An engineering firm has been fined after a worker suffered severe crush injuries while working on a mould making machine.

Northampton Magistrates Court heard how an RSM Castings Ltd employee was injured after attempting to light the burners on a moulding machine at their Northampton plant on 11 April 2018While the employee leant into the machine the pattern plate closed on his head and upper body.

The worker, who has asked not be named, suffered extensive injuries, including a broken neck, back fractures, broken ribs, a fractured shoulder blade, a ruptured spleen, torn liver, a punctured lung, facial fractures and loss of teeth. He remains unable to return to work as a result of his injuries.

A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was inadequate safeguarding to prevent access between the closing pattern parts of the moulding machine.

RSM Castings Limited of Round Spinney Estate North, Portway Close, Round Spinney Northampton, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and had been fined £32,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1739.70.

After the hearing HSE Inspector Neil Ward commented: “This case highlights the importance of foundries checking guarding on their machines and not to be complacent about machinery safety. In this case RSM Castings failed to ensure that the machine was guarded to the correct standard and it could have easily resulted in a fatal injury.”

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 Firm fined after machine worker suffers crush injuries appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

An electric gate company has been fined after a six-year-old boy was fatally crushed whilst playing on a sliding gate installed by the company.

Leeds Crown Court heard how, on 31 October 2015, the boy was playing with friends on the gate of an underground car park on Leylands Road, Leeds, pushing it open and closed. The gate was pushed beyond the retaining mechanism as no endstop had been fitted to the gate track. The gate fell over, trapping and fatally crushing the child.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company that had manufactured and installed the electric gate failed to install an end stop. No-one else involved in commissioning or maintaining the gate over the next six years noticed and rectified the deficiency.

Bradfabs Ltd. of Planetrees Road, Laisterdyke, Bradford pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £12,411.46.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Julian Franklin commented: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, which could have been prevented by a thorough commissioning check before handing the gate over to the building occupier.”

“Companies should be aware the HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

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 fined after child killed by falling gate appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

A concrete production company has today been fined after a welder lost four fingers during an unsafe lifting operation.

Southwark Crown Court heard how on 27 September 2016, at the company’s Kings Cross site in York Way, a forklift was being used to lift and swivel a large metal gate attached to the truck with a chain on a “O-ring” that was slotted onto the forklift truck tines with nothing to prevent it sliding off. As the gate was being lifted, it slipped off the tines and fell to the floor, slicing off the welder’s four fingers.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited did not properly plan and supervise this lifting operation to ensure it was carried out in a safe manner.

Hanson Quarry Products Europe Limited of Hanson House, Castle Hill, Maidenhead pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and has been fined £400,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £11,376.25.

Speaking after the case HSE inspector Jane Wolfenden said: “Te use of forklift truck, chain and O-ring was unsafe, putting workers at unnecessary risk. This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply having a competent person plan a safe lifting operation and providing adequate supervision to ensure the lifting operation was carried out safely.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards “

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. hse.gov.uk

2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/

3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

The post Concrete production company pleads guilty after employee loses four fingers appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

Three construction companies have been fined after the director of one of the firms received serious injuries after falling 11 metres when a gust of wind blew him off a roof.

The three firms, Bowmer and Kirkland Ltd, Advance Roofing Ltd and JKW Roofing were working on the roof of the new three storey teaching block of Abbotsfield School for Boys in Hillingdon.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how on 23^rd February 2017 Storm Doris was moving across the UK bringing gusts of wind up to 94 mph. Because of the winds there were numerous warnings on site and many activities had been suspended. The roof works continued however, until the early afternoon when a gust of wind blew JKW Roofing company director John Whitham, 52,  off the roof, along with freestanding A-frame barriers and stacks of insulation. Mr Whitham sustained severe injuries to his pelvis, vertebrae and tibia, from which he continues to suffer.

Bowmer and Kirkland were the principal contractor on the project. Advanced Roofing were contracted to carry out the roofing works on the project and had sub-contracted the substantive roofing works on the main building to JKW Roofing while using its own workers on other areas.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found all three contractors had failed to ensure that a suitable and sufficient system to assess the effects of high wind when working at height was being followed. The companies had taken an informal approach to assessing weather conditions which was not in line with industry standards.

Bowmer and Kirkland Limited, of High Edge Court Street, Belper, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and were fined £350,000 and ordered to pay £6,190.28 in costs.

Advanced Roofing Limited, of Littlewell Lane, Stanton-By-Dale, Derbyshire,  pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and were fined £29,300 and ordered to pay £6,187.88 in costs.

J.K.W. Roofing Services Limited, of Gedling Road, Arnold, Nottinghamshire,  pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and received 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £6,159.48 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Gabriella Dimitrov said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to the workers in the safe system of working. If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by Mr Whitham could have been prevented.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a 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 Construction firms fined after director blown off roof appeared first on HSE Media Centre.

A car and commercial vehicle component manufacturer has been fined after two employees suffered burns whilst cleaning a distillation tank.

Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard how on 11 July 2017 two employees of Delphi Diesel Systems Limited were burnt when the vapour of a flammable chemical, which was being used to clean the distillation tank part of a component washer, ignited and caused an explosion. Both employees suffered significant burn injuries, with one employee’s injuries being so serious they could not return to work for over two months.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident at the company’s site in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire found that no risk assessment had been undertaken for the procedure of cleaning the distillation tank and that no safe system of work had been put in place. The investigation also found that planning had been undertaken for the use of the flammable chemical during the cleaning activity.

Delphi Diesel Systems Limited of Brunel Way, Stroudwater Business Park, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire has pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company has been fined £1,000,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9,374.

Speaking after the case HSE principal inspector Paul Thompson said “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe systems of work, and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in those systems, as well as the substances they use.

“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the injuries suffered by the employees could 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. hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk^[3]

The post Company fined £1 million after two employees suffer burns appeared first on HSE Media Centre.