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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May 13th, 2009
A teenager is to be paid compensation after an accident at work in which he was trapped in machinery.
Luke Oxton, then 19, was working at the Icelandic Group’s Coldwater factory in Grimsby, but got trapped in a piece of equipment because there was no guard on its vent, the Grimsby Telegraph reports.
He was trapped for over an hour and had to be freed by firefighters, suffering serious injuries to his arm.
Icelandic Group was fined and prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act and ordered to pay compensation to Mr Oxton.
"We have learned lessons from this incident and implemented a major training programme for all employees and management to recognised national standards," a spokesperson from the company commented.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, there were 2,894 major injuries to employees in the Yorkshire and Humber region in 2007-08, as well as 16 fatal injuries.
Tags: Fatal Injuries, Firefighters, Grimsby Telegraph, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety Executive, Safety At Work, Spokesperson, Teenager, Telegraph Reports, Training Programme, Vent, Yorkshire
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March 2nd, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is set to prosecute a Middlesex-based contractor following the death of a construction worker in 2004.
PC Harrington Contractors is set to be charged with breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, as well as the lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations following the death of a construction worker at the Wembley Stadium site in 2004.
Another worker was also injured in the incident, which occurred when a platform that had become dislodged during a lifting operation fell from a height of 30 metres.
The City of London Magistrates Court is set to hear the case on March 10th.
PC Harrington’s current and past projects include St George’s Wharf, the Ministry of Defence, West India Quay, Romford Hospital, the London Royal Hospital, Paddington Central, the Barclays Bank headquarters at Canary Wharf and the Vodafone world headquarters in Berkshire. The firm was founded in 1973.
Tags: Bank Headquarters, Barclays Bank, Canary Wharf, City Of London, Construction Worker, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Act, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Lifting Operations And Lifting Equipment Regulations, London Magistrates Court, London Royal Hospital, Ministry Of Defence, Paddington, Romford, Safety At Work, Wembley Stadium, West India Quay, World Headquarters
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February 27th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to care providers that they must ensure the safety of their patients.
Its warning comes after a man staying at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield tried to open a window in May 2004.
Although the window was not supposed to open more than ten centimetres, it had not been properly maintained and swung open fully.
The 18-year-old fell 12 metres to the floor below, suffering a serious internal injury and several fractures.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was fined for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
HSE inspector Kirsty Welsh said hospitals need to ensure that vulnerable people are not put at risk.
"The risk of falls from windows is well-known in the care sector. Hospitals have a responsibility to ensure they have preventative measures put in place," she added.
Anyone who is injured within a hospital or care home may be able to claim personal injury compensation and should seek the advice of a solicitor within three years of the incident.
Tags: 18 Year Old, Breaches, Care Sector, Foundation Trust, Fractures, 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, Kirsty, Northern General Hospital, Personal Injury Compensation, Preventative Measures, Risk, Safety At Work, Sheffield, Solicitor, Teaching Hospitals, Welsh
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