Britain’s workplace health and safety regulator is urging local authorities (LAs) across the country to make a statement of commitment to work with others to improve health and safety standards in the sectors they regulate.

Figures collected by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show failures in the management of occupational health and safety in LA enforced business sectors result in more than 100,000 new cases of ill health, 5000 major injuries and the deaths of around 10 workers each year.

LAs predominantly cover the retail, consumer services, entertainment and warehousing/supply chain sectors which account for two thirds of all business premises, around half of the total GB workforce.

Many of those harmed are vulnerable workers not provided with reasonable workplace protection, and around 15 members of the public, including children are killed each year in avoidable incidents because of workplace activity.

Many LAs in Great Britain face a challenging environment that impact on the way they deliver a wide range of regulatory services and statutory duties so a Statement of Commitment (SoC) has been developed by the HSE and LA representative bodies across GB.

It has been designed to strengthen and maintain long term senior commitment to delivery of their legal duty as enforcers of workplace health and safety and asks that LAs collaborate with other bodies to deliver effective and correctly targeted solutions to keep workers safe.

The SoC has been endorsed by HSE’s Board, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland (SOCOEHS).

Councillors, Chief Executives and Heads of Regulatory Services in LA’s are also being encouraged to publicly commit to the SoC and embed the principles within their service plans.

The SoC recognises that:

• LAs must target and prioritise regulatory resources to meet their legal duties;
• Continued delivery of effective co-regulation will require ongoing evolution in both the LA and HSE approaches to regulatory delivery, and
• The HSE and LA co-regulatory partnership plays a vital role in delivering the ‘Help GB Work Well’ strategy.

HSE launched the SoC on its website in April 2019. It is available to view at http://www.hse.gov.uk/lau/statement.htm

HSE will be working with LAs to develop further supporting materials which will be made available in due course.

LA Chief Executives and Heads of H&S regulatory services are encouraged to publicly endorse the SoC and HSE are seeking opportunities to promote it via articles in appropriate publications and via newsletters etc.

Notes to Editors

1.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. We also work with local authority co-regulatory partners who enforce in the entertainment, leisure, commercial and consumer service sectors. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk

2.For more information please contact lau.enquiries@hse.gov.uk

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A milling company has been fined after a worker suffered life changing injuries resulting in loss and partial loss of three fingers in his dominant hand.

Peterborough Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 21 September 2015, an employee of Nene Milling Company Limited in Wisbech was cleaning wood dust from a 4-sided planer/moulder using an extraction pipe and his hand came into contact with the cutter block. Access to the working parts is usually prevented by hood enclosures but these were damaged, meaning the interlocks were not working. Also, during the set up process, temporary cutter guards should have been in place but were not.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found the company failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery and failed to provide adequate information, instruction, training and supervision of employees.

Nene Milling Company Limited of Brigstock Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act etc.1974 and have been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2499.03.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Roxanne Barker said: “This life changing injury was easily preventable and the risk should have been identified. Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at:www.legislation.gov.uk, www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg185.pdf and www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis40.pdf
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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A grain store company has been fined following the death of a worker at its site in Linton, Cambridgeshire.

Peterborough Crown Court heard how on 27 July 2016 an employee of Camgrain Stores Ltd suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a lorry at the site. Mr. Edward Orlopp had left the control room to walk across the site and on leaving the building he walked in front of a moving lorry. The driver had checked his mirrors but he did not see the employee and moved forward fatally injuring the employee.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Camgrain Stores Ltd had failed to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles could move safely around the site and that they had not provided measures to prevent employees walking into areas where large vehicles are moving.

Camgrain Stores Ltd of London Road, Balsham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £180,000 and ordered to pay costs of £20,000.

After the hearing HSE inspector Stephen Faulkner said: “Being struck by vehicles is one of the most common causes of workplace fatal accidents. This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident caused by failure of the host company to undertake a number of simple measures.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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A London based roofing company, McDonald Roofing Contractors Limited, has been fined after a worker fell a distance of nine metres from a flat roof he was working on.

Westminster Magistrates court head how McDonald Roofing Contractors Limited were carrying out re-roofing works at 12 Glebe Road, SW13 0DR. Work began at the end of February 2018. On 12 March 2018 an employee of McDonald Roofing Contractors Limited was carrying out work on a flat roof. Whilst carrying out this work he stepped backwards from the flat roof. As a result of the fall the worker suffered a broken right shoulder blade, a broken right collar bone, and a fracture to the left side of his face.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to ensure that the work at height was properly planned; appropriately supervised; and carried out in a manner which is so far as is reasonably practicable safe.

McDonald Roofing Contractors Limited of 6 Colville Road, London W3 8BL pleaded guilty to breach Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and fined £30,000 with full costs of £1483.00.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Adam Thompson said: “The case highlights the importance of ensuring that work at height is properly planned and appropriately supervised.”

“The incident could so easily have been avoided by having suitable and sufficient edge protection around the flat roof.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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Red Funnel Ferries has been fined after a worker fell from the unprotected edge of its Red Falcon ship’s mezzanine car deck.

Southampton Crown Court heard how, on 24 September 2015, a worker was uncoiling a reel of electrical cable on a mezzanine deck at Southampton docks, when he inadvertently stepped off a raised edge and fell 2.5m to the lower deck, sustaining multiple fractures to his foot and wrist.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Red Funnel should have taken steps such as lowering the mezzanine deck or raising the edge protection barriers on the deck in order to eliminate the risk of falling from height.

The Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Ltd (trading as Red Funnel Ferries), of 12 Bugle Street, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 2JY pleaded guilty for failing to discharge the duty imposed upon them by Section 3(1) of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and has been fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £ 10,800.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Andrew Johnson said: “Companies have a duty to ensure the risks from working at height are properly controlled. Simple steps to eliminate the risk of falling or prevent it (through barriers etc.) were not taken and a serious injury occurred.”

Notes to Editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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