Vehicle components manufacturer fined after worker suffers burns

A vehicle components manufacturer has been fined after an employee suffered burns to his foot.

Poole Magistrates’ Court heard how on 21 September 2018, the employee was decanting molten iron from a ladle into a pouring furnace when a splash burnt through his trouser leg and fell into his boot burning his foot. The pouring platform he was working on did not have adequate edge protection either to stop him falling from the platform or to prevent molten metal splashing back on him.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Eurac Poole Limited failed to provide adequate edge protection which would also have served as a splash barrier.

Eurac Poole Limited of Manning Heaths Road, Poole pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £7,333 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Will Powell said: “This incident could have been avoided had the duty holder adequately assessed the risk and taken suitable and sufficient measures to control those risks.

“Eurac Poole Limited were too reliant on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and failed to apply other suitable 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 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. 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]
  4. Further information about safe techniques for working at height can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg33.htm

 

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