October 9th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has fined and prosecuted a company that admitted exposing its workers to hazardous fumes from soldering equipment.
Employees at Turbo Power Systems’ plant in Gateshead had been working for up to five-and-a-half hours a day with rosin solder flux, the fumes of which are known to cause asthma.
The exposure occurred between May 2007 and May 2008 and many employees began to suffer problems with their respiratory health.
As a result, the HSE took the company to court for breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. It was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs after admitting to safety failures.
HSE inspector Andrea Robbins said it had been "entirely foreseeable" that inappropriate risk assessment and control of chemicals would put the workforce at risk.
Rosin is a natural product which comes from pine sap. Fumes from rosin solder flux are a well-known cause of occupational asthma.
Tags: Andrea Robbins, Asthma, Breaches, Chemicals, Control Of Substances Hazardous To Health, Half Hours, Hazardous Fumes, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Health Regulations, Hse, Occupational Asthma, Respiratory Health, Risk Assessment, Safety Failures, Sap, Soldering Equipment, Turbo Power, Workforce
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August 21st, 2008
A family has been awarded a six-figure sum in compensation following an incident in which a mother experienced delays in getting to hospital.
Tracey Bereza suffered an asthma attack while she was at home in April 2004.
Her husband, Roger, subsequently called an ambulance to take her to hospital.
However, her family claim that it took "inexperienced" paramedics 40 minutes before they got her into an ambulance and a further 35 minutes to transport her to hospital.
The 41-year-old mother of three suffered a respiratory attack while in the ambulance and died four days later.
Commenting on the incident, Mr Bereza said: "Even though we live just ten minutes from the nearest [accident and emergency department], I had always been told to call an ambulance and not to attempt to drive there myself in case we got stuck in traffic or Tracey required emergency oxygen for her nebuliser."
In a new development, the family has been awarded a payout in an out-of-court settlement by the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which serves an area of around 5,000 square miles.
Tags: Accident And Emergency, Ambulance Service Nhs Trust, April 2004, Asthma, Asthma Attack, Bereza, Clinical Negligence, Court Settlement, Emergency Department, Emergency Oxygen, Figure Sum, Negligence Case, Old Mother, Paramedics, Traffic, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Wins
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