October 30th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned employers that they must adhere to regulations regarding working at height following an accident in which a man broke his spine.
Philpott Demolition and Recycling employee Gediminas Vasiliauskas had been removing roof tiles from an aircraft hangar when the tragedy occurred in April 2007.
He was not wearing a safety harness and when he lost his footing, he fell from the roof of the building. The victim had to have a metal plate inserted into his spine and lost his sense of taste and smell.
He was also unable to work for a year after the accident.
Tim Philpott, the owner of the business, was fined for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was given a substantial fine.
HSE Inspector Nicola Surrey said: "Mr Vasiliauskas was lucky to survive this incident, which could have been avoided if his employer had taken precautions to ensure his employee’s safety."
Under Work at Height Regulations, every employer should make sure that work is not carried out at height when it can be successfully carried out at ground level.
Where work at height is carried out, employers are legally obliged to take adequate steps to prevent falls.
Tags: Adequate Steps, Aircraft Hangar, Demolition, Footing, Health And Safety, Health And Safety At Work, Health And Safety At Work Etc Act 1974, Health And Safety Executive, Nicola, Norwich, Quot, Recycling, Roof Tiles, Safety At Work, Safety Harness, Sense Of Taste, Spine Health, Surrey, Tragedy, Working At Height
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October 23rd, 2009
A man who worked for Morrisons is suing the supermarket chain after suffering horrific injuries in the car park of one of its stores.
Kevin Brookshaw was arriving for a night shift at the Morrisons store in Crewe in December 2006 when the accident occurred, the Crewe Chronicle reports.
As he drove under the car park’s barrier, it suddenly swung forward and crashed through the windscreen of his car.
Mr Brookshaw’s facial injuries were so severe that his wife Pauline did not know him at first. He will never be able to eat or speak properly again and has to be fed through a tube.
"Kevin was literally unrecognisable. His face was entirely split down the middle and covered in blood," Mrs Brookshaw said.
At a recent hearing, Morrisons was fined for breaching health and safety regulations and has admitted liability for Mr Brookshaw’s injuries. It is thought that he will receive a substantial sum in compensation for his pain and suffering.
The supermarket chain said it has since changed the design of the gates on all its stores.
Anyone who is injured on supermarket premises because of the negligence of the occupier may be entitled to make a compensation claim and should seek the advice of a solicitor specialising in personal injury compensation claims.
Tags: Car Park, Chronicle Reports, Compensation Claim, Crewe Chronicle, Facial Injuries, Health And Safety, Horrific Accident, Horrific Injuries, Morrisons Store, Negligence, Night Shift, Occupier, Personal Injury Compensation, Personal Injury Compensation Claims, Safety Regulations, Solicitor Specialising, Substantial Sum, Supermarket Chain, Wife Pauline, Windscreen
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October 23rd, 2009
A firm in Scotland has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after one of its employees was seriously injured by a piece of machinery.
The unnamed man had been filling a Mobile Explosives Manufacturing Unit at Orica UK in Muirside when the accident occurred in February 2008.
He had been pouring emulsion into the machine when it suddenly blocked. As he reached in to clear the blockage, it unexpectedly started again and the man lost two of the fingers on his right hand.
An investigation by HSE officers found that the plant’s equipment was not properly guarded and there was no safe way to clear blockages that did occur. Orica UK was fined £10,000 for breaching health and safety regulations.
HSE Inspector Colin Hutchinson commented: "This was a serious and avoidable incident. All companies conducting similar operations must learn from this incident by making sure their safety procedures are both sufficient and rigidly followed."
According to statistics published by the HSE, 299,000 reportable injuries occurred at work between 2007 and 2008, resulting in the loss of six million working days.
Tags: Blockages, Colin Hutchinson, Emulsion, Explosives, Fingers, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Orica, Reportable Injuries, Safe Way, Safety Procedures, Safety Regulations, Scotland, Statistics, Unnamed Man, Workplace Accident
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October 21st, 2009
A man who suffered a back injury at work has been awarded £22,000 from his former employer.
John Atkin was a delivery driver for Johnston Press in February 2007 and had been delivering newspapers in Northumberland.
However, when he came to unload at a drop-off point, he found that the newspapers had been put in the van incorrectly and had shifted.
As he went to rearrange them in the confined space, he badly injured his back.
Due to the injury affecting his right arm and shoulder, Mr Atkin has been unable to work since.
He took legal action against Johnston Press, which admitted breaching health and safety regulations and has agreed to pay £22,000 in compensation.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, 80 per cent of people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Much of this is caused or worsened by duties at work and employers should have measures in place to avoid such injuries.
Tags: Back Injury, Back Pain, Confined Space, Delivering Newspapers, Delivery Driver, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, John Atkin, Johnston Press, Measures, Northumberland, Right Arm, Safety Regulations, Shoulder Mr
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October 20th, 2009
A care home in Flintshire has been ordered to pay compensation to a woman who fractured her hip after falling from a care home bed.
Ellen Clewarth, 92, became entangled in her bed railings at Aston Hall Care Home in February and sustained a fractured hip after falling to the floor.
An investigation by health and safety officers found that the resident had a history of trying to get out of bed and that these railings should not have been used.
It was also found that staff had no training in using the railings to keep residents safe.
Aston Hall Care Home was ordered to pay a fine of £6,000 as well as £4,200 in compensation to Ms Clewarth. She had to undergo surgery but has now recovered and is in another care home.
Residential homes must adhere to the same safety regulations as other medical organisations such as hospitals. Where this is not the case, victims may be eligible to seek compensation for clinical negligence and should seek the advice of a solicitor.
Tags: Care Homes, Clinical Negligence, Ellen, Fractured Hip, Health And Safety, Hospitals, Medical Organisations, Railings, Residential Homes, Safety Officers, Safety Regulations, Solicitor, Woman
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
