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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September 30th, 2009
A man who sustained serious injuries after falling from a ride-on mower has been awarded compensation from his employer.
The unnamed council employee was cutting the grass in a park in Cheltenham in May 2008 when the accident happened.
He fell from the vehicle onto a park bench and suffered a punctured lung and two broken ribs, forcing him to remain on sick leave for 11 weeks.
An investigation discovered that the incline was too steep for the ride-on mower according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and that the victim had not received sufficient training to use it.
As a result, Cheltenham Borough Council was fined for contravening health and safety regulations and was ordered to pay compensation to the injured man.
Health and Safety Executive inspector Alison Fry said it was only through good fortune that the accident was not fatal.
"This incident sends out a clear message to employers to ensure that they carry out risk assessments … before deciding which equipment is suitable," she added.
HSE statistics show that 299,000 reportable injuries happened in British workplaces in 2007-08, a rate of 1,000 per 100,000 workers.
Tags: Alison, Broken Ribs, Cheltenham, Cutting, Fry, Good Fortune, Grass, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Health Safety, Man Health, Park Bench, Punctured Lung, Reportable Injuries, Risk Assessments, Safety Regulations, Sick Leave, Statistics, Workplaces
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April 16th, 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned firms that their safety procedures must be up to scratch after a company was fined and prosecuted for two worker accidents.
SDC Trailers of Mansfield pleaded guilty to breaches of regulations in both cases.
In one incident, a man was hurt when an unsecured load fell from a lorry and landed on his leg, while another suffered crush injuries when the same thing happened only weeks later.
HSE inspector Maureen Kingman said: "The unloading of trailers in which loads have not been properly secured places those involved at considerable risk."
She added that this case shows how serious failing to comply with health and safety regulations can be.
According to figures published by the HSE, six million working days were lost to injuries at work in 2007-08, with 299,000 reportable injuries occurring.
Victims of such injuries may be eligible for compensation if it can be proved that they occurred as a result of negligence.
Tags: Accidents, Breaches, Crush Injuries, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse Issues, Kingman, Lorry, Lost, Negligence, Reportable Injuries, Risk, Safety Procedures, Safety Regulations, Sdc Trailers
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March 31st, 2009
A man who suffered an injury to his hand while at work has received £5,000 in compensation from his former employers.
David Drabble, 61, was working for George Wimpey UK when he had to cut, drill and assemble a staircase, the South Yorkshire Star reports.
It is thought that as he drilled, he hit a piece of soft wood, which made the drill change speeds and caused it to jolt into his hand.
Mr Drabble was left with nerve damage and still has problems gripping. He has also lost some of the feeling in his little finger.
He took legal action against George Wimpey UK, claiming that he had not been given adequate materials to do the job.
Although the firm denied liability, it agreed to an out-of-court settlement of £5,000.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, six million working days were lost to workplace injury between 2007 and 2008, with 299,000 reportable injuries occurring.
Tags: Adequate Materials, Change Speeds, Court Settlement, Drabble, George Wimpey, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Job, Little Finger, Lost, Nerve Damage, Reportable Injuries, South Yorkshire, Staircase, Workplace Injury, Yorkshire
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January 9th, 2009
An employer has been prosecuted after one of its workers sustained a serious injury in an accident on a building site.
The unnamed man was labouring on a site for Peter Ernest Homes in 2007 when he left his position to get a drink.
However, as he crossed the site, another worker dropped a scaffolding pole, which fell on him as there was no netting between the scaffolding and the ground.
The man suffered partial paralysis and has still not fully recovered.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Joanna Woodcock said that falling materials pose risks on any site and should be managed as such.
"Those in control of scaffold operations should keep others out from below because it only takes a simple human error to drop something," she remarked.
According to the HSE, six million working days were lost to injuries in 2007-08, with 299,000 reportable injuries occurring.
Tags: Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Human Error, Joanna, Partial Paralysis, Prosecution, Quot, Reportable Injuries, Scaffold, Scaffolding, Unnamed Man, Woodcock, Worker Injury
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