Health and Safety News

Health and Safety News: August 2008
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work MLive.com - Wings' practice ● ▼ 2008 (216)
prescription: work on defence and ❍ ▼ Nov 2008 (14)
■ Man Burned In
scoring balance Meth-Related

Explosion Dies
■ Update: Arkoma
explosion hurts
Thursday, 28 August 2008 worker
■ Apparent gas
explosion at coal
mine hurts two
Ten Koreans killed in Philippine traffic accident ■ Clocks go back –
MANILA: Ten South Korean nationals, many of them Baptist pastors, HSE issues
were killed in the northern Philippines when the van in which they
were travelling slammed into a concrete wall at high speed, officials advice for safe
said on Thursday. workin...
■ Work resumes on
The accident occurred at midday on Wednesday in the town of new twin spans
Bolinao in Pangasinan province. Six men, three women and a six- ■ Trade union
year-old girl, all Koreans, were killed. claims work-
death statistics
Wilfredo Castelo, a local official in Bolinao, told Reuters that it was
raining hard at the time of the accident and that witnesses had seen far highe...
the van weaving before it hit the wall of a warehouse by the side of ■ Safety accidents
the road. in China down

20% in past 10
All 10 occupants of the vehicle were killed. Five of the victims were mont...
tourists, including a couple on their honeymoon, while the other five ■ Stay at home if
were residing in the Philippines, he said.
you're sick, say
The tourists were to fly back home on Thursday after visiting various bosses
tourist spots in the northern Philippines, he said. ■ Arkoma
explosion hurts
Source: International Herald Tribune. worker
at 02:46 0 comments ■ Man cautioned
Labels: accident, fatality, news, Philippines, RTA over bogus

insurance claim
■ Safety stats "a
reason not to cut

back on safety"
■ Pipeline
Explosion
■ Advice on
Power-line worker still critical after accident preventing and
A Salt Lake City man is still in critical condition Wednesday after managing back
suffering an electric shock that burned him and killed his co-worker pain
Tuesday, a hospital official said. ■ Excavator driver
Meanwhile, power company officials said they are investigating the fined after
incident, but they didn't say when results would be available or why pedestrian killed
the power lines were live during routine maintenance. nea...
http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html (1 of 18) [05/11/2008 13:32:23]

Fatu Matagi, 28, was working on a power pole near 4100 South and ❍ ► Oct 2008 (39)
1400 East when an electrical jolt ran through his body.
❍ ► Sep 2008 (14)
A second worker, Stephen G. Vlamakis, 26, of Helper, was ❍ ► Aug 2008 (29)
pronounced dead at the scene.
❍ ► Jul 2008 (20)
A third worker, whose name was not released, rigged rescue lines to ❍ ► Jun 2008 (44)
free the men dangling from a transformer and power lines 15 to 20
feet above ground. ❍ ► May 2008 (27)
❍ ► Apr 2008 (29)
They were working for Mountain Power, a Post Falls, Idaho-based
subcontractor for Rocky Mountain Power. Rocky Mountain Power's
investigation will likely take weeks, spokeswoman Margaret Oler said.
"It typically takes quite some time," she said. Tags

● Accident
At Mountain Power, a woman answering the phone also had no
comment on why power was still flowing through the lines being ● Back Injuries
worked on or how long their investigation could take. ● Burns
- Lindsay Whitehurst, The Salt Lake Tribune. ● Collapse
at 02:42 0 comments ● Crane
Labels: accident, burns, electric shock, fatality, USA ● Explosion
● Fatality
● Fine
● Forklift
● Health and Safety
● HSE
Gas rig burning after explosion ● Injury
RULISON, Colorado — An explosion rocked a natural gas drilling rig
in western Colorado early Wednesday and there is still a fire burning ● Lorry
at the site. ● News
The fire is contained to the wellpad, and there were no injuries in the ● Work at Height
explosion, said Mike Morgan, chief for the Rifle Fire Protection
District. Fire crews from Rifle and the Grand Valley Fire Protection
District, along with officials from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office ● COSHH Essentials
responded to the explosion, which occurred at about 1:30 a.m.
● Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
The wellpad is south of the Colorado River, east of Rulison. ● Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (IOSH)
“We are still here on site,” Morgan said at 10 a.m. “We are trying to
get things off the wellpad so we can get the well-shut in.” Williams ● Make Free Donations
Production RMT controls the wellsite, and Halliburton Energy ● National Examination Board of
Services is assisting with fire suppression efforts at the scene,
Morgan said. Occupational Safety and Health
(NEBOSH)
After the explosion, crews were immediately evacuated, said Susan ● NEBOSH Revision
Alvillar, a spokeswoman for Williams. A Williams emergency
response team also responded to the fire, she said. ● Useful Books and DVDs
No structures were damaged other than the drilling rig, Alvillar said. .
“They have been letting the fire burn because that is the safest thing What's new at HSE - Press
to do,” Alvillar said. “They are working on a plan to get water down the
hole and hopefully extinguish the fire. They are in the process of release
implementing that plan now.” ● Clocks go back - advice for safe
working in winter
The size of the fire still burning at the scene is about 20 percent of
what it was when fire officials arrived on scene, Morgan said. ● Excavator driver fined after
pedestrian killed near building site
“The fire has gotten a lot smaller,” he said.
● Scotland asbestos campaign photo

The flames can be seen from Interstate 70, prompting a number of ● Your back is in your hands: HSE
motorists to pull to the shoulder to watch. gives advice on preventing and
managing back pain
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, according to the
sheriff’s office. ● HSE publishes health and safety
statistics for 2007/08
pyates@postindependent.com
Source: The Aspen Times. AddMe - Search Engine Optimization

at 02:40 0 comments
Labels: explosion, fire, firefighters, natural gas, USA
Links to this site

● In search of severe weather
Wednesday, 27 August 2008 ● GotSafety Blog
16 dead in Chinese chemical plant explosion

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The death toll from an explosion at a
chemical plant in southern China has reached 16, the state-run
Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday.
Six people are still missing from the Tuesday morning blast, and 57
are injured, Xinhua said.
Most of the dead worked at the plant, located in China's Guangxi

Zhuang autonomous region.
The fire was put out Tuesday evening but explosions persisted until
the afternoon, the agency reported.
The Guangxi Guangwei Chemical Company owns the plant. It mainly

produces chemicals used in adhesives, paints, and coatings, Xinhua
said.
Environmental experts went to the area along the Longjiang River

near the plant to monitor for contamination.
Ge Xianmin, the region's toxic substances emergency center director,

told Xinhua that poisonous gases, mainly hydrogen sulfide and
carbon monoxide, were still coming from the site.
About 11,500 people living in a 1.8-mile (3-kilometer) radius of the

plant were evacuated.
Source: CNN.com.
at 03:41 0 comments
Labels: accident, chemicals, China, explosion, fatality,
injury, news
Company fined over miner deaths

Scottish Coal has been fined £400,000 for health and safety breaches
over the deaths of two miners in Ayrshire.
It admitted failing to ensure a safe system of working at Pennyvenie

open cast mine near Dalmellington.

Colin Ferguson, 37, from Prestwick, and Brian French, 48, from
Kelloholm, died there last February when their Land Rover was
crushed by a tipper truck.
Scottish Coal issued a statement expressing its "deepest sympathies"

for the family and friends of the dead men.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the "entirely

preventable" deaths arose from management failures.
Scottish Coal pled guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at
Work Act.
The fine was imposed after the case was brought before Ayr Sheriff
Court.
Passing sentence, Sheriff John Montgomery said the company had

been guilty of two failures over the deaths.
"The first is a failure to provide a safe system of work for the

movement of vehicles and plant at the site," he said.
"Relatively small vehicles such as the Land Rover in which the two
deceased were travelling were not prevented from being operated in
close proximity to large vehicles including dump trucks while they
were being operated with reduced visual fields thereby creating a risk
of collision.
"The second is a failure to provide the operators of all mobile plant

with suitable means of communication or other equipment to reduce
the risk of collision and injury."
The Scottish Coal statement said: "We expect that the whole
circumstances of the tragic accident will now be examined at a fatal
accident inquiry.
"We would welcome such an inquiry and will participate fully as we

believe that it will be the best possible method of determining how the
accident occurred and what lessons can be learned.
Preventable deaths
"Scottish Coal is committed to constantly improving its health and

safety standards and will review its procedures and operations in light
of the recommendations of the inquiry."
The ruling prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to warn
about the dangers of poorly managed transport in the workplace.
HSE inspector Norrie Buchanan said: "These two deaths were

entirely preventable and arose from the clear failure of Scottish Coal
to provide suitable means of communication between different
vehicles on site in order to reduce the risk of collisions, as well as a
failure to manage vehicles on their site.
"Earth-moving vehicles such as dump trucks or bulldozers have poor

visual fields due to their large size.
"It is crucial that additional steps are taken to ensure that the drivers
of these dump trucks are aware of other smaller vehicles around
them.
"Control measures to reduce the risk are easily available at a minimal
cost. Installing an additional camera on the side of the dump truck,
fitting a raised roof beacon or other means of improving visibility on
the Land Rover could prevent similar incidents in the future."

The HSE said quarrying remained one of the most dangerous

industries to work in.
Since 2000 more than 2,700 quarry workers across the UK have been
injured, with 21 fatalities.
Source: BBC News.

at 03:37 0 comments
Labels: crushed, fatality, fine, HSE, quarry, safe system of
work
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Falk Explosion Trial: Who's At Fault for Faulty

Pipe?
On September 9th, a jury will hear arguments and testimony to help
them discern what was responsible for the explosion at the Falk
Corporation plant in the Menomonee Valley back in December 2006.
The explosion killed three people and injured 48 others.
Gas leaked from a pipe that J.M. Brennan installed at the Falk plant.
The key question: did Brennan incorrectly install the pipe, or did Falk
not properly keep the pipe in good working order?
The Journal Sentinel says if J.M. Brennan has half or more of the
culpability for the explosion, it will have to pay that portion of
$72,000,000 in damages.
If Falk has a majority of the responsibility, Brennan doesn't have to

pay any of it.
Workers compensation laws have kept Falk immune from having to

give anything to employees or families affected by the explosion.
News article by Jay Sorgi for 620WTMJ.

at 07:49 0 comments
Labels: explosion, fatality, gas leak, news, USA
Truck accident kills 30 Afghans in South Iran

TEHRAN -- A truck overturned in Iran's southern province of Fars
early on Thursday, killing at least 30 immigrants from Afghanistan
onboard and wounding another 83, the semi-official Fars news
agency reported.
The accident occurred at about 1:10 am local time (2040 GMT) on

Thursday when the truck was carrying 125 illegal Afghan immigrants,
local emergency official Mohammad Ali Ghanaat Pisheh was quoted
as saying.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Shiraz, capital of Fars province,

the official said, adding the cause of the accident is still under
investigation.
Iran has high fatalities in road accidents in the region. At least

100,000 people have been killed in traffic accidents over the past five
years.
News Source: China Daily

at 03:37 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, injury, Iran, lorry
Norfolk activity centre prosecuted after school trip

incident
The Health and Safety Executive has warned activity centres to
ensure their staff are properly trained, after a child was seriously
injured on a school trip.
Kingswood Learning and Leisure (Group) Limited of Alkmaar Way in

Norwich, was fined £12,000 with £10,690 costs at Cromer
Magistrates Court today (Aug 15), after pleading guilty to breaching
section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Read the full HSE Press Release.

at 03:34 0 comments
Labels: accident, fall from height, fine, HSE, prosecution
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Dangerous Holidays?
On the theme of health and safety, I thought it would be interesting to
share a few tales of places around the World where you may want to
think twice before visiting. These articles were written by Rick Archer.
The Russian Highway from Hell.

The Bolivian Road of Death.
Danger in China - The Guoliang Tunnel.
The Deadly Huashan Hiking Trail.
at 05:16 0 comments
Labels: health and safety, holiday, safety
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Vet nurse infected with Bovine TB

A veterinary nurse has become infected with a type of tuberculosis

(TB) normally found in cattle.
The Health Protection Agency said the risk posed by Bovine TB to

humans was "negligible" and measures were being taken to minimise
any future risk.
In 2006, of nearly 300 cases of TB in the South West, six were

transmitted from cattle to humans. Last year there were two cases.
TB is a bacterium and is treated with a six-month course of

antibiotics.
Many farmers blame badgers for the spread of Bovine TB in cattle

herds, but the government has said there will be no large-scale cull of
the animals.
'Direct contact'
About 4,000 herds were affected by the disease in the UK last year.
Ian Johnson, from the National Farmers' Union, said: "It can be
passed from animals to humans, but it is very rare and usually
involves direct contact."
He told BBC News there was no risk to food or milk products.
"Milk is routinely pasteurised and that will destroy any possibility of

cross infection," he added.
No further information about the veterinary nurse has been released.
Source: BBC News.

at 08:55 0 comments
Labels: farm, HPA, illness, news, TB
Monday, 18 August 2008
Boat explosion injures woman

A boat explosion at the Horny Toad marina sent a Union, Mo. woman
to Lake Regional Hospital with moderate injuries Saturday afternoon.
Michelle and Mike Schroeder had just fueled a 34-foot Sea Ray at
12:45 p.m. in Toad Cove and Michelle was untying the boat from the
dock when Mike turned the ignition switch, according to the Water
Patrol. An explosion blew Michelle off the boat and onto the dock.
Medical personnel were contacted immediately and Michelle
Schroeder was transported to Lake Regional Hospital for treatment.
The Water Patrol assessed the damage at approximately $10,000.
News Source.
at 08:20 0 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, injury, news, USA

Man dies in hot air balloon explosion

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a hot air balloon exploded in
south central Missouri, killing one man on board.
The patrol says 49-year-old Bill Blair of Mountain Grove died after
some of the propane tanks exploded. The tanks started to leak and
the entire balloon became engulfed in flames.
Troopers say Blair jumped out of the balloon but likely died when he
hit the ground.
Another person was injured when he tried to pull Blair out of the
burning wreckage.
The single person balloon had been tethered to a truck.
News Source.
at 08:19 0 comments
Labels: accident, balloon, explosion, fatality, news
Seagulls force vicar to wear hardhat

A Cornish vicar has taken to wearing a hardhat to church to protect
him from an unusual hazard - a pair of dive-bombing seagulls.
According to The Telegraph the seagulls, who are raising a chick in

the graveyard of of St Petroc's in Bodmin, have been swooping on
passers-by to keep them at bay.
Despite complaints about the seagulls' aggressive behaviour, Rev

Canon Graham Minors says they should not be moved: "It is a case of
mother nature. People are able to walk through the churchyard safely
but if you get too close you might be dive-bombed." Rev Minors
expects them to calm down once the chick leaves the nest in a few
weeks.
Peter Glaser, a local photographer, said he was attacked just trying to
get a picture of the birds: "It gave me shivers and made my hair curl
as the seagulls flew towards me. I was terrified and stood with my
back against the wall."
Seagulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act,

making it an offence to kill the birds or interfere with their nests.
Source.
at 08:06 0 comments
Labels: church, news, safety, seagull
Escalator ban for former olympic hurdler

Peter Hildreth, who represented Britain at three Olympic Games, was
stopped from trying to recreate his old training regime from the 1950s

at a department store in Surrey.
Mr Hildreth competed in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, the 1956

Melbourne Games and then again in 1960 in Rome. His best
achievement was to reach the semi-finals in Helsinki, reports the
Daily Telegraph.
The grandfather-of-five managed to run up the moving stairs in
Elphicks in Farnham but was then told he would be banned from the
Surrey department store if he tried it again.
"I started doing it last month because I was turning 80," explained Mr
Elphick. "People did not see me do it to start with, I must have done it
three or four times.
"But at the top of the escalator in Elphicks is the women's underwear
department and the woman who runs it told me to stop because it
was dangerous."
Store manager Graham Duerden said: "We have people aged 80 who
go the right way up the escalator and fall over so we simply can't have
this man attempting this sort of thing.
"I was aware that he was doing this and we told him that if he
continues then he will be banned so now he has stopped I believe."
Mr Hildreth continued: "As a young man I used to run up the escalator

on the Underground in London, but that was a long time ago.
"I started off doing it in bits and then did it getting on at the bottom. I
used to do it about once a week as part of my training when I was not
on the track or in the gym."
A spokesperson for Elphicks said: "Anyone who tries to do this in

Elphicks will be banned from entering the store again."
Source.
at 08:04 0 comments
Labels: news, olympics
Friday, 15 August 2008
Olympics ceremony dancer 'paralysed'

A dancer injured in a rehearsal for the Olympics' opening ceremony
has been left paralysed from the waist down, it has emerged.
Liu Yan, one of China's top solo performers, fell more than 3m (10ft)
from a piece of scenery and landed on her head and back.
Organisers earlier insisted the 26-year-old had 'only broken her leg',
after she had to wait an hour for paramedics because of tight security.
Original Metro news article.

at 08:25 0 comments
Labels: accident, Beijing, fall from height, injury, olympics

Man killed in forklift accident

OLATHE, Kan. – A construction worker died Friday from injuries
sustained when he was crushed between two forklifts.
33-year-old John E. Crowly was flown to an area hospital after the

accident at 147th Street and St. Andrews Avenue.
OSHA is on the scene investigating the cause of the accident, which

authorities say happened around 8 a.m.
News source: GotSafety Blog

at 09:04 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, forklift, news, OSHA, USA
Window cleaner dies after fall

By MARTIN NAYLOR
A Window cleaner died after falling 10ft on to a patio.
Bill Wilson suffered head injuries after the fall from the top of a bay
window at a house in Ilkeston.
A neighbour raised the alarm after hearing the 58-year-old calling for
help. Paramedics took him to the Queen's Medical Centre where he
died during surgery.
Mr Wilson's wife, Terry, says she fears she will never discover exactly
why her husband fell.
The 54-year-old said: "He had fallen four times before but it was
nothing serious. He was careful and you could not work on certain
days because of the weather.
"You can get into trouble by over-reaching and UPVC frames can be
slippy. I think it was windy that day and that may have had something
to do with it, but I don't think we will ever know.
"Bill was a lovely man who never had a bad word to say about
anyone. He loved his family, his DIY and walking. The pair of us often
walked in the Peak District and his favourite place was Chatsworth.
"It has been a horrendous week for us, absolutely devastating."
Mr Wilson, who had run a weekly round in Ilkeston since 1991, fell at
a house in Audley Close on Tuesday last week.
He was found by Sharon Caulfield, 45, who said: "I went into the
garden and could hear this voice saying 'help me, help me' so I raced
next door where I could see a man lying on his side.
"I called for a neighbour to call 999 and went round to see him. He
was drifting in and out of consciousness."
Mrs Caulfield, a supervisor at St Thomas Catholic School, Ilkeston,

put a towel beside his bleeding head and stayed with him.

She said: "It was later that day that I heard he had died."
Doctors at the QMC found he had a blood clot.
Mr Wilson, whose round was mainly on the Shipley View estate, was
popular among customers for his reliability and diligence.
Margaret Fairlie, 82, of Manners Road, said: "He was a lovely man, a
very good window cleaner and a pleasant fellow.
"You knew he would always be here when he said, unless the
weather was bad. We would chat about his family and his holidays."
Hazel Straw, 70, said: "He did a very good job and it is very sad to
hear this."
Mr Wilson lived in Hucknall and had four children, Ben 21, Ruth, 27,
Vikki, 34, and Mandy, 36.
He was a fitter at Linby Colliery and started cleaning windows when

the colliery closed. Ilkeston was his biggest round but he also worked
in Eastwood, Hucknall and Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Mr Wilson will be cremated at a private service but on Saturday there

will be a memorial service at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's
Witnesses in Beauvale Road, Hucknall at 2pm.
The Health and Safety Executive said three people died in the East
Midlands between 2001 and 2005 after falling from ladders. An
inquest has opened into Mr Wilson's death.
Original news article and additional reader comments.

at 08:55 0 comments
Labels: accident, fall from height, fatality, HSE
Myth: Even Mr Punch needs a written risk

assessment
The reality
A Punch and Judy man received a standard letter from an event
organiser asking him to submit a health and safety risk assessment.

However when he questioned the need for it, they 'backed-off' and no
paperwork was required. It sounds like wires got crossed somewhere
and perhaps the standard letter was sent in error.
HSEs guidance is clear: if there is genuinely no significant risk,

nothing needs to be written down.
If a written assessment is needed – keep it fit for purpose, and
crucially: act on it. Paperwork without action does no one any good.
at 05:48 0 comments
Labels: HSE, myth, risk assessments
Workplace wellbeing programmes 'proving

effective'
Initiatives designed to improve the health and wellbeing of employees
can have a positive impact, according to the results of a new
government-funded pilot scheme.
The Well @ Work programme, which is run by the British Heart

Foundation, has put to the test initiatives such as free fruit in
workplaces, regular employee health checks and weekly pedometer
challenges to encourage staff to eat well and stay active.
Initial findings from the scheme reveal that such initiatives can make a
significant difference to the health and wellbeing of workers and can
also boost staff morale and productivity levels.
Original article continues...

at 02:20 0 comments
Labels: British Heart Foundation, health
Petersfield company fined £10,500 for health and

safety breaches
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to
assess the risks to their employees from exposure to vibration, after a
Hampshire company was fined £10,500 for ignoring the safety of a
worker.
Tews Engineering Limited, based in Petersfield, Hampshire, pleaded

guilty to contravening Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974 by failing to protect the health of employees, and
Regulation 3(1) of The Management of Health & Safety at Work
Regulations 1999 for failing to carry out a proper risk assessment.
The company was fined £8,500 for the first offence and £2000 for the
second offence, plus costs of £10,500 at Aldershot Magistrates Court
yesterday, following a prosecution by HSE.
Read full HSE news article.

at 01:55 0 comments
Labels: fine, HSE, injury, prosecution, risk assessments,

vibration
Prosecutions following multiple breaches of

asbestos safety laws
HSE has issued a stark warning about managing the risks from
asbestos, following its prosecution of a two companies in Essex, after
workers in their employment were exposed to asbestos containing
materials.
Read the HSE Press Release.

at 01:48 0 comments
Labels: asbestos, HSE, news, prosecution
Thursday, 7 August 2008
From the GotSafety Blog

Some Health and Safety articles from the GotSafety Blog.
Cincinnati Foundry Fined by OSHA for Asbestos and

Other Violations.
NYC window washer deaths underscore job hazards.
How Effective Is Your Safety Suggestion Program?
Foster’s fined for workplace death.
at 06:24 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, fine, health and safety, news,
safety
Sewage surge hits Tokyo workers

A municipal worker in Tokyo has been killed and four are missing
after being struck by a tide of sewage while repairing a drain, reports
say.
The worker died in hospital after being found floating unconscious in a

river near the drain, emergency officials told the Associated Press
news agency.
A fifth worker managed to escape the sudden surge under a manhole

in the south-east of Japan's capital.
The repair work on the drains followed thunderstorms and flooding in

the city.
The fire department is working to locate and rescue the missing
workers.

Original BBC News article.

at 06:20 0 comments
Labels: fatality, flood, Japan, news, sewage
Man choked in cake-eating contest

A mature student choked to death after an "impromptu" challenge by
a friend to see who could eat the most fairy cakes, an inquest has
heard.
Adam Deeley, 34, from Birmingham, and his friends were at the
opening night of a photography exhibition in Swansea.
Two of his friends put up to four cakes from the buffet in their mouths.
Mr Deeley tried to eat five but began choking and collapsed on the
floor. Swansea Coroner Phillip Rogers recorded a verdict of
misadventure.
Mr Deeley and his friends were at Monkey café in Swansea in

February this year, where he had worked for the previous year while
finishing a three-year graphic design university course.
Steven Jenkins, who was part of the group, said: "There was a tray of
cakes left over from the buffet - my friend put three cakes in his mouth
so I tried four.
"They were small, only an inch-and-a-half across but I struggled with

four. My friend must have told Adam what we were doing and he put
five cakes in his mouth.
"I could see that he was struggling to eat them but then he walked
across to the toilets. I thought he wanted to spit them out, I didn't
know he was choking at that point.
"I only realised how serious it was a minute or two later when other
people ran to help him.
Mr Deeley's work colleague, bar manager Daniel Finzelbach, a former

lifeguard, said: "I realised Adam was in trouble as he walked towards
the toilets - his body was convulsing.
"There was cake around his mouth and I could hear and see that he
was trying to cough. I ran to the toilet and started slapping his back as
hard as I could.
"Then I tried the Heimlich manoeuvre but he collapsed on the floor

and I called for an ambulance."
Mr Deeley, who was not working that night, had gone to the bar for
the opening of an exhibition by a photographer friend.
He was in the third year of his degree and planned to emigrate to

New Zealand after graduating.
The inquest heard he had been one-and-a-half-times the drink driving

limit on the night of his death.

Swansea Coroner Phillip Rogers said: "Clearly, any activity involving

putting large amounts of food in the mouth is dangerous.
"It does not take me to say this sort of thing should be avoided."
Original article.
at 09:09 0 comments
Labels: fatality, food
Man stuck in conveyor belt overnight

A 46 year-old got his hand stuck in the conveyor belt at Hoff potato
products at Klepp near Stavanger last Friday. He had to wait until his
colleagues came to work on Saturday to get free again.
The 46 year-old was cleaning up getting ready to close the factory

when the accident happened.
"He got his hand caught in a conveyor. The worker was alone in the
factory when the accident took place. As a result he was stuck until
Saturday morning. This is when his work-mates came back to work,"
says Sheriff Hans Kyllingstad.
The accident happened around 10 pm on Friday.
The man was taken to Stavanger University Hospital with an injured

hand.
Both Police and work safety authorities will be investigating the

incident further.
Original news article.

at 02:25 0 comments
Labels: accident, Norway, trapped
Teachers warned on minibus use

The National Union of Teachers has released "Safety on School
Minibuses" guidance.
The guidance outlines the key legal requirements on drivers and

operators of school minibuses and describes the support teachers
should be given before they agree to drive a school minibus.
Click to view the NUT minibus guidance document.

at 08:47 0 comments
Labels: advice, driving, health and safety, NUT, safety

Lorry driver killed in Brackmills tragedy

A lorry driver has died in an accident at a Northampton distribution
centre.
The man is believed to have died only five minutes after starting his
shift at Baxter Healthcare, on the Brackmills industrial estate.
Northampton Borough Council's environmental health inspectors have
launched an inquiry, while the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
have also been informed.
A lorry driver who had been contracted in to work at Baxter's site, and
wanted to remain anonymous, told the Chron the man had only been
working at the distribution centre for about a week.
He said: "The man was in his 30s or early 40s, and was an agency
contractor. He hadn't been working there very long at all, probably
only a week.
"It's really tragic and he'd only just clocked on to his shift. No-one
seems to be sure what has happened."
The borough council confirmed its environmental health department

has launched an investigation to establish exactly what took place in
the moments leading up to the man's death.
A joint statement confirming the accident was issued by Baxter

Healthcare, along with NYK Logistics, which manages the distribution
centre, and The Best Connection Group, which supplies drivers for
the site.
It said: "We confirm that between 7pm and 8pm on Wednesday, July
30, there was a fatal accident at the Northampton Distribution Centre
of Baxter Healthcare with a driver supplied by The Best Connection
Group Limited on assignment to NYK Logistics.
"The Health and Safety Executive has been informed of the incident
by Baxter and the company and suppliers will work closely with them
over the coming weeks as they conduct an inquiry.
"We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family of the
driver involved at this very difficult time."
A spokeswoman for NYK Logistics added: "An investigation is
ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment any further."
Original article.
at 08:45 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, HSE, lorry
Health and Safety Executive warns of the dangers

of not using registered gas installers
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned of the dangers of
not using registered gas fitters. The warning follows the prosecution
of a Blackpool man who fitted a gas fire while not being registered,
leaving it in a dangerous condition.

Richard Cartlidge of Limerick Road, Bispham, Blackpool was fined

£1,000 and ordered to pay £987 costs at Blackpool Magistrates Court
on Tuesday 30 July. He pleaded guilty to a charge under the Gas
Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 of carrying out work as
a gas fitter while not a member of an approved organisation.
The court heard that in March 2003 Richard Cartlidge fitted a gas fire
at a flat in Victoria Road East, Thornton. The owner had concerns
about the way the fire had been fitted, called in a second gas installer
to check the work and found it had been fitted incorrectly and left in a
dangerous condition.
HSE Inspector Sheldon Taylor said:

“This prosecution should serve as lesson to anyone having gas work
carried out to ensure that the work is carried out by a registered gas
fitter. All gas installation businesses, including self employed gas
installers, are required by law to be registered.
“Using a gas installer who is not registered is not only illegal, but can
be dangerous, as there is no guarantee of their competence.
Registered installers have been trained in gas safety and the
standards needed for appliances and installations.
“According to HSE statistics, 20 people die from carbon monoxide

poisoning every year. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, tasteless,
poisonous gas produced by gas appliances and flues which have not
been properly installed or maintained.”
Full HSE Press Release.

at 08:43 0 comments
Labels: gas leak, health and safety, HSE, news
Worker jailed after lighter 'prank'

A renowned practical joker has been jailed for 18 months after turning
a colleague into a "human fireball".
After learning Brian Kinsey had accidentally drenched himself in

petrol while lifting a generator, railway worker Delroy White, 40, crept
up behind him with a cigarette lighter.
White held the lighter between his Network Rail colleague's legs,
asked him if he "wanted a light" and then flicked it on.
Within seconds the father-of-three was engulfed in a mass of flames.

As he fell to the floor writhing in agony, workmates rushed to his aid
and risked their own safety to save his life.
Mr Kinsey, who was part of a track maintenance night shift at

Paddington station at the time, suffered 20% burns to his body,
London's Southwark Crown Court heard.
White, of Brixton, south London, admitted one count of causing

grievous bodily harm on January 18 this year.
Now sacked by Network Rail as a track maintenance worker, White
remained impassive as the judge told him it was clear he had "fully
realised" that Mr Kinsey had accidentally soaked himself in petrol.

"But instead of doing everything you possibly could to protect your

workmate, you, by way of a joke, produced a cigarette lighter, ran up
behind him and laughingly asked 'Do you want a light?'
"The situation was dire and it was only by the efforts of his workmates
including, I believe, yours, that saved his life."
Copyright © PA Business 2008

at 02:55 0 comments
Labels: accident, fire, prank, prosecution
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2008 2008
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Health and Safety News - August 2008

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scoring balance Meth-Related

the road. in China down

Labels: accident, fatality, news, Philippines, RTA over bogus

reason not to cut

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html (1 of 18) [05/11/2008 13:32:23]

"It typically takes quite some time," she said. Tags

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html (2 of 18) [05/11/2008 13:32:23]

Source: The Aspen Times. AddMe - Search Engine Optimization

Links to this site

16 dead in Chinese chemical plant explosion

Most of the dead worked at the plant, located in China's Guangxi

The Guangxi Guangwei Chemical Company owns the plant. It mainly

Environmental experts went to the area along the Longjiang River

Ge Xianmin, the region's toxic substances emergency center director,

About 11,500 people living in a 1.8-mile (3-kilometer) radius of the

Company fined over miner deaths

It admitted failing to ensure a safe system of working at Pennyvenie

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html (3 of 18) [05/11/2008 13:32:23]

Scottish Coal issued a statement expressing its "deepest sympathies"

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the "entirely

Passing sentence, Sheriff John Montgomery said the company had

"The first is a failure to provide a safe system of work for the

"The second is a failure to provide the operators of all mobile plant

"We would welcome such an inquiry and will participate fully as we

"Scottish Coal is committed to constantly improving its health and

HSE inspector Norrie Buchanan said: "These two deaths were

"Earth-moving vehicles such as dump trucks or bulldozers have poor

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html (4 of 18) [05/11/2008 13:32:23]

The HSE said quarrying remained one of the most dangerous

Source: BBC News.

Thursday, 21 August 2008

Falk Explosion Trial: Who's At Fault for Faulty

The explosion killed three people and injured 48 others.

If Falk has a majority of the responsibility, Brennan doesn't have to

Workers compensation laws have kept Falk immune from having to

News article by Jay Sorgi for 620WTMJ.

Truck accident kills 30 Afghans in South Iran

The accident occurred at about 1:10 am local time (2040 GMT) on

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html (5 of 18) [05/11/2008 13:32:23]

The injured were taken to hospitals in Shiraz, capital of Fars province,

Iran has high fatalities in road accidents in the region. At least

News Source: China Daily

Norfolk activity centre prosecuted after school trip

Kingswood Learning and Leisure (Group) Limited of Alkmaar Way in

Read the full HSE Press Release.

Wednesday, 20 August 2008

The Russian Highway from Hell.

Tuesday, 19 August 2008

Vet nurse infected with Bovine TB

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html (6 of 18) [05/11/2008 13:32:23]

(TB) normally found in cattle.

The Health Protection Agency said the risk posed by Bovine TB to

In 2006, of nearly 300 cases of TB in the South West, six were

TB is a bacterium and is treated with a six-month course of

Many farmers blame badgers for the spread of Bovine TB in cattle

He told BBC News there was no risk to food or milk products.

"Milk is routinely pasteurised and that will destroy any possibility of

No further information about the veterinary nurse has been released.

Source: BBC News.

Monday, 18 August 2008

Boat explosion injures woman

The Water Patrol assessed the damage at approximately $10,000.