Masher Brothers Limited was sentenced after a trainee worker suffered life-changing injuries when his hand was caught in a rip saw.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that on 20 February 2018, a 20-year-old employee was working with a colleague on the rip saw at the company’s site in Lewisham, London, being shown how to cut timber for beading.

The worker and his colleague were using the rip saw to split lengths of timber; one of the two pushed the timber onto the saw, and the other pulled it from the other side. As he was feeding the wood into the machine, the saw pulled his hand in with the wood, causing a severe laceration to his right hand.

The injured person lost the first finger on his right hand, and part of his thumb. He has lost function in this hand and cannot straighten his remaining fingers.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there were no risk assessments or method statements for the machinery in the joinery workshop. There were inadequate measures in place to prevent access to dangerous parts of various machinery in the workshop; the adjustable top guard sitting over the rip saw blade was stuck in raised position not protecting the blade. The investigation also found Masher Brothers Limited did not provide adequate training to its employees on how to use the machinery and that the member of staff responsible for training the injured person had not received any training in the 30 years he had been employed by the company.

Masher Brothers Limited of New Cross, London 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 £8005.44 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Sarah Whittle said: “No safe system of work existed at the time of the incident..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 this incident, the life changing injuries the employee sustained 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.
2. Further information is available about the legislation referred to in this case.
3. Latest HSE press releases.

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A contract furnishing company was sentenced today after a worker suffered multiple injuries when sheeting collapsed on to him from a stack.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that on 10 September 2018, Conor Nicholson, a 19-year-old apprentice employed by Thomson Contracts Limited, was working with a colleague to retrieve a single 3m x 1.2m MDF sheet weighing 55kg from the back of a stack. As he was attempting to do this 16 sheets, each weighing 25kg, fell on top of him, fracturing his skull and pelvis and causing bleeding and bruising to the brain.

While he has returned to full time work, Conor continues to require pain killers to help him sleep and his sense of smell and taste have still not returned.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had a “pigeon hole” type racking system in place to safely store sheets. However, it was common practice, including on the day of the accident, to store sheets adjacent to, but not inside, the racking system.

Thomson Contracts Limited of Cold Hesledon Industrial Estate, Seaham, County Durham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £22,000 with £1,258 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Garner said: “Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.

“In this incident a young worker suffered serious, life-changing injuries which could have easily been prevented had appropriate physical protections been put in place.”

For more information on this, please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis2.pdf

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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A self-employed electrician has been prosecuted after carrying out gas work without being Gas Safe registered.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that Robert Parker had carried out gas work between March and August 2017 and installed a boiler on 24 October 2017 at a domestic property in Rossendale despite not being Gas Safe registered.

Following notification of installation defects by the occupiers of the property, Gas Safe inspectors inspected and found the work was at risk and not to current standards. The boiler was deemed to be immediately dangerous as there was no flue connected.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), found that Robert Parker was not Gas Safe registered and was not qualified or competent to undertake gas work.

Robert Parker of Burnley, Lancashire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a 26 week suspended sentence to 12 months, 150 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £2298.20.

HSE inspector Sharon Butler said after the hearing “Mr Parker undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do. All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life.”

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. More information about gas safety can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/index.htm
4. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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Vertellus Specialties UK Limited has today been fined after an employee fell two metres from a ladder and suffered a serious elbow injury.

Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard that on 6 June 2018, at the company’s site in Northside, Workington, an employee was using a ladder to inspect a steam leak at height when the ladder failed and the employee fell to the ground.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to ensure that work at height was properly planned and managed. The company also failed to ensure that equipment provided for use at height was inspected at regular intervals and was fit for use.

Vertellus Specialties UK Limited of St Ann’s Wharf, Newcastle-upon-Tyne pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 with £5155.80 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Carol Forster said: “Work at height accidents are one of the main causes of occupational injury and death. Employers should consider if working at height can be avoided and, if work at height is undertaken, it should be properly planned and managed appropriately and all equipment should be fit for purpose.”

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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A packaging manufacturing company was sentenced after a worker was injured by an automated transfer vehicle.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that on 5 September 2017, the employee of Saica Pack UK Limited was walking along the factory floor when his leg became trapped between an automated vehicle and a conveyor at the company site in Hartlepool. The vehicles, known as transfer cars, are used to move product around the factory and onto a conveyor system.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that although the company purchased the Hartlepool site in 2008, it had failed to assess the risk of injury from contact with the transfer cars until nine years later, only a month prior to the incident. An assessment which was carried out by an external consultant and given to the company in August 2017, highlighted several areas where remedial action was required and made it clear how far short the site was from compliance with the company’s own ‘group wide’ material handling system standard. The company had failed to ensure that the standard was adopted at the Hartlepool site and very little had been done to control the risks associated with the transfer cars.

Saica Pack UK Limited of Oakesway Trading Estate, Hartlepool, Cleveland pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £60,000 with £1512.89 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jonathan Wills said: “A worker was left with serious life-changing injuries because of this incident. Injuries which could have very easily been avoided, had the recommendations made in the assessment been acted upon.

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
4. For further more information please visit:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/machinery/safety.htm

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