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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August 11th, 2008
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned employers to correctly manage the risks associated with asbestos after it prosecuted two Essex-based firms.
R Maskell of Loughton had been carrying out refurbishment work in Ipswich during 2005 when its workers discovered asbestos.
The firm subcontracted the asbestos removal to LCH Contracts.
However, when the HSE carried out an inspection, it was concerned that the material – exposure to which can cause a cancer called mesothelioma – had not been properly removed.
Its inspectors ordered work to cease in the building. R Maskell has now been fined £150,000 with court costs of £30,000, while LCH received a fine of £70,000 plus £13,821 costs.
HSE inspector Nicola Surrey said the prosecutions could easily have been avoided and that the case should act as a lesson to other employers.
"The HSE will not hesitate to take action against those who fall short of the law in such a way," she said, adding that asbestos must be properly managed to prevent people dying from diseases related to the substance in the future.
"If you are responsible for managing the maintenance and repair of a building, you must manage any asbestos in it," she commented.
The family of anyone who has died from mesothelioma could be eligible to seek damages for professional negligence against the company where they were exposed to asbestos.
Tags: Asbestos Removal, Cancer, Contracts, Damages, Diseases, Essex, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Ipswich, Loughton, Maskell, Mesothelioma, Nicola, Professional Negligence, Prosecution, Prosecutions, Refurbishment Work, Surrey
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