A local council, and a bus company were fined after a passenger was killed when run over by a lorry at the bus station.

St Albans Crown Court heard how on 13 February 2015, Nicola Berridge stepped off the bus and was run over by a grab lorry as she walked across a pedestrian crossing at the bus station. She suffered fatal injuries. The grab lorry was delivering sand to a contractor as the bus station had been demolished and was being reconstructed at the time.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the visibility at this crossing was obstructed by buses which had been permitted to park on double-yellow lines between the crossings for several years. Bedford Borough Council and Cambus Limited, a bus station operator failed to coordinate and cooperate with one another to manage pedestrian and vehicle interaction within the bus station. They had joint responsibility to assess the risk to members of the public from vehicle movements within the bus station and to put in place reasonably measures to reduce that risk so far as was reasonably practicable.

Bedford Borough Council of Cauldwell Street, Bedford pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of Health and Safety at Work Act, was fined £300.000 and ordered to pay costs of £ 16,803.59.

Cambus Limited of Cowley Road, Cambridge pleaded not guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of Health and Safety at Work Act, was found guilty and fined £350,000 and ordered to pay costs which are still to be agreed

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Emma Page said: “There were inadequate control measures in place to segregate vehicles and pedestrians at the site and lack of proper planning in terms of pedestrian access and egress to the bus station.

“Hazards associated with vehicles and pedestrians in the same location, particularly the case in a facility such as a bus station in the centre of a busy town, are well known and easily controlled using reasonably practicable precautions.”

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

The post Council and bus company fined after fatal collision involving a bus passenger appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

A manufacturing company has been fined after a worker’s hand was damaged whilst carrying out machinery repairs.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 27 July 2018, an employee of Preston Board and Packaging Limited was trying to repair a cardboard slitting machine. Whilst in the process of lifting a chain back onto a sprocket, a roller attached to the chain dropped to the base of the machine trapping his fingers under the chain, resulting in his left-hand ring finger and the tip of his middle finger being severed.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no risk assessment or safe system of work in place for replacing/repairing safety wires and chains on the slitter machine.

Preston Board and Packaging Limited, Green Bank Street, Preston pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £33,500 and ordered to pay costs of £5,527.16.

HSE inspector Mike Lisle said after the hearing “This injury was easily preventable. The task had been carried out a number of times previously and the risks should have been identified. Employers should properly risk assess machinery operations then apply effective control measures and robust safe systems of work to minimise the risk to employees 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/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

The post Manufacturing company fined after employee loses fingers appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

Two of the biggest health issues facing Wales’ working population – wellbeing and mental health and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – were being explored at a multi-agency conference in Llandudno today.

The Wales Health at Work Summit 2019 was particularly focussed on helping small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to address these issues and attendees heard from a wide range of speakers across government and industry.

The Summit was hosted by the newly-formed Wales Health at Work Partnership (WHWP), a coalition of organisations committed to improving workplace health and wellbeing in Wales.

Members of WHWP include the Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and its ‘Healthy Working Wales’ programme, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and social partners.

Outlining its future agenda at today’s launch the WHWP set itself several objectives to support Welsh business – including SMEs and ‘micros’ – and its workforce by:

• • Promoting new and existing initiatives in Wales to improve health at work and mental wellbeing.
  • Sharing approaches, tools, and workplace experience for managing the risk, and reducing the incidence, of the major causes of occupational ill health in Wales.
  • Gathering and acting on information regarding additional health support needed by Wales’ working population.
  • Developing a co-ordinated and sustainable approach to underpin the work of the Partnership.

Welcoming people to today’s event, Summit Chair, Public Health Wales’ Jyoti Atri said: “Today’s event marks an important landmark. It brings together practitioners from across the public health and workplace health boundary. Working together we will bring improved outcomes for health and wellbeing through work.”

HSE’s deputy director of the Health and Work Programme, Peter Brown said: “Health is a complex area and, as we all know, health improvements are not delivered in one day. That’s as true for HSE’s own role, preventing work-related ill health, as for any other, and makes partnership working all the more important. HSE is therefore delighted to be a part of today’s launch.”

Councillor Dafydd Meurig (Gwynedd), WLGA Spokesperson for Regulatory Services added: “This summit is an important step forward – but it’s the beginning of a process, not the end. Ill health in Welsh workplaces continues to take a heavy toll. Our end goal must be to see lasting improvements, so we urge all those with a shared interest to join us in this mission”.

WHWP told the conference that it recognised the importance of healthy and safe workplaces for good public health and believes its role will be pivotal in delivering lasting beneficial change for Welsh businesses and their employees.

Attendees were asked to capitalise on today’s summit and bring WHWP members together with the wider health and work community to explore all possibilities for future collaboration.

Notes to Editors

1. The Wales Health at Work Summit is jointly funded by the Welsh Government – through Healthy Working Wales – and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is particularly focussed on small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) – and on the ‘SME intermediaries’ that support or link to SMEs – and on helping meet their health needs. 
2. The membership of the Wales Health at Work Partnership (WHWP) currently comprises:

• Welsh Government
• Public Health Wales
• Business Wales
• Director of Public Protection – Wales Representative
• Health & Safety Executive
• Federation of Small Businesses – Wales
• Local Authority Health & Safety Expert Panel
• Wales TUC
• Welsh Local Government Association

3.  The Health and Safety Executive 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

The post WALES HEALTH AT WORK PARTNERSHIP IS LAUNCHED appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

Two of the biggest health issues facing Wales’ working population – wellbeing and mental health and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – were being explored at a multi-agency conference in Llandudno today.

The Wales Health at Work Summit 2019 was particularly focussed on helping small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to address these issues and attendees heard from a wide range of speakers across government and industry.

The Summit was hosted by the newly-formed Wales Health at Work Partnership (WHWP), a coalition of organisations committed to improving workplace health and wellbeing in Wales.

Members of WHWP include the Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and its ‘Healthy Working Wales’ programme, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and social partners.

Outlining its future agenda at today’s launch the WHWP set itself several objectives to support Welsh business – including SMEs and ‘micros’ – and its workforce by:

• • Promoting new and existing initiatives in Wales to improve health at work and mental wellbeing.
  • Sharing approaches, tools, and workplace experience for managing the risk, and reducing the incidence, of the major causes of occupational ill health in Wales.
  • Gathering and acting on information regarding additional health support needed by Wales’ working population.
  • Developing a co-ordinated and sustainable approach to underpin the work of the Partnership.

Welcoming people to today’s event, Summit Chair, Public Health Wales’ Jyoti Atri said: “Today’s event marks an important landmark. It brings together practitioners from across the public health and workplace health boundary. Working together we will bring improved outcomes for health and wellbeing through work.”

HSE’s deputy director of the Health and Work Programme, Peter Brown said: “Health is a complex area and, as we all know, health improvements are not delivered in one day. That’s as true for HSE’s own role, preventing work-related ill health, as for any other, and makes partnership working all the more important. HSE is therefore delighted to be a part of today’s launch.”

Councillor Dafydd Meurig (Gwynedd), WLGA Spokesperson for Regulatory Services added: “This summit is an important step forward – but it’s the beginning of a process, not the end. Ill health in Welsh workplaces continues to take a heavy toll. Our end goal must be to see lasting improvements, so we urge all those with a shared interest to join us in this mission”.

WHWP told the conference that it recognised the importance of healthy and safe workplaces for good public health and believes its role will be pivotal in delivering lasting beneficial change for Welsh businesses and their employees.

Attendees were asked to capitalise on today’s summit and bring WHWP members together with the wider health and work community to explore all possibilities for future collaboration.

Notes to Editors

1. The Wales Health at Work Summit is jointly funded by the Welsh Government – through Healthy Working Wales – and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is particularly focussed on small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) – and on the ‘SME intermediaries’ that support or link to SMEs – and on helping meet their health needs. 
2. The membership of the Wales Health at Work Partnership (WHWP) currently comprises:

• Welsh Government
• Public Health Wales
• Business Wales
• Director of Public Protection – Wales Representative
• Health & Safety Executive
• Federation of Small Businesses – Wales
• Local Authority Health & Safety Expert Panel
• Wales TUC
• Welsh Local Government Association

3.  The Health and Safety Executive 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

The post WALES HEALTH AT WORK PARTNERSHIP IS LAUNCHED appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

A building and maintenance company has been fined after an employee fell from height, causing life changing head injuries.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that on 11 May 2018 two employees of M & M Damproof were replacing a leaking roof sheet above a motor vehicle repair workshop in Digbeth, Birmingham. The pitched roof consisted of corrugated asbestos cement sheets and perspex roof lights. The pair accessed the roof via a ladder which they positioned at the rear of the premises and walked along the roof valley to the site of the repair at the front of the building.

They went onto the roof several times during the course of repair and also worked from a mezzanine floor below part of the roof. Shortly after returning to the mezzanine area inside the building, one worker heard a cracking sound and a shout. Looking across the workshop he saw that his colleague had fallen five metres from the roof onto the concrete workshop floor below. He had fallen head first through a fragile roof light. The injured worker suffered multiple fractures and life changing head injuries. He spent eight weeks in hospital and continues to recover.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that M & M Damproof failed to assess the risks of the job and there were no precautions in place to prevent falls from height through the fragile roof.

M & M Damproof Co. Limited of Clements Road, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9 (2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £996.79.

HSE inspector Amanda James said: “Falls through fragile roofs are a far too common cause of serious and fatal injury in the construction industry and the precautions are well established.

“All roofs can become fragile over time. In particular cement sheets and roof lights are known to be fragile.

“Work on fragile roofs should be avoided where possible, for example by replacing roof sheets from underneath. If it is necessary to go onto the roof, suitable measures such as platforms, coverings and guard rails should be used to prevent falls. Walking along valleys and gutters without protection is not safe; a mis-step, slip or trip could be fatal. With proper planning, safe systems of work and equipment, accidents like this are completely avoidable.”

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

The post Company sentenced after fall through fragile roof appeared first on HSE Media Centre.