November 2nd, 2009
A hospital trust is facing a compensation claim after it was fined £10,000 when a vulnerable patient in its care fell out of a first-floor window and suffered serious injuries.
North East Essex Primary Care Trust admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act after Charles Preston, a partially-sighted 68-year-old, suffered breaks to his shoulder, pelvis and coccyx when he fell.
The incident occurred at the Clacton & District Hospital in March 2008.
Following the court ruling, Mr Preston has announced his intention to sue the trust.
Kim Wicks, the Health and Safety Executive inspector who investigated the case, said the accident could have been avoided.
"The control measures, in this case window restrictors, to prevent this risk are easy to fit and maintain," she said.
Last week, the Herald reported that student Jonathan Harvey was going to sue Plymouth City Council after he fell 20ft through a broken fence on council property.
Tags: Broken Fence, Case Window, Charles Preston, Clacton, Coccyx, Compensation Claim, Control Measures, East Essex, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety Executive, Hospital Trust, Jonathan Harvey, Pelvis, Plymouth City Council, Primary Care Trust, Safety At Work, Section 3
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October 13th, 2009
Sugar company Tate and Lyle has been fined for breaching health and safety regulations after an incident in which an employee was killed.
Keith Webb, 53, was sub-contracted to work at the firm’s sugar refinery in Newham in March 2004 and had been unloading raw sugar from a ship using a bulldozer.
However, part of the crane holding the machine in place suddenly snapped, causing the bulldozer to plunge onto the ship and then into the sea.
Mr Webb was killed instantly and Tate and Lyle was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Its investigation found that the company had failed to properly manage staff and to provide safe access to the ships.
Tate and Lyle has now been fined £270,000 plus £90,000 costs for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
HSE inspector John Crookes said: "In failing to identify and address these inadequacies before they led to the death of a worker, Tate and Lyle’s performance fell well below what could be reasonably expected of them."
Employers must act to remove where possible hazards that could cause accidents or death. If this is not carried out to a satisfactory standard, victims or their families may be eligible to claim compensation.
Tags: Breaches, Bulldozer, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety At Work Act 1974, Health And Safety Executive, Inadequacies, John Crookes, Keith Webb, Mr Webb, Newham, Raw Sugar, Safety At Work, Safety Regulations, Sugar Company, Sugar Refinery, Tate And Lyle, Workplace Accident
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October 2nd, 2009
A company has been fined by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a cleaner was killed by a piece of machinery in a factory.
Lynda Trebilcock had been cleaning a blending machine at Delico, a food processing plant in Milton Keynes, when its powered door suddenly moved, pushing her into the components.
She suffered fatal head injuries and died at the scene.
Delico was penalised for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £160,000.
HSE inspector Karl Howes remarked: "Employers must ensure that they implement safe systems of work for staff using machinery. They must make certain that safety features on machines, such as guards, are not overridden."
According to additional figures published on the HSE website, moving machinery causes 30 per cent of fatal injuries in food manufacturing, a higher proportion than any other sector.
Anyone who suffers as a result of the death of a family member at work may be eligible to claim compensation and should seek the advice of a solicitor.
Tags: Blending Machine, Delico, Family Member, Fatal Injuries, Food Processing Plant, Head Injuries, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety Executive, Howes, Hse Website, Milton Keynes, Moving Machinery, Proportion, Safe Systems Of Work, Safety At Work, Safety Features, Solicitor
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October 1st, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning after a worker suffered serious injuries in a fall from a roof.
Lucasz Czuba, 26, was an employee of Webber Trading and had been asked to carry out work on the roof of Shoe City in Gateshead in 2007 when the accident occurred.
He stepped out onto a plastic rooflight that was not supported and it gave way. Mr Czuba fell seven metres to the floor of the building, suffering terrible injuries.
Webber Trading was prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was given a fine of £6,000.
HSE inspector Martin Smith commented: "The director and the company failed to recognise the risks posed in working on the fragile rooflights. This serious incident could have been avoided."
According to statistics published by the HSE, 23 per cent of major fall injuries occur at heights of over two metres.
Tags: Czuba, Fall Injuries, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety At Work Act 1974, Health And Safety Executive, Hse Issues, Martin Smith, Rooflight, Rooflights, Safety At Work, Shoe City, Statistics, Webber, Workplace Accident, Workplace Health
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September 28th, 2009
A man is suing his former employers for compensation after suffering terrible injuries in a workplace accident.
Joseph Pathmananthan, 61, was working at the Cannon Hygiene Factory in October 2007 when the incident occurred, the Wandsworth Guardian reports.
He had been trying to repair a machine that sorts soiled towels when a faulty part weighing 80kg fell on top of him.
Mr Pathmananthan suffered injuries to his legs, ribs, spine, shoulder and lungs and was in a coma for 17 days. He also needed skin grafts to save his legs.
An investigation discovered that the victim was in charge of health and safety at the factory, even though he had never been trained. OSG Group, which owns Cannon, was fined for contravening the Health and Safety at Work Act and Mr Pathmananthan is now seeking compensation from the firm.
Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive show that six million working days were lost due to injury in 2007-08.
Tags: Cannon Hygiene, Guardian Reports, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety Executive, Legs, Lungs, Ribs, Safety At Work, Skin Grafts, Sorts, Spine, Statistics, Sutton, Towels, Workplace Accident
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