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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A Liverpool port operating company has been sentenced after a worker was struck by a load falling from two fork lift trucks (FLTs) at the Port of Liverpool in Seaforth.

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard that on 28 May 2015, three agency workers performing work for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company were loading bundles of rebar onto HGV trailers for onward transfer. The injured employee was acting as banksman whilst his two colleagues were operating their FLTs as part of a tandem lift manoeuvre. During the loading procedure a single bundle of rebar weighing 1,924 kg, suspended on the forks of the two trucks, was struck by the reversing HGV’s headboard causing it to fall onto the employee stood on the far side by the HGV’s cab.

Following the incident, the operative sustained multiple fractures, lacerations, scarring and abrasion, ligament reconstruction to his left knee and has undergone four operations which resulted in the amputation of two toes of his left foot. He has been unable to return to work since the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found no suitable risk assessment relating to the hazards arising from loading bundles of rebar onto reversing flatbed trailers had been carried out. The tandem FLT lifting operation was also not properly planned, supervised or carried out in a safe manner.

The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company Limited of Maritime Centre, Port of Liverpool pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,593.55.

After the hearing HSE inspector Rohan Lye said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to ensure they provide safe methods of working and a safe working environment. If suitable controls had been in place the serious physical injuries sustained by this worker could easily 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

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A gas fitter from Bolton has been sentenced after carrying out defective gas work whilst no longer being gas safe registered.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Anthony Lord, trading as Lord HBA, carried out work on gas fittings at two premises in Bolton, Gilnow Chippy and Hamzah Sweets & Bakers, between 1 and 28 March 2017. A Gas Safe inspector visited Gilnow Chippy on 7 July 2017 and detected a gas escape which he identified as immediately dangerous as well as numerous faults on ventilation and extraction systems that were deemed “at risk.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Anthony Lord’s gas safe registration had ended approximately 12 months prior to carrying out the work. The registration was not renewed resulting in him illegally carrying out the gas work. He had also continued to use his previous employer’s registration details on gas inspection paperwork, which he was not entitled to use.

Mr Anthony Lord of Sevenoaks Drive, Bolton pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(3), 3(7) and 5(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to a 10-month custodial sentence suspended for two years, 210 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activity.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Ian Betley said: “Anthony Lord undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do and pretended to be Gas Safe registered.  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.

“HSE will not fail to take the 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. More information on gas health and 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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An agricultural company based in Hereford has been fined after an employee was seriously injured when working on a bio-chopper machine.

Telford Magistrates’ Court heard that on 6 October 2017 an employee of the company sustained fractures to her left lower arm when she was pulled into the machine at the site on Homme Farm in Ross-on-Wye.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that due to damage to the guard on the Bio-Chopper the company had devised a system of work which involved feeding a sheet of material into the machine. The machine was not adequately guarded, there was no safe system of work and no suitable training for the injured worker.

E C Drummond (Agriculture) Limited of Homme Farm, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and has been fined £226,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,564.10.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Steve Richardson said: “This injury could have been easily prevented, and the risk of injury should have been identified.

“Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”

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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