A St Helens wood product manufacturer and a company director have been fined after a worker was dragged into a rotating drive shaft at their site at Normans Road, Sutton, St Helens.

Liverpool Magistrates Court heard how, on the 30 June 2016, an agency worker  had been working on a production line making parts for staircases when her hair caught on a rotating drive shaft, resulting in the loss of her full scalp, ears and one of her thumbs. She suffered severe physical and mental trauma and has undergone numerous reconstructive operations and has been unable to return to work since the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to adequately guard the production line, allowing access to dangerous parts of machinery, including conveyors and drive shafts, by employees and agency workers, during both operation and cleaning.

A return visit was made in April 2018 where it was discovered that the company had changed the layout of the production line, leaving accessible dangerous parts, including an identical shaft to the one which the victim was injured on. A Prohibition Notice and an Improvement Notice were served to address the risks.

The subsequent investigation showed that mill operatives were regularly accessing the strapping section while the machinery was still running, and the Production Director was aware of this.

Cheshire Mouldings and Woodturning Limited of Unit 7, Normans Road, Sutton, St Helens pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £466,666 and ordered to pay costs of £7,475.90 and a victim surcharge of £170.

Paul Carney of Springburn Gardens, Woolston, Warrington pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £10,800, ordered to pay £43,241 in costs and £170 victim surcharge.

After the hearing HSE Principal Inspector Helen Jones said: “This incident, which was easily preventable, has had a devastating impact on the victim involved and those close to her. The company failed to prevent employees accessing dangerous moving parts of machinery. Had they ensured the machine was adequately guarded employees would not have been able to access moving parts and this tragic accident would have been avoided.”

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 Sheffield construction company has been sentenced for safety breaches after a self-employed general builder fell seven metres onto a concrete floor at a site in Sheffield.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 11 April 2018, the builder was working for and under the control of Clear Property Solutions (SY) Limited. He had just finished installing a flat rubber roof on a dormer extension at the rear of the domestic property in Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He was exiting the flat roof onto a scaffold using an untied unsecured folding ladder when the ladder slipped, and he fell onto the concrete floor below.

The 34-year-old builder sustained shattered heels and a fractured skull resulting in swelling and bleeding on the brain following this incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Clear Property Solutions (SY) Ltd had not completed any risk assessments or method statements or construction phase plan for this works. Operatives on the site were also not trained in work at height.

Clear Property Solutions (SY) Limited of John Street, Sheffield pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company has been fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £1302.60 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Stuart Whitesmith commented: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“In this case the builder suffered life-threatening injuries which could have been avoided by installing guardrails around the perimeter of the flat roof, with a gate and secured ladder access.”

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^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]Please see the link to the page on HSE’s website that is the best guide to doing it the right way :www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg33.htm www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg284.pdf
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk^[3]

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G O’Brien & Sons (Nationwide Demolition Contractors) Limited has been fined after a nearby worker was seriously injured on a demolition site in Durham.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard that on 22 February 2018 the company was demolishing two semi-detached properties as part of a project to renovate a residential street. The injured person, the director of a loss assessor company, had attended his client’s property adjacent to where the work was taking place. Demolition waste had spread into the garden of the neighbouring property, and the injured person stood on a broken window panel, cutting through his ankle and Achilles tendon, whilst attempting to take photographs of the waste.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company failed to suitably ensure that demolition work within its grounds was carried out in such a manner as to prevent danger. The work had not been thoroughly planned to ensure that demolition waste was fully enclosed within the site boundary, and there was no secure fence to prevent unauthorised access to the site.

G O’Brien & Sons (Nationwide Demolition Contractors) Limited of Durham Road, Birtley was found guilty of breaching Regulation 20(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1419.40.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Phil Chester said, “An important message to the industry is to suitably plan work and ensure that site documentation is followed throughout the duration of the work. Paperwork and planning are not just a tick box exercise.”

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^[1]
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 company director has received a Community Service Order and two construction companies have been fined after a worker suffered life changing injuries following a fall from a scaffold tower during the refurbishment of an old pub in Reading.

Reading Magistrates’ Court heard how on 2 December 2016 Samuel Goemans of Cedar Ridge Construction Limited suffered a serious head injury after falling from a tower scaffold onto the street below (London Road). His injuries have led to long term brain and memory problems and have resulted in him suffering from seizures and losing the ability to care for himself.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the principal contractor failed to control the safety and planning on site and the sub-contractor carried out unsafe working practices.

The principal contractor, Turnkey Contractors Limited of Ethelburt Avenue, Bassett Green, Southampton pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3184.00.

The director of Turnkey Contractors Limited, Santokh Dhanda, of Ethelburt Avenue, Bassett Green, Southampton pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and has received a Community Service Order for 100 hours.

The subcontractor, Cedar Ridge Construction Limited of Waterloo Road, Wokingham pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 (1) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3184.00.

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

“The case highlights the importance of following industry guidance and in order to design and erect scaffolding in a safe manner, which does not raise risk to members of the public and workers using the scaffold.”

Further information about safe techniques can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/scaffold.htm

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^[3]

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A waste and recycling company has been fined after an employee suffered a broken arm and crush injuries whilst carrying out maintenance work at a site in, Llandow, Vale of Glamorgan.

Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard how on 28 February 2018, an employee was tracking a running conveyor when his arm became entangled between the conveyor belt and the roller, causing a broken arm and crush injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to undertake a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks posed by maintenance work on the conveyor and failed to draw up a safe system of work for the procedure, including adequate isolation. The company also failed to report the incident under RIDDOR within 10 working days.

Siteserv Recycling (Waste Paper) Ltd of Llandow Trading Estate, Llandow, Cowbridge pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Regulation 4(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences, Regulations 2013. The company was fined £25,333   and ordered to pay £8,882.15 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Matthew Hamar commented:

“This injury was easily preventable. Employers should make sure they properly assess risk and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery, especially during maintenance work.”

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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