June 4th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned that companies face prosecution and possible compensation payouts if they fail to ensure the safety of their workforce.
Shorts Group of Ascot was recently fined under safety regulations after an employee sustained severe injuries in an accident.
The unnamed man, a demolition labourer, was working on a construction site in May 2008 when the skip-loading dumper he was on overturned. The worker had not received any training to use the vehicle and was trapped underneath.
He badly hurt his foot and the HSE took action against Shorts Group for its negligence.
Karen Morris, HSE Inspector, said: "Dumpers are involved in around a third of construction transport incidents, causing many deaths and serious injuries … we expect trained and competent operators at all times."
Safety regulations state that employers should make sure all workers are competent and fit to use all vehicles and machines at work.
By law, firms must give employees sufficient training in safety measures when they first start with the company and whenever they begin to carry out new tasks which involve risks.
Tags: Ascot, Companies Face, Compensation Payouts, Construction Site, Deaths, Demolition, Dumpers, Face Prosecution, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Karen Morris, Law Firms, Machines At Work, Negligence, Safety Measures, Safety Regulations, Unnamed Man, Work Health, Workforce
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May 21st, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said that companies must make sure they provide safe machinery for employees to use after an incident in which a man badly hurt his hand.
The unnamed man reached up into an extraction unit to clear a possible blockage, but was badly cut by the blades.
JBM International of Staffordshire was fined and prosecuted for not carrying out adequate risk assessments and not fitting guards to dangerous machinery.
HSE inspector Ian Williamson said: ”It is important for companies to ensure that they have fully considered all the risks their employees may face when using any equipment."
Earlier this month, the Grimsby Telegraph reported that teenager Luke Oxton is to receive compensation from the Icelandic Group after he got trapped in a machine that had no guard in Grimsby.
He also suffered serious injuries to his arm and has been unable to return to work, as well as requiring plastic surgery.
Tags: Dangerous Machinery, Extraction Unit, Grimsby Telegraph, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Health Safety, Hse, Oxton, Plastic Surgery, Risk Assessments, Safety Health, Staffordshire, Teenager, Unnamed Man
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May 14th, 2009
A woman is considering taking legal action on behalf of her father after he fell down a hospital escalator while visiting his wife.
Len Conway, 84, had been to an osteoarthritis clinic and had visited his wife at Barnsley Hospital when he stepped onto the escalator, the Yorkshire Post reports.
He slipped and fell, causing severe cuts to his face, ear, hands and legs. He also broke his cheekbone.
Carole Conway said her father had lost his independence and said the hospital should not have dangerous facilities on the premises.
"It doesn’t make sense to have people who are already ill trying to use this escalator. It’s just too dangerous," she commented, adding that she is thinking of suing the hospital for the injuries her father sustained.
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating.
Figures published by the HSE show that fatalities and serious injuries arising from slips, trips and fall incidents cost British society an estimated £700 million last year.
Tags: Cheekbone, Conway, Dangerous Facilities, Fall Incidents, Foundation Trust, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Legs, Len, Lost, Nhs Trust, Osteoarthritis, Premises, Slips, Woman, Yorkshire, Yorkshire Post
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May 6th, 2009
A man whose arm was ripped off as he worked at a waste treatment plant is seeking £2 million in compensation for his pain and suffering.
Steven Gallon, 42, was an employee at Inverboyndie Waste Treatment Plant in Banff in 2004 when he attempted to clear a blockage on a piece of machinery.
His arm was caught between an unguarded roller and a conveyor belt and was pulled out due to the force, along with his shoulder and part of his collarbone.
At the time, the company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to train its employees and not putting a guard in place on the roller.
Mr Gallon also sought legal action to pursue a personal injury claim against Aberdeenshire Council.
A spokesperson for the council declined to comment while the case goes through the appropriate legal channels.
HSE statistics show that the recycling sector had five times more injuries in 2007-08 than manufacturing as a whole.
Tags: 2m, Aberdeenshire Council, Accident In Factory, Banff, Collarbone, Conveyor Belt, Damages, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Horror, Hse, Legal Channels, Pain And Suffering, Personal Injury Claim, Recycling, Spokesperson, Statistics, Waste Treatment Plant
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May 1st, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned employers that they must keep equipment in good working order after a worker was badly burned.
Harjit Singh Matharu was working for A1 Rewinds in Birmingham in July 2008, where he was working beneath a vehicle.
However, the oxyacetylene welding gun suddenly caught fire after chemicals leaked from it and Mr Mathuaru was engulfed by a fireball, badly burning his face and arms.
The HSE fined and prosecuted A1 Rewinds after it was found that the company had not maintained its hose equipment for 28 years.
Inspector Pam Folson said: "The hoses were so obviously badly perished that there is no excuse for this incident."
Risks of being burnt or scalded in the workplace should be eliminated by the employer where possible, or workers should be given appropriate safety clothing. If this does not happen and an employee is injured, they are likely to be eligible for compensation as a result of negligence.
Tags: 28 Years, A1, Chemicals, Excuse, Fireball, Folson, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hoses, Hse, Matharu, Negligence, Oxyacetylene Welding, Pam, Safety Clothing, Welding Gun
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