A Glossop-based company has been fined after a visiting tanker collided with a fork lift truck.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 23 June 2017, a tanker was reversing into a tanker discharge bay at Dinting Lodge in Glossop when it collided at low speed with a fork lift truck. No workers were injured in the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that the company had insufficient control of workplace transport, in particular, reversing vehicles.

Carpenter Limited of Dinting Lodge Industrial Estate, Glossop pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 and has been fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,302.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Medani Close said: “The host company failed to undertake a number of simple safety measures including segregation of reversing vehicles, from other moving vehicles and pedestrians, and ensuring that reversing manoeuvres were supervised, in accordance with their site rules.”

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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A construction company and its managing director have been sentenced after poor conditions at a building site were found to be dangerous.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how HSE inspectors had visited the site in Sherborne Gardens, London, following an incident in January 2017. They found evidence of poor health and safety conditions on site including dangerous work at height, a lack of suitable equipment, and untrained operatives working without adequate supervision.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) subsequently found the construction company, C J Langs Limited, failed to plan, manage and monitor the work on site and its managing director Mr Kewie Doherty was responsible for the poor conditions on site.

C J Langs Limited of Pembroke Lodge, Pembroke Road, Ruislip pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, and was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,000.

Mr Doherty of Bashley road, Park Royal, London pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid community work and to pay costs of £1,673. Mr Doherty was also disqualified from being a company director for a period of 3 years.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Kevin Smith said: “Dutyholders should be aware that 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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A Bedfordshire waste company has been sentenced after two of its employees suffered burns whilst processing flammable aerosol containers.

Luton Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 12 July 2016, two workers were processing flammable aerosol canisters using an industrial plastic shredder. The canisters were highly pressurised and, while using a gas operated forklift to lift them into a shredder, a spark from the forklift ignited a cloud of gas created by the shredded aerosols, leading to an explosion. While both workers were injured, one suffered serious third degree burns which left him in an induced coma for 10 days, on a life support machine. The individual has undergone several operations and has been left with considerable permanent scarring and a lifelong dependency on medication for nerve pain.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the work was not suitably planned, not supervised by a competent person nor was it carried out in a safe manner.

B & W Waste Management Services Ltd of Thurleigh Road, Milton Earnest pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6 (1) of Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 and has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,603.14.

Speaking the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew McGill said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working.

“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries suffered by one employee, could have been prevented.”

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. www.hse.gov.uk

2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/

3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Pirelli Tyres Ltd has been fined after two employees had their arms broken by the same machine.

Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 29 November 2013, an employee of Pirelli Tyres Ltd was loading the stripline machine when his left arm was pulled in by a roller. On 31 August 2015 a second employee had his left arm pulled in by the same roller whilst trying to make an adjustment during a production run.

Both incidents occurred at Pirelli’s tyre factory at Dalston Road, Carlisle.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the machine, which was manufactured by Pirelli in 2003, was not properly guarded, despite the first incident.
Pirelli Tyres Ltd of Derby Road, Burton-on-Trent pleaded guilty to two breaches of Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £512,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,820.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Matthew Tinsley said: “Dangerous parts of machinery must be guarded to prevent access. Machines that are built in-house for a company’s own use must meet modern guarding standards, just as if they were going to be placed on the open market.

“This machine should have been appropriately guarded from first use but, failing that, the first incident should have prompted a thorough review of the machine to identify what additional guarding was needed and appropriate action taken.”

Notes to editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We seek to 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. www.hse.gov.uk

2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/

3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk