Granville Oil & Chemical Company Ltd has been sentenced for safety breaches after a worker suffered chemical burns to both arms and one leg.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard that on  27 September 2016, a worker was involved in a spillage incident when tasked with making engine degreaser at plant in Rotherham. The water-based product is made by blending Ultra-Concentrate with water.

The worker used a forklift truck to lift a container carrying 1,000 litres of Ultra-Concentrate in order to decant 250 litres of concentrate into three containers on the ground, each of which contained 750 litres of water. The company had specifically manufactured a rigid metal pipe to transfer the concentrate from one container to another. As he drove the forklift truck into position, the forks of the truck suddenly dropped one or two feet. This caused the metal transfer pipe to hit the ground and break. Ultra-Concentrate began to cascade out of the container. Having exited the cab of the forklift truck, the worker put his hand over the damaged valve to try and stem the flow. A large pool of concentrate had already formed on the ground and stood in it to reach the valve. The worker suffered chemical burns to both arms and one leg which required hospital treatment.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the worker had no eye protection and his clothes were soaked in Ultra-Concentrate. He wore only safety boots, a high visibility waist coat and a pair of latex gloves. HSE found that there was no drench shower on site and workers were given no assistance or instructions to change from clothing or wash properly in the event of contact with harmful substances.

Granville Oil & Chemical Company Ltd of Goldthorpe Industrial estate Rotherham South Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £9,928.60 in costs.

After the hearing HSE inspector, David Coackley, commented: “The company had no systems in place for dealing with spillages and was not properly equipped to deal with the consequences of employees being contaminated with substances which might be harmful to their health.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk^[3]

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A construction company has been fined for failing to comply with work at height regulations after a worker fell from a garage roof in Worcester.

Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court heard that on 4 February 2020, the worker had accessed the roof using a ladder and was working on his knees with his side to the open edge whilst fitting a rubber trim. There wasn’t any edge protection in place and he fell from the roof. He sustained a broken hip, fractures to his foot and knee damage as a result of the fall.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the work was not suitably planned. Although the company owned edge protection and suitable equipment to provide access to the roof, it was not used to carry out work on the garage. There was no suitable audit system to monitor what equipment was being used.

A.E.S. (Roofing Contractors) Ltd of Ankerdine Road, Worcester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.  The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £510.30.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Aaron Fisher said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.

“Companies should be aware that unsafe work at height without suitable and sufficient controls in place is not acceptable. HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. Further information about health and safety in roof work can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg33.htm

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The rapidly assembled Health and Safety Executive (HSE) task force to ensure effective controls when introducing new and novel sources of personal protective equipment (PPE) supply has been awarded an industry-leading accolade.

The British Occupational Health Society (BOHS) has recognised HSE’s efforts in putting together a unique team of specialists to assist the Government in their efforts in providing frontline health care workers with life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE), as a part of the UK coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic response.

The Peter Isaac award recognises “an outstanding initiative that has contributed to the reduction of ill health at work.”
The HSE PPE technical team was assembled to respond to unprecedented global demand for PPE, not only to provide NHS workers with access to high-quality PPE, but also to conduct research, provide expertise, and support policy making and PPE practical guidelines across a whole variety of workplaces.

The awarded team comprised of experts in occupational hygiene, scientists, microbiologists and infection prevention specialists as well as policy-making experts, and support staff, who combined their skills and knowledge across a wide range of interrelated disciplines.

Working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Public Health England (PHE), Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the NHS and other government bodies, the HSE team evaluated materials and specifications against relevant PPE requirements, to rapidly provide agreement that new and novel sources of supply had been properly assessed and could be deployed to frontline workers without unnecessary delay.

HSE’s Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Andrew Curran said: ‘’This is a prestigious honour and richly deserved for the dedication and commitment where a rapidly assembled multidisciplinary team has delivered at pace on an unfamiliar topic.

‘’As a team we have drawn up specifications , facilitated rapid supply of PPE, conducted research, informed policy making and fostered innovation with the single aim of ensuring that personal protective equipment actually protects the healthcare workers wearing it.”

Alongside the Peter Isaac Award, a specialist occupational hygienist at HSE David Towler has also been awarded with the David Hickish Award as the best candidate of the year in completion of the BOHS Diploma of Professional Competence in Occupational Hygiene.

About HSE

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.

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A director of a woodworking company has been fined for failing to comply with Enforcement Notices served to protect the health and safety of workers in his workplace.

Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard that, in November 2016 and August 2018, Classical Joinery Group Limited in Neath (now dissolved) had not complied with four Enforcement Notices. The Notices had been served to ensure compliance with controlling health risks associated with the use of hazardous substances and controlling fire and explosion risks associated with the spraying of flammable substance.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Peter John Gittins was the sole director of the company and, by his consent or connivance, Classical Joinery Group Limited had failed to comply with all of the Improvement Notices served.

Peter John Gittins of Abbey Road Industrial Estate, Neath, pleaded guilty to four offences that contravened Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £2,000, given a 12-month community order and ordered to pay costs of £6,488.36.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Lee Jones, said “We do not tolerate disregard for health and safety and consider the non-compliance of HSE Enforcement Notices as a serious offence.

“In this case, Mr Gittins chose to flagrantly ignore the support, guidance and warnings from HSE to assist his compliance with the law; in doing so he put people at risk.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. For more about the legislation referred to in this case ^[2], please visit: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. Latest HSE press releases^[3]
4. See more information about the safe use of work equipment, please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l22.htm

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A forging company has been fined after an employee suffered a fatal injury when he fell from height from a mobile tower scaffold.

Dudley Magistrates’ Court heard that on 19 June 2019, a Stokes Group Limited employee George Clifford was fatally injured at the company site on Cochrane Road,  Dudley, West Midlands, after falling from a tower scaffold whilst dismantling a Eumuco 2000 Tonne Forging Press.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to have a safe system of work in place for the dismantling of the forging press and did not provide information, instruction and training for the task. The mobile scaffold tower was erected without suitable and sufficient measures namely guard rails to prevent a person falling a distance liable to cause injury.

Stokes Group Limited of Cochrane Road, Holly Hall, Dudley, West Midlands pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,885.20.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Karen Sweeney said. “The incident could have been prevented if the work had been properly planned, risk assessed and a safe system of work put in place for the dismantling of the forging press. When devising a safe system of work, consideration should have been given to the selection of work equipment for work at height and whether a mobile tower scaffold was appropriate.

“The incident could also have been prevented had the tower scaffold been erected with suitable and sufficient measures such as guard rails, to prevent a person falling a distance liable to cause injury.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. General guidance of engineering workshops can be found at: hse.gov.uk/pUbns/priced/hsg129.pdf

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