A sink manufacturing company has been fined after a tool setter was struck by a moving part of a machine.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that, on 13 August 2017, the worker employed by Carron Phoenix Limited was asked by the operator of a machine to address an issue that had arisen at a part of the machine called the ‘tool charger’ which had become jammed, on the company site at West Carron Works in Falkirk. The tool setter entered the machine using an actuator. This allowed the safety interlock on the door to be overridden which meant the door could be opened without the machine being stopped. As soon as the jam was removed, the machine immediately restarted and a moving part struck the tool setter on the body, pinning him against the machine’s outer wall. He sustained three fractures to his pelvis.

During an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a Prohibition Notice was issued preventing any of the interlocks being overridden. An additional Improvement Notice was served requiring Carron Phoenix Ltd to develop and implement a safe system of work and to review all risk assessments.

Carron Phoenix Limited, of West Carron Works, Falkirk, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 11(1) and (2) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £16,000.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Kim Ross said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standard.”

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

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An engineering company has been fined after two workers were seriously injured after being thrown from the chuck of a large vertical boring machine.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that on 5 September 2018, two employees of Sulzer Electro Mechanical Services (UK) Limited, were standing on the chuck of a large vertical boring machine at a site in Bordesley, Birmingham, to set it. The start button was inadvertently pressed and, despite the interlocked perimeter fencing access doors being open, the chuck started to rotate.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that the interlocks on the perimeter fencing access doors were not working, and there were no safety checks in place to ensure that the interlocks were in working order.

Sulzer Electro Mechanical Services (UK) Limited of Camp Hill, Bordesley, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £86,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,111.48.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Christopher Maher said “We hope that as a result of this case, industry will better understand the importance of maintaining effective control measures.

“It is important that guarding arrangements, including interlocks, are checked regularly, to ensure that they are in good repair and efficient working order.”

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:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]

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

The post Engineering company fined after two workers suffer serious injuries appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

An engineering company has been fined after two workers were seriously injured after being thrown from the chuck of a large vertical boring machine.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that on 5 September 2018, two employees of Sulzer Electro Mechanical Services (UK) Limited, were standing on the chuck of a large vertical boring machine at a site in Bordesley, Birmingham, to set it. The start button was inadvertently pressed and, despite the interlocked perimeter fencing access doors being open, the chuck started to rotate.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that the interlocks on the perimeter fencing access doors were not working, and there were no safety checks in place to ensure that the interlocks were in working order.

Sulzer Electro Mechanical Services (UK) Limited of Camp Hill, Bordesley, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £86,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,111.48.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Christopher Maher said “We hope that as a result of this case, industry will better understand the importance of maintaining effective control measures.

“It is important that guarding arrangements, including interlocks, are checked regularly, to ensure that they are in good repair and efficient working order.”

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:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]

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

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A bio-sciences company has today been sentenced for being in possession of high hazard infectious biological material without a licence.

Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard that in September 2017, concerns were raised in connection with Thermo Electron Ltd (trading as Fisher BioServices) regarding the nature of biological agents that had arrived at its site in Bishop Stortford, in a shipment from overseas.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that between April 2016 and February 2018, Thermo Electron Limited was in possession of a large quantity of infectious avian influenza and West Nile virus. Both of these biological agents are specified as requiring a licence under the Specified Animal Pathogens Order 2008 (SAPO). Enquiries confirmed the company had obtained no such licence.

Thermo Electron Ltd (trading as Fisher BioServices) of Ashley Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, admitted to two breaches of Section 73(a) of the Animal Health Act 1981 and was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £80,000.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE specialist inspector Dr David Johnson said: “The use of high hazard animal pathogens is tightly regulated in the UK to ensure that exotic animal diseases such as Avian influenza, are not introduced which could threaten the UK livestock economy. The licencing regime enables HSE to authorise possession of such agents and requires the implementation of strict conditions for those wanting to conduct work with specified animal pathogens. Companies like the defendant contribute to critical scientific research and in vast majority of cases the sector complies with the understandably stringent regulations in place.

“However, as soon as Thermo Electron Ltd became aware it didn’t have the appropriate licence, immediate steps could have been taken including safely destroying the material, returning it to the sender, or transferring it to an appropriately licenced site.

“There are lessons to be learnt here and we’d ask those involved in the biosciences sector to take note of this case.”

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. The Specified Animal Pathogens Order 2008 (SAPO) purpose is to prevent the introduction and spread of specified animal pathogens into Great Britain which are not endemic and which, if introduced, would cause serious disease and economic loss to the livestock industry.
3. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the licensing authority and undertakes inspections, investigations and enforcement in relation to SAPO. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
4. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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A plastic packaging manufacturer has been fined after an accident at its site resulted in an employee suffering multiple fractures to their pelvis and legs.

Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard that, on 12 September 2017, the employee of Sirap UK Ltd, of Salters Lane, Sedgefield was operating a forklift truck near to a row of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs). FIBCs are more commonly known as bulk bags or dumpy bags and are used in many industries, including construction and manufacturing, to transport products or materials.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the FIBCs were stacked in an unsafe manner at a height of approximately 2.2 metres. The employee reversed the forklift truck and it caught one of the lower FIBCs causing it to tear and spill its contents. The employee attempted to repair the tear but the top FIBC, weighing about 1 tonne, fell and struck the employee.

HSE considered arrangements at the site, for the everyday use such as storage, reuse and repair of FIBCs, created a risk of injury.

Sirap UK Limited, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 10(4) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005; and was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay £1061.47 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Clare Maltby said: “There are many companies using this type of container and they should note that the use of FIBCs requires safe stacking formations and safe systems for reuse and repair. Had the company adopted the correct standards this worker would not have been injured”.

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:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]

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

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