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 15th, 2009
A pet food manufacturing company has been fined £10,000 after one of its employees was crushed to death in a piece of machinery.
John O’Connor, 38, had been working at the Butcher’s Pet Care factory in Northamptonshire and entered a palletising machine to clear a blockage.
However, when he moved the can of pet food that had become jammed, the fully-automated machine restarted.
Mr O’Conor was pulled into its workings and was crushed to death.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that staff should not have been able to access the moving parts of machines, which should all have had guards in place.
Butcher’s operations director Philip Thompson was fined for breaching work equipment regulations and was ordered to pay a fine and compensation.
HSE inspector Neil Craig said: "This was far from being an isolated incident. The unfenced gap between the stair rails had been there for nearly two years."
According to HSE statistics, there were 35 fatal injuries to workers in manufacturing between 2007 and 2008.
Tags: Butcher, Conor, Fatal Injuries, Food Manufacturing, Gap, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Manufacturing Company, Moving Parts, Neil Craig, Northamptonshire, O Connor, Operations Director, Pet Care, Pet Food, Philip Thompson, Stair Rails, Statistics
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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 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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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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