simpson's Lane Junior & Infant School, Knottingley near Castleford, at the weekend caused damages to the extent of an estimated £500,000.
In the professional opinion of West Yorkshire Fire Service's David Gardiner, a fire investigation officer: "Sprinklers would have controlled this fire until the fire brigade arrived & possibly even extinguished it."
Fewer than 1 in 100 hundred Yorkshire schools has sprinkler systems installed.
Sprinkler systems in schools would require investments of between £40,000 & £200,000 depending on size of school & at the moment education authorities see a better return for this sort of money in other budgetary areas.
However, Zurich Insurance who provide cover for education departments report the cost of fire in schools in the UK has risen from £41million in 1998/99 to £93million in 2000/01, providing a progression which may force authorities to reconsider.
FARMS FAIL TO MEASURE UP TO SAFETY STANDARDS
Posted Wednesday, October 9, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
1 in 5 farms in East Hertfordshire & Uttlesford visited by HSE inspectors last week failed to meet key safety standards - 45 Enforcement Notices, 22 of which required work to stop immediately were issued. The dangers are sadly sometimes realised on farms, in the last reporting year an Essex man died falling off an unsecured ladder.
Many of the 22 Prohibition Notices were issued for poorly-guarded machinery, which can make activities extremely high risk. On one farm, inspectors found an unguarded power take-off (PTO) shaft on a power harrow, which rotates at speeds of up to 1,000 rpm. A worker becoming entangled in the shaft would be likely to sustain a fatal injury.
COMMENDABLE STANDARDS
Simon Longbottom, the HSE Principal Inspector who led the blitz, says: "Some activities were so dangerous that we took immediate action to stop them, for the safety of the farmers & employees concerned. In most of these cases, it was simple & inexpensive for farmers to deal with the risk; for example by replacing guards.
On some farms we found a very high awareness of health & safety issues together with high standards & this was commendable, showing what can be achieved. But many farmers do need to make better use of the many local agricultural training groups to update their knowledge & train employees."
RISK ASSESMENTS
Mr Longbottom added: "Many farmers told us they did not work at height & so did not think they needed to consider the risks of this activity. This is not the case. We often find that farmers suddenly discover they have a problem such as a damaged roof & need to carry out emergency work. They must have a plan for doing this sort of work safely, so we've required several farmers to produce risk assessments."
Inspectors served 23 Improvement Notices, issues of concern included:
poor planning for work at height, lack of maintenance of tractor & trailer brakes, insufficient driver training for vehicles such as telehandlers & all-terrain vehicles & inadequate training & instruction in manual handling.
Poorly stored pesticides also worried inspectors.
SWIMMING INSTRUCTER TO FACE MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE
Posted Wednesday, October 9, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A 53 year old swimming instructress is to face a manslaughter charge in connection with the death of Emma Farrar, 4, who drowned during a lesson at the Woodlands School pool, Blackpool, on November 13th 2001.
ASBESTOS REMOVAL COMPANY HEAVILY FINED
Posted Wednesday, October 9, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Pectel Ltd has been fined for safety lapses after it failed to properly contain asbestos on the former Merseyside Power Station building site in Bromborough, Merseyside.
The company, while contracted to remove asbestos for the construction company Keltbray in 1999, permitted asbestos to accumulate on the ground, something noticed & reported by workers on a neighbouring premises.
Pectel Ltd pleaded guilty to the charges & was fined £8,000 with £37,500 HSE costs at Wallasey Magistrates Court.
Keltbray, similarily charged, had its case dismissed.
Nigel Lawrence for the prosecution said: "Pectel is a specialist asbestos removal company which was hired by Keltbray to work on the demolition of the old power station. Pectel had a duty to prevent the spread of asbestos & protect its staff & people nearby."
HSE BLITZ STRATEGY CONSIDERED A SUCCESS
Posted Wednesday, October 9, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
HSE considers their blitz strategy, such as in the recent operation in Milton Keynes, to be effective in promoting better safety standards. The Milton Keynes exercise was a typical blitz involving 12 HSE inspectors whose work has highlighted some cause for concern regarding health & safety.
The visits were made to 38 workplaces of all sizes & as a result identified situations requiring the issue of 28 enforcement notices, including 2 immediate prohibition notices to stop activities that the inspector considered to involve a risk of serious injury.
Both the immediate prohibition notices served addressed the issue of falls from height. One prevented employees unloading stored materials from 10-metres high racking until adequate arrangements for safe access had been provided & the other prevented use of an unsafe access cage on the forks of a fork lift truck.
Other notices required improvements to be made in edge protection & access arrangements to mezzanine storage areas to prevent falls.
"Disappointing"
HSE Principal Inspector Mike Harrison said: "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 & safety, for example, by voluntarily taking out of use dangerous machinery or electrical equipment.
However we found a number of the firms visited demonstrated good standards of health & safety performance, showing what can be done to control risks to employees. I would advise all employers to be more active in protecting their employees from injury by assessing their health & safety standards not just for the priority risks we are targeting, but also for all their activities. Poor health & safety standards at work not only put workers at risk of serious injury, but can also seriously damage profits."
TOUGH WORDS DIRECTED AT GOVERNMENT OVER PERCIEVED INACTION ON WORKPLACE SMOKING
Posted Tuesday, October 8, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Judging by the results of a survey of Britain’s workers most are of the opinion that their right to a smoke-free working environment far outweighs the right of people to smoke, with a 6 to 1 ratio in favour of what Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) describes as a basic right.
ASH's Marsha Williams comments “2 years of Government dithering hasn’t changed people’s basic understanding that they have a right to work in a smoke-free environment. Ministers are so out of touch with workers & so keen to please big business that they kicked the proposal into the long grass hoping it would go away.”
"an absolute disgrace"
More than 2,000 people were screened in the BMRB poll which found 85% support proposals that would mean no employee is forced to breathe in other people’s tobacco smoke against their will.
ASH says that what is of 'grave concern' is that when asked about the situation in their own workplace, 1 in 9 (11%) staff said smoking was freely allowed in all areas – equating to more than 3 million people across the entire workforce.
Ms Williams added: “It is an absolute disgrace that despite robust evidence & counsel from its own advisors, Government continues to show utter contempt for the 3 million people who face a daily assault on their health due to passive smoke exposure.
People clearly believe they have a right to a safe working environment & if Government isn’t prepared to uphold that right by way of the ACoP then maybe we need a law to preserve it."
SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARY
Key findings from a survey of 2,028 adults aged over 15 by BMRB:
Of the total sample, 1,284 respondents were currently working.
11% - or one in 9 employees – work in places where smoking is freely allowed in all areas – equivalent to 3 million workers. Of those in work, 36% smoked & 64% were non-smokers.
Only 40% of workers benefited from a complete ban on the premises.
A further 42% worked where smoking is allowed in designated areas.
Of those that expressed an opinion, 85% agreed – the majority “strongly” - that the right to a smoke-free workplace far outweighed the right to smoke during work hours.
Respondents in social grade D are more likely than the national average to work in an environment where smoking is freely allowed in all areas. Men were more than twice as likely as women to work somewhere where smoking was allowed throughout.
By contrast respondents in social grades ABC1 are more likely than the national average to work in an environment where smoking is completely banned on the premises. Smoking is nearly 10% more likely to be completely banned on the premises in the South than the North (North = York/Humb, North West, North & Scotland. South = London, South East & South West. )
Workers in Education & the NHS were most likely to work where smoking was banned, whilst those in the construction & catering sectors were most likely to be exposed to passive smoke while at work.
More than twice as many people smoke (65%) who work where smoking is freely allowed in all areas compared to only 27% of people smoking who work in an environment where smoking is completely banned on the premises.
More women (76%) than men (66%) agree that the right to a smoke free environment outweighs the right to smoke during work hours.
And you are most likely to agree with that statement if you are over 44, or in social grade AB or you work in Education or the National Health Service. You are more likely than the national average to agree with the statement if you live in the South East.
PUBS & CLUBS - PROTECTING THE HEARING OF EMPLOYEES
Posted Tuesday, October 8, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A review of literature has been conducted & a research report published on the matter of noise levels & noise exposure of workers in pubs & clubs.
The researchers wished to establish what is known about noise levels & noise exposure in this working environment which permitted them to determine:
whether there is a noise problem, the practical measures that can be adopted to control the level of noise exposure, methods adopted by local authorities to enforce control & what needs to be done to ensure employees in pubs & clubs are provided with a safe working environment.
A number of recommendations are made, but it was found that difference in opinion, experimental rigour & derived conclusions reported in the literature make it difficult to form definitive conclusions regarding the risk of hearing loss from noise exposure in pubs & clubs. However, it seems that there is a definite potential for harm to employees, but it is not possible to establish the number of individuals whose hearing will be impaired as a result of this noise exposure.
Research report RR 026 is available at HSE's website at: Noise levels and noise exposure of workers in pubs and clubs - A review of the literature
CONTROLLING FUME DURING PLASTICS PROCESSING
Posted Tuesday, October 8, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
An information sheet - Controlling fume during plastics processing, Plastics Processing Sheet No. 13, is now available having been launched at the HSE Stand during INTERPLAS 2002 in Birmingham.
Fume produced in plastics processing is often the subject of enquiry & HSE, in consultation with the Plastics Processors Health & Safety Liaison Committee, has responded with the latest in a series of information sheets addressing health & safety issues in plastics processing.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
Chris Flint of HSE's Plastics & Rubber Sector Group commented: "This information sheet provides practical advice for companies on how to check that their processes are being operated in such a way that fume formation is minimised so reducing the risk of exposing employees to harmful levels of plastic fume. It emphasises the importance of maintaining plant correctly & following recommended processing parameters.
In some cases, either because of the process or the material being processed, local exhaust ventilation will be required to control exposure & advice is included on where this is likely. This information sheet is essential reading for anyone involved in the plastics processing industry."
Copies of Controlling fume during plastics processing, Plastics Processing Sheet No.13, are available free from HSE Books.
HSE GUIDANCE - FREE & REPRINTED LEAFLETS
Posted Tuesday, October 8, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The following guidance is now available direct from the HSE website:
NEW FREE LEAFLETS
Reducing noise from CNC punch presses - Engineering Information Sheet No 39
Priorities for health and safety in the glass industries - Glass Information Sheet No 1
Working safely with metalworking fluids - a guide for employees - Indg365
REPRINTED FREE LEAFLETS
Avoiding ill health at open farms - Advice to farmers (with teachers’ supplement) - Agriculture Information Sheet No 23 (revised)
A short guide to managing asbestos in premises - Indg223 (revision 3)
Work related stress - a short guide - Indg281 (revision 1); Arsenic and you - are you at risk ? - msa8
Guidance - Guidance to Prevent Over-pressurisation of Storage Silos during the Delivery of Powder in the Cement, Concrete and Quarrying Industries
DIOXINS IN THE WORKPLACE
Posted Tuesday, October 8, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
HSE says some simple precautions may be effective in reducing workplace exposure to health damaging dioxins following an investigation into the potential for dioxin exposure in the workplace. Highest levels were discovered in metal processing when analysis was carried out of air levels & some dust levels of dioxins at various UK worksites where combustion processes occur.
A municipal waste incinerator & the landfill site that accepted waste from the incinerator had relatively low air levels of dioxins with on-site dust tests showing low concentrations of dioxins. The highest air & dust levels of dioxins were at the metal processing sites, in particular aluminium recycling sites.
It is concluded & advised that simple precautions should reduce dioxin levels considerably.
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO POLYCHLORINATED DIOXINS
Dioxins include both polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) & polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs).
Dioxins are believed to have the potential to cause a variety of health effects, including cancer.
Very high exposures can cause a disfiguring skin condition known as chloracne.
Once someone has been exposed to dioxins, these chemicals remain in the body for many years & may accumulate.
Produced under certain circumstances when organic material is burnt, dioxins are a group of structurally-related organochlorine chemicals.
Although they are destroyed at temperatures above 800 oC, they may be reformed on cooling if the constituents organic material and chlorine are still available.
CHAN
On the recommendation of HSC's Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances (ACTS), a Chemical Hazard Alert Notice (CHAN) is currently being issued to those industries affected & specific guidance will be issued to the aluminium recycling industry.
Colin Davy of HSE said: "Dioxins can be produced in very small amounts in many combustion processes. As a result of this sampling exercise, we can target guidance to where it is most needed."
Copies of Dioxin exposure from work related activities, RR 027 ISBN 0 7176 2573 7, price £10, are available from HSE Books and on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/research/index.htm .
HOSPITAL SHOWER HEAD MAY BE SOURCE OF LEGIONNAIRES DISEASE
Posted Sunday, October 6, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
A female patient at Leicester Royal Infirmary who had a weakened immune system may have contracted Legionnaires' disease from a source in a hospital shower room.
She has recovered from the disease which responded to antibiotics. The water supply system has been modified & disinfected as a precaution.
Dr Philip Monk, expert in communicable disease said: "This strain of legionella is not one that is associated with epidemics & would not normally cause disease in healthy people. However patients undergoing treatment that interferes with their immune system are more susceptible to catching any infection, including this one."
CLEANER'S LIFE COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF ARREST EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN ATTACHED
Posted Sunday, October 6, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
For whatever reason, a 21 year old window cleaner did not apparently attach his safety harness to an anchorage point on the day he died in a fall through 15 metres from a 3rd floor Bradford window ledge, a decision or an oversight which cost him his life an inquest heard.
The window cleaner was fatally injured in the fall from Pennine House, Bradford, in May this year.
Bradford Coroner's Court listened to the opinion of HSE's investigating inspector that: "Had the full arrest equipment been used correctly, then I believe the individual's fall would have been arrested by the equipment."
The 21 year old, who was sub-contracted for the work, was observed moving along the window ledge shortly before his unwitnessed fall, something that would not have been possible had the harness been attached.
The inquest jury returned a verdict of misadventure.
DRIVER PLACED LIVES AT RISK ON PASSENGER FERRY
Posted Saturday, October 5, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Mr Muharren Keles, a Turkish national, has been prosecuted over what were described as "inexcusable acts" by Magistrates at a hearing at a Folkestone Court. Mr Keles, the driver of an articulated lorry pleaded guilty to not declaring Dangerous Goods when being carried on a cross channel passenger ferry. He was fined £1,750 with £1,500 in costs for not declaring Dangerous Goods whilst bound for Dover from Dunkirk on 27th September 2002.
On arrival HM Customs & Excise subjected the vehicle to a routine search and Class 3 Dangerous Goods (flammable liquids) were discovered as part of its load.
The lorry was not displaying the correct placards to indicate this, when asked about his load the dangerous Goods Declaration was produced. Mr Keles later admitted that he had not declared the Dangerous Goods & had removed his Hazard Warning panels.
DELIBERATE ACT
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency subsequently decided to bring a prosecution & in their summing up the Magistrates stated that: "This was a deliberate act & you failed to notify the booking clerk of the particular nature of the load & also removed your ADR plates, both of which are inexcusable acts. Passengers & crew were placed in jeopardy."
Captain Eric Meare, Marine surveyor at the Dover Marine Office of the MCA, said: "The regulations covering dangerous goods on ships exist for the safety of passengers & crew. Dangerous goods need to be declared so that the crew, operator & emergency services can react correctly to an incident onboard that may involve a vehicle & its load."
CHEMICAL INCIDENT!
Posted Saturday, October 5, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
It is reported that the irresponsible dumping of a drum of Dimethylaniline in Beckton District Park in east London has required 20 persons to receive hospital treatment & be placed under observation after they appear to have come into contact with its vapour. Emergency services rendered the area safe after an extensive decontamination exercise.
INSPECTION OF FALL ARREST EQUIPMENT - NEW GUIDANCE
Posted Saturday, October 5, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
New guidance on using fall arrest equipment when working at height - Inspecting fall arrest equipment made from webbing & rope has been published.
It advises employers on effective inspection regimes for this equipment, such as an energy absorbing lanyard, which is a line for connecting a full body harness to an anchorage point, with an inbuilt device that dissipates the energy developed during the fall of a person from a height.
The requirement to have formal procedures in place to inspect lanyards comes from Regulation 7 of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.
The leaflet guidance covers the: frequency & type of inspections to be done & what types of defect & damage to look out for.
It is illustrated with explanatory photographs. Over 11,000 copies of the leaflet have been distributed to relevant dutyholders via employer associations & trade associations.
Formal procedures to inspect lanyards are necessary to meet the requirements of r.7 of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (PPE Regs) which states:
(1) Every employer shall ensure that any personal protective equipment provided to employees is maintained (including replaced or cleaned as appropriate) in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
(2) Every self-employed person shall ensure that any personal protective equipment provided to him or her is maintained (including replaced or cleaned as appropriate) in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
R.11 states:
Every employee who has been provided with personal protective equipment shall forthwith report to his employer any loss of or obvious defect in that personal protective equipment.
FAILURES
The guidance is based on research entitled the Assessment of the factors that influence the tensile strength of safety harness & lanyard & webbing which was accompanied by a supplementary information report. The research was instigated by events - 2 fatalities - 1 at Edenderry power station in Ireland in December 1999, resulting from the failure of an energy- absorbing lanyard & another during work on an overhead tower in Flixton, Greater Manchester, caused by the failure of a work positioning belt in January 2000.
Defects & damage that have the potential to result in the degradation &/or weakening of lanyards are: knot in the lanyard, other than those intended by the manufacturer, surface abrasion across the face of the webbing & at the webbing loops, abrasion at the edges, cuts to the webbing, rope or stitching, contact with chemicals that can result in local weakening & softening, heat or friction damage, damaged or deformed fittings & partially deployed energy absorber (e.g. short pull-out of tear webbing).
ENFORCEMENT ACTION
Principal specialist Inspector with HSE's Technology Unit, Martin Holden says: "The research shows the vital importance of pre-use checks & regular documented inspections of fall arrest equipment. A one millimetre deep cut in the edge of a webbing lanyard can result in between 5 & 39 per cent loss of strength. Ingress of dirt & ultra violet light can also cause damage to the webbing fibres, resulting in a similar loss of strength.
Lanyards are widely used in many industrial sectors & employers should have effective inspection regimes in place to detect damage and defects early. If they don't they can expect enforcement action by HSE Inspectors. The guidance recommends pre-use checks & detailed inspections at least every 6 months, or if used frequently or in arduous environments, every 3 months. Workers should check their lanyards regularly before use & know what to look for, but if in doubt they should contact the manufacturer/supplier. Lanyards should be treated with care, not dragged on the ground or allowed to get dirty & must never be wrapped around sharp or angled surfaces."
Copies of Inspecting fall arrest equipment made from webbing or rope HSE reference INDG367 are available free, or in packs of 10 ISBN 0 7176 2552 4 priced at £5 from HSE Books.
RAILWAY SAFETY STATISTICS
Posted Thursday, October 3, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The latest provisional railway safety statistics published for the year ending 31 March 2002 report a continued reduction in a number of key safety indicators, namely fatalities, train incidents, significant incidents (those with the potential to cause most harm to passengers), collisions & derailments.
HSE's Railway Safety Statistics Bulletin 2001/02, available on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/railway/rsb0102.pdf , contains positive trends but this does not extend to worker fatalities at the trackside.
The provisional data on the primary causes of train incidents was vandalism, with 1,709 recorded incidents, 911 (53%) resulting from malicious action, mostly arson attacks on trains & missile damage to windows.
RISE IN TRACK WORKER FATALITIES
Allan Sefton, acting head of Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) commented: "Overall, the railways have an improving safety record & the industry should be pleased with the progress that took place last year. However, there is no room for complacency & continued effort will be needed to maintain the rate of improvement. The figures do not take account of the derailment at Potters Bar in May, in which 7 people died.
I am also concerned by a worrying rise in track worker fatalities - at 4 (double the previous year's total). There remains a clear need for the rail industry to deal with acknowledged areas of weakness in controlling risks. The industry must endeavour to reverse trends & I am encouraged by their current efforts for improvement in areas
such as the effective management of contractors on the railway infrastructure."
Railway Safety Statistics Bulletin 2001/02
Fatalities (excluding trespassers & suicides) fell by 18%, from 39 to 32 - the lowest figure for 5 years, total reported train incidents fell from 1,801 to 1,709 (down 5% & the lowest for 6 years), significant incidents on Railtrack infrastructure fell from 72 to 56,
collisions fell from 106 to 101, derailments from 93 to 85, broken rails fell by 23% from 729 to 561 & there was a marked decrease in reports of violence to railway industry staff - down by 24% from last year.
Scotland - recorded a fall in derailments from 16 to 4 & a decrease in fires on trains from 36 to 25. One passenger died when they fell between the train & platform edge at Gourock station. A decrease from 24 to 15 in trespasser deaths included 6 acts of suicide.
Wales - No passengers or railway staff were killed in Wales, although 10 people died on the railways (down 3 on the previous year). 9 trespassers were killed (including 3 confirmed suicides) & a pedestrian was fatally injured by a train while using a level crossing in Carmarthenshire. The one collision recorded was a container door on a freight train striking a bridge at Newport East.
ENFORCEMENT
The latest Bulletin also shows that HMRI issued a record number (128) of enforcement notices & took 15 successful prosecutions, resulting in fines of more than £500,000. This results from an increase in the number of inspectors in HMRI's Operations Division & improved enforcement consistency as a result of training in & the adoption of, HSE's Enforcement Management Model to implement the HSC's Enforcement Policy Statement.
Dr Sefton said: "HSE expects the industry to deliver on safety & those who do not can expect us to take tough action. The continued downward trend in significant train incidents is positive, but an industry culture which demands continuous improvement is essential if it is to convince the public that world class safety standards are being delivered on the rail network."
CRANE DRIVER TREATS GIRLFRIEND & GETS THE SACK!.
Posted Thursday, October 3, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Kenny Jones, 35, a crane driver, made a big mistake when he decided to treat his girlfriend to a bit of the high life on a trip to Manchester. He decided to take her up on to a construction site crane 60 metres above the city's Deansgate shopping precinct.
Mr Jones, an experienced crane operator, had no intention of endangering the public around the site where he was employed by Robert McAlpine. Police officers reprimanded the pair but did not proceed with charges, despite having to close shopping areas around the site for the duration of the escapade.
Mr Jones's partner Cathy may have been impressed but not so Robert McAlpine who sacked him! A spokesman for Robert McAlpine said:
"Although he is a crane driver & therefore knows how to operate it, he was not at work at the time of this incident & should not have been on the site."
Cathy commented: "We cannot believe how much trouble this has caused. I work on scaffoldings all the time."
SAFETY AUDIT FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY NOW INTERNET BASED
Posted Thursday, October 3, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The HSE has launched Textiles Health & Safety Audit a new internet-based audit package to help textiles companies manage their health & safety risks. It has been developed by HSE's Textile Sector Group in consultation with industry partners on the Textiles Industry Advisory Committee (TEXIAC).
The package, made up of a series of audit-style questions with accompanying information & reference material, covers a huge range of health & safety topics, but has been designed to help small employers in particular to direct their limited resources to the things that cause the most accidents & ill health in the textiles industry.
A VALUABLE AID
Steve Kay of HSE's Textiles Sector says: "The most important part of this package is that it sets out the control standards that inspectors will be using to measure a company's performance for these priority topics, together with the scale they will use for scoring the company's performance. Employers & employees representatives will have the opportunity to score themselves before the inspector does!"
Roger Johnson of the Confederation of British Wool Textiles comments: "This free web-based audit package will be a valuable aid, particularly to small & medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) in managing health & safety in the industry. It has the added benefit of being a flexible resource which can be used by safety committees, safety representatives & managers alike."
The Textiles Health & Safety Audit package is available on HSE's website at www.hse.gov.uk/fod/polymers/audit.htm .
REVISED GUIDANCE ON THE SAFE USE OF PORTABLE NUCLEAR MOISTURE/DENSITY GAUGES
Posted Wednesday, October 2, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
New & revised HSE guidance on the safe use of portable nuclear moisture/density gauges in the construction industry have been published. These devices are commonly used during road building or repair projects to check surface density, thickness & the moisture content.
The guidance, Ionising Radiation Information Sheet No 3 (IRIS 3), advises on the: use, keeping, transportation & disposal of these gauges & to limit the exposure to workers & members of the public to ionising radiation.
ALARP
IRIS 3 replaces an earlier guidance sheet published in 1996. It supports the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRR99) & supplements the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance Work with Ionising Radiations published in April 2000.
It is a fundamental requirement of IRR99 (regulation 8) that employers take all steps to ensure that exposure of employees (and other persons) to ionising radiation is restricted to a level which is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP)
DANGER
Head of the Ionising Radiation Policy Unit at HSE, Wendy Bines, says: "It is extremely important to use these gauges safely & to store them properly to ensure the radiation sources are safely controlled. Damage to the gauge or poor work practices may lead to people receiving high radiation exposures, which could cause harmful effects to their health.
There have been several incidents involving nuclear density gauges, which could have led to increased risk of radiation exposure for operators & other people. These have included gauges being crushed by site vehicles, being lost & stolen."
Single copies of Portable nuclear moisture/density gauges in the construction industry, Ionising Radiation Information Sheet No 3, are available free from HSE Books.
WASTE CENTRE - 'BOMB' SCARE!
Posted Wednesday, October 2, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Bomb squad experts blew up a suspected bomb at a Nottinghamshire waste plant after alert workers noticed what appeared to be 7 sticks of explosives attached to a mechanical device & timer in a skip.
The incident at the Notts County Council Waste Centre in Stapleford ended when 2 controlled explosions by Army bomb disposal squads revealed the object was harmless.
The facility is operated by contractors South Herts Waste Management, whose Operations Manager Kevin Exton said the 'bomb' may have been a stage prop.
He said: "The bomb squad treated it as if it was the real thing. The workers on the site were worried it might be a hoax, but I told them never to take a chance. You have to be very careful in this business."
HSE recently published guidance for the scrap metal industry on the hazard of items capable of exploding.
DISTILLEX FACES CROWN COURT SENTENCING
Posted Wednesday, October 2, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
Managing director of Distillex, Adrian Jones, has admitted on behalf of his company 2 breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in the circumstances of the major fire incident at their chemical reprocessing facility in North Shields in April.
Magistrates have referred the case to the Crown Court for what will be a hefty fine. The fire & subsequent explosions, believed to have been started by sparks from a worker using an angle grinder, created an incident requiring the evacuation of 500 people. The premises held a large inventory of solvents such as paint thinners & the resulting explosions destroyed the buildings.
According to Paul Stanworth, prosecuting: "It may appear on the face of it the fire resulted from the actions of 1 individual but this was not the case. The investigation found flaws on behalf of the company in the way the site was managed & this allowed the incident to occur."
REDUCING VIOLENCE & AGGRESSION IN THE WORKPLACE - HELP WITH POLICIES
Posted Tuesday, October 1, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
There are 1.3 million incidents of work-related violence a year according to the British Crime Survey causing physical injuries or anxiety & stress for the people affected. Employers must then deal with the resulting poor staff morale, high absenteeism, recruitment, staff turnover problems & poor business image.
A new resource for employers who wish to draw up policies on managing work-related violence is available. The National Occupational Standards in managing work-related violence also provide a framework for managers & staff to assess training needs.
RAISING AWARENESS
Development of the National Occupational Standards is part of the HSC's 3 year programme to tackle work-related violence & includes:
measures to raise awareness of the problem, development of guidance for sectors most at risk, commissioning research to build on existing knowledge, how to investigate a violent incident in the workplace;
developing procedures to control risks to health & safety & making sure your actions contribute to a safe working environment.
The HSE funded the development of the standards by the Employment National Training Organisation (NTO) as part of the HSC's 3 year programme aiming to cut incidents by 10% by the end of 2003.
DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES
Ann Harrington, of HSE's Health Directorate comments: "Violence at work is totally unacceptable & employers have a duty under health and safety law to take action to tackle this problem, which has devastating consequences on the victims & real financial costs for their employers. HSE is pleased to support these National Occupational Standards. They have been produced in consultation with a wide range of industry sectors & interest groups & will provide a comprehensive, practical resource for all those who have an interest in tackling work-related violence and aggression."
DEFINING GOOD PRACTICE
Sheila Hawkins, who led the project on behalf of the Employment NTO said: "These standards will help to define good practice in managing violence in any workplace & can be used to develop policies, analyse incidents, specify training outcomes & evaluate the effectiveness of training. We see these standards as a means to reducing the likelihood of violence occurring - something of benefit for everyone."
GUIDANCE
HSE's Violence at work, a guide for employers, INDG69(rev), is available free for single copies. Priced packs of 10 are also available from HSE Books. Detailed priced guidance is also available from HSE Books for the following sectors: health services, education, retail and banks and building societies. A new publication Work-related violence, managing the risk in smaller businesses, HSG229, is also available.
Copies of the National Occupational Standards in Managing Work-related Violence CD-Rom price £32.50, are available from the Employment NTO www.empnto.co.uk to purchase electronically, orderline 0116-251-9727.
CHEMICAL INCIDENT AT BREWERY
Posted Tuesday, October 1, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
3 employees of brewers Scottish Courage required treatment on site for the effects of exposure to a cloud of acidic vapours following a chemical spillage at the company's Fountain Brewery in Edinburgh.
The chemical vapours generated by hydrochloric, peracetic & sulphuric acids resulted form the spill from a 50-litre tank. Emergency services rendered the site safe after 2 hours.
A spokesman for Lothian & Borders Fire Service said: "The chemicals were diluted using a large amount of water & drained into the brewery effluent tanks. The gas cloud was small & the brewery workers were only slightly affected, but it was a reasonably serious situation."
FOREIGN FLAGGED SHIPS DETAINED
Posted Tuesday, October 1, 2002 by Ahmed Khan
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has published its monthly figures for foreign ships detained in port because of their unseaworthy condition & lack of credible safety management systems.
15 foreign vessels are currently detained in UK ports (August) with serious deficiencies, 8 of them were detained in UK ports during August along with 7 other ships still under detention from previous months.
Typical of the condition of detained ships are the following:
An Antigua & Barbuda flagged general cargo vessel detained in Teeside with 22 deficiencies. Both lifeboats were damaged leaving buoyancy tanks exposed & seized sheaves prevented the correct lowering of the port boat. The vessel was found to have other serious deficiencies for example the RADAR was found to be inoperative & nozzles were missing from the accommodation hose box. The ship's ISM maintenance procedures had failed to ensure compliance with SOLAS requirements.
A St Vincent & Grenadines flagged general cargo vessel was also detained for failures in the implementation of the maintenance programme required by ISM. 33 deficiencies were recorded against the vessel. The emergency fire pump would not pump water & the lifeboat was incapable of being brought alongside the boat deck. Severe corrosion was also found throughout the ship, with the front accommodation bulkhead being corroded through at the main deck level, & the forecastle deck being holed in at least 3 places.
Detained ships have to satisfy MCA surveyors that remedial work has been carried out before they are allowed to leave port