A contract furnishing company was sentenced today after a worker suffered multiple injuries when sheeting collapsed on to him from a stack.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that on 10 September 2018, Conor Nicholson, a 19-year-old apprentice employed by Thomson Contracts Limited, was working with a colleague to retrieve a single 3m x 1.2m MDF sheet weighing 55kg from the back of a stack. As he was attempting to do this 16 sheets, each weighing 25kg, fell on top of him, fracturing his skull and pelvis and causing bleeding and bruising to the brain.

While he has returned to full time work, Conor continues to require pain killers to help him sleep and his sense of smell and taste have still not returned.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had a “pigeon hole” type racking system in place to safely store sheets. However, it was common practice, including on the day of the accident, to store sheets adjacent to, but not inside, the racking system.

Thomson Contracts Limited of Cold Hesledon Industrial Estate, Seaham, County Durham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £22,000 with £1,258 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Garner said: “Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.

“In this incident a young worker suffered serious, life-changing injuries which could have easily been prevented had appropriate physical protections been put in place.”

For more information on this, please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis2.pdf

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 self-employed electrician has been prosecuted after carrying out gas work without being Gas Safe registered.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that Robert Parker had carried out gas work between March and August 2017 and installed a boiler on 24 October 2017 at a domestic property in Rossendale despite not being Gas Safe registered.

Following notification of installation defects by the occupiers of the property, Gas Safe inspectors inspected and found the work was at risk and not to current standards. The boiler was deemed to be immediately dangerous as there was no flue connected.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), found that Robert Parker was not Gas Safe registered and was not qualified or competent to undertake gas work.

Robert Parker of Burnley, Lancashire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was given a 26 week suspended sentence to 12 months, 150 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £2298.20.

HSE inspector Sharon Butler said after the hearing “Mr Parker undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do. All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life.”

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. More information about gas safety can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/index.htm
4. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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Vertellus Specialties UK Limited has today been fined after an employee fell two metres from a ladder and suffered a serious elbow injury.

Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard that on 6 June 2018, at the company’s site in Northside, Workington, an employee was using a ladder to inspect a steam leak at height when the ladder failed and the employee fell to the ground.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to ensure that work at height was properly planned and managed. The company also failed to ensure that equipment provided for use at height was inspected at regular intervals and was fit for use.

Vertellus Specialties UK Limited of St Ann’s Wharf, Newcastle-upon-Tyne pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 with £5155.80 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Carol Forster said: “Work at height accidents are one of the main causes of occupational injury and death. Employers should consider if working at height can be avoided and, if work at height is undertaken, it should be properly planned and managed appropriately and all equipment should be fit for purpose.”

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 packaging manufacturing company was sentenced after a worker was injured by an automated transfer vehicle.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that on 5 September 2017, the employee of Saica Pack UK Limited was walking along the factory floor when his leg became trapped between an automated vehicle and a conveyor at the company site in Hartlepool. The vehicles, known as transfer cars, are used to move product around the factory and onto a conveyor system.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that although the company purchased the Hartlepool site in 2008, it had failed to assess the risk of injury from contact with the transfer cars until nine years later, only a month prior to the incident. An assessment which was carried out by an external consultant and given to the company in August 2017, highlighted several areas where remedial action was required and made it clear how far short the site was from compliance with the company’s own ‘group wide’ material handling system standard. The company had failed to ensure that the standard was adopted at the Hartlepool site and very little had been done to control the risks associated with the transfer cars.

Saica Pack UK Limited of Oakesway Trading Estate, Hartlepool, Cleveland pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £60,000 with £1512.89 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jonathan Wills said: “A worker was left with serious life-changing injuries because of this incident. Injuries which could have very easily been avoided, had the recommendations made in the assessment been acted upon.

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
4. For further more information please visit:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/machinery/safety.htm

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A Liverpool port operating company has been sentenced after a worker was struck by a load falling from two fork lift trucks (FLTs) at the Port of Liverpool in Seaforth.

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard that on 28 May 2015, three agency workers performing work for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company were loading bundles of rebar onto HGV trailers for onward transfer. The injured employee was acting as banksman whilst his two colleagues were operating their FLTs as part of a tandem lift manoeuvre. During the loading procedure a single bundle of rebar weighing 1,924 kg, suspended on the forks of the two trucks, was struck by the reversing HGV’s headboard causing it to fall onto the employee stood on the far side by the HGV’s cab.

Following the incident, the operative sustained multiple fractures, lacerations, scarring and abrasion, ligament reconstruction to his left knee and has undergone four operations which resulted in the amputation of two toes of his left foot. He has been unable to return to work since the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found no suitable risk assessment relating to the hazards arising from loading bundles of rebar onto reversing flatbed trailers had been carried out. The tandem FLT lifting operation was also not properly planned, supervised or carried out in a safe manner.

The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company Limited of Maritime Centre, Port of Liverpool pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,593.55.

After the hearing HSE inspector Rohan Lye said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to ensure they provide safe methods of working and a safe working environment. If suitable controls had been in place the serious physical injuries sustained by this worker could easily have been prevented.”

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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