Health and Safety News

Health and Safety News: November 2008
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health Government Health IT - Health ● ▼ 2008 (250)
IT weighed for economic stimulus ❍ ▼ Dec 2008 (11)
■ Teenager falls
package from scaffold

while working at
moor...
■ Man seriously
injured in 50ft fall

■ Tragic accident
Thursday, 27 November 2008 at meat factory
■ Fish worker
killed in winch
HSE and Jewson join forces to warn of asbestos accident
■ Man loses leg in
danger
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Jewson, the UK’s port horror
■ Buncefield blast:
leading supplier of timber and building materials, have joined forces to
help warn tradesmen of the dangers of asbestos. five firms face
prosecution
Jewson’s Wednesbury branch is one of the national network backing ■ Offshore fatality
HSE’s ‘Asbestos: The Hidden Killer’ campaign to reduce the rising costs Shell and
death rate from asbestos-related disease by educating those in the
trade about the danger that asbestos presents to them. Amec £383k
■ Myth: Children
Figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive have revealed that are banned from
every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and throwing
this number is set to increase. Across the West Midlands region the snowballs
■ Need for workers
rate is one death every 3 days.
to consider
HSE Inspector Nic Rigby said: "We need to educate tradesmen about
how asbestos and its dangers are relevant to them. We want them to elderly residents
change the way they work so that they don’t put their lives at risk. hig...
■ 'Fit notes' may
"Research shows that many workers, particularly tradesmen, think replace sick
that they are not personally at risk of exposure to asbestos and the notes
diseases it can cause. They think that, since asbestos was banned ■ Coach driver
many years ago, the problem has been dealt with and therefore it is
not relevant to them. The reality is very different. jailed for fatal
crash
"Asbestos presents a real and relevant risk to plumbers, joiners, ❍ ► Nov 2008 (37)
electricians and many other maintenance workers. Asbestos may be
present in any building constructed or refurbished before the year ❍ ► Oct 2008 (39)
2000, and it is estimated that around 500,000 non-domestic buildings ❍ ► Sep 2008 (14)
could contain asbestos. These buildings all need repair and
maintenance work from time to time and when the asbestos fibres are ❍ ► Aug 2008 (29)
disturbed e.g. by drilling or cutting, they are likely to be inhaled as a ❍ ► Jul 2008 (20)
deadly dust."
❍ ► Jun 2008 (44)
Full HSE Press Release. ❍ ► May 2008 (27)
at 04:58 0 comments ❍ ► Apr 2008 (29)
Labels: asbestos, campaign, health, health and safety,
HSE, illness
http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (1 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

Tags
● Accident
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
● Back Injuries
● Burns
Young tradespeople in the West Midlands alerted ● Collapse
to risk of asbestos – the silent killer ● Crane
Trainee apprentices from around the West Midlands received a stark ● Explosion
warning from the Health and Safety Executive that, once exposed to
asbestos fibres in their lungs, they could die a premature death from ● Fatality
mesothelioma unless they take necessary precautions in the
workplace. ● Fine
● Forklift
Mike Ford, HM Inspector of Health & Safety, delivered a hard-hitting
message to 500 student plumbers, electricians, carpenters, ● Health and Safety
bricklayer, finishers, tilers, designers and painters studying, at South ● HSE
Birmingham College, to work in the construction industry.
● Injury
Sufferers from this deadly form of cancer have almost exclusively ● Lorry
been previously exposed to asbestos and recent research conducted
by the HSE shows that younger tradesmen, such as plumbers and ● News
electricians, know that asbestos is dangerous but just don’t believe ● Work at Height
that they are personally at risk. Yet every week 20 tradesmen across
the country die simply because they have breathed in asbestos fibres
during the course of their work whilst, across the West Midlands
region one person dies a painful death every three days from
mesothelioma. ● COSHH Essentials
Full HSE Press Release. ● Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
at 04:06 0 comments ● Institute of Occupational Safety and
Labels: asbestos, campaign, health, health and safety, Health (IOSH)
HSE ● Make Free Donations
● National Examination Board of
Occupational Safety and Health
(NEBOSH)
● NEBOSH Revision
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
● Useful Books and DVDs
Auto repair shop explosion injures two

Two workers were taken to area hospitals with burns suffered in an
explosion and fire that extensively damaged a North Tonawanda auto
repair shop late Monday afternoon, North Tonawanda fire officials What's new at HSE - Press
said today. release
The workers, whose names weren't released, suffered hand and ● HSE launches consultation: new
facial burns in the mishap that occurred at about 5:05 p.m. Monday at health and safety strategy
J.L. Automotive, 343 Ward Road. ● Myth of the month - December 2008
Both workers suffered burns that were described as non-life- ● Health and social care risk
threatening. One was released from Erie County Medical Center on assessment reminder after elderly
Monday night, while the other was being treated at Kenmore Mercy woman dies
Hospital.
● Need for workers to consider elderly
North Tonawanda fire officials are investigating the possibility that the residents highlighted
explosion of gasoline vapors may have been sparked by static ● HSE and Jewson join forces to warn
electricity created when gasoline was poured from one plastic fuel
tank into another, Assistant Fire Chief Larry Hromowyk said today. of asbestos danger
Fire officials planned to return to the site today, to determine whether

the building needs to be demolished

AddMe - Search Engine Optimization
Source.
© 2008 The Buffalo News.

at 09:01 0 comments
Labels: accident, burns, explosion, fire, health and safety,
news, USA
Links to this site
● In search of severe weather
● GotSafety Blog
Local footballers following in Ian Wright’s

footsteps
Footballers from around Birmingham, Walsall and the Black Country
are following the example set by former tradesman and England
footballing legend, Ian Wright, who has given his support to help
highlight the importance of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE)
‘Asbestos: The Hidden Killer’ campaign.
The campaign aims to reduce the rising death rate amongst

tradespeople by educating today’s workers and trainees about the
danger that asbestos presents to them.
Saturday and Sunday league footballers from around Birmingham are

backing the campaign by highlighting their concern for amateur
footballers who need fitness at the weekend but may be risking their
lives on weekdays by exposing themselves to asbestos.
Electricians, plasterers, plumbers and carpenters are all at risk of

exposure to asbestos in buildings erected or refurbished before the
year 2000 and figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive
reveal that across the whole of the West Midlands Region one person
dies a painful death every three days from Mesothelioma. Every week
20 UK tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and this
number is set to increase.
Steve Coldrick, Director of the HSE’s Disease Reduction Programme

says, “We need to educate tradesmen about how asbestos and its
dangers are relevant to them. We want them to change the way they
work so that they don’t put their lives at risk.”
Full HSE Press Release.

at 06:14 0 comments
Labels: asbestos, campaign, fatality, health, HSE
Farmers urged to store feed safely

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging farmers and the
animal feed industry to reassess risks associated to feed storage
following the death of a young Northamptonshire farmer.
The farmer was killed when a tipping trailer, used for storing animal
feed, overbalanced and crushed him. The sleepers that were used to

support the trailer were rotten and collapsed under the weight of the
feed.
HSE Principal Inspector Alan Plom said: "Farmers should look
objectively at the practices that they have adopted over many years.
Just because they have been doing something in a certain way for a
long time does not mean it is safe."
"It is essential that farmers take action where necessary. It is

important to recognise the dangers of makeshift equipment.
"Purpose made storage bins should be used for storage of animal
feed but if trailers have to be used then they should remain attached
to a tractor if the trailer body is raised."
When using unhitched trailers HSE advises the following precautions:
* The trailer should not rely on the hydraulics for continuous support.
Suitable props or ram scotches must be used.
* The wheels need to be chocked as trailer parking brakes are often
unreliable and on a twin axle trailer may only brake one axle which
will be ineffective if weight transfers to the rear.
* Stability – the means to prevent the trailer tipping over backwards
should be equally effective as being hitched to a tractor - e.g. by
securing the draw-bar to the ground or providing a counter balance, at
the hitching point, equivalent to the weight of the tractor normally
used on that trailer.
* Whatever the method of storage, it should be inspected regularly for
signs of deterioration which could affect the structural integrity. Any
defects must be rectified immediately.
HSE have asked the feed industry to bring this incident to the
attention of farms where they deliver into similar facilities. Using
trailers as feed bins creates a real safety risk that needs to be
sensibly managed to prevent harm to farmers, their families and their
businesses.
Full HSE Press Release.

at 06:12 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, health and safety, HSE, safe
system of work
Working at height warning after man dies

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning of the importance
of carrying out risk assessments and implementing safe systems for
working at height following the prosecution of a company and one of
its employees after an incident in which an elderly man died.
Pervez Mohammed Iqbal, was (on Friday 21st November) ordered, by

Wolverhampton Crown Court, to pay £15,000 in fines, with £2,800
costs after earlier pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This case followed a Police and
HSE joint investigation into a fatal incident on 20 April 2007.
The court heard that, on that day, Mr Satnam Singh, 62, fell 5-6
metres (16-20 feet) through a fragile rooflight whilst preparing to
undertake work on the roof of a textiles factory in Smethwick. Work
had already been undertaken to replace plastic rooflights following a
burglary at the site and further work was being undertaken by Kundi

Electrical to repair recurring roof leaks. Mr Singh was working under

the direction of Pervez Mohammed Iqbal who was carrying out the
work for Kundi Electrical.
In undertaking this roofing work, equipment and building materials

were being carried across roofs, which are well known in roofing and
building industries to be fragile, when Mr Singh fell through and died
later in hospital from the injuries sustained.
The roof of the textiles factory was being accessed up a ladder and
across several different types of pitched roofs of several factory units
and an adjacent engineering company, below which employees were
working.
At an earlier hearing, on 11th February 2008, Surjit Singh Kundi

trading as Kundi Electrical, from a base in Oldbury, had been ordered,
by West Bromwich Magistrates, to pay £25,000 in fines, with £2,301
costs after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work
Act 1974. This case followed the same investigation into the fatal
incident on 20 April 2007.
Read the full HSE Press Release.

at 06:09 0 comments
Labels: accident, fall from height, fatality, fine, HSE,
prosecution
Monday, 24 November 2008
Toddler’s death ‘catastrophe’

The accidental death of a toddler at a Gloucester nursery has been
branded ‘a catastrophe that should have been foreseen’ after the
prosecution of the owner responsible under health and safety
legislation.
The tragedy occurred in October 2005 at the Tiddleywinks nursery in

Worcester Street. Sixteen-month-old Cunliffe strangled herself with
the looped cord of a drawstring clothes bag that was attached to her
cot. She was discovered ‘standing’ in the corner of the cot and was
taken to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. She was then transferred
to the Bristol Children’s Hospital before a decision was taken to
switch off her life support machine on 4 November 2005.
An inquest into the death last year returned a verdict of unlawful

killing. It was found that Molly died after being left on her own for 20
minutes, contrary to the nursery’s policy of carrying out checks every
10 minutes. She had also been left in the care of a 17-year-old
student and an unqualified member of staff while senior staff were in
a meeting. Gloucester City Council prosecuted the then owner,
Rosemarie Meadows, after the inquest.
She admitted at Gloucester Crown Court in October that the children

in her care had been exposed to serious dangers and was fined
£35,000, with costs of £20,000 awarded to the council.
Investigating EHO Ed Pomfret said the use of drawstring bags in cots

had not been detailed in the nursery’s management procedures.
He added: ‘At no point during any inspections had officers seen them
tied to the cot, and that was the same with the Ofsted inspectors. Had
they, then action would have been taken.’

The council visited all other nurseries in the city after the accident to
make sure they were not leaving similar cords or loop within reach of
children.
‘This is the only fatality we’ve ever had to investigate here,’ said Mr
Pomfret. ‘It was high-profile and very much in the public eye. It has
served as a warning to the operators of other nurseries.’
At the hearing Ms Meadows said she accepted full responsibility for

the incident, and added: ‘will always be in my thoughts and prayers.’
Source.
© 2008 Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

at 01:14 0 comments
Labels: accident, CIEH, fatality, fine, prosecution
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Firm pays out £100,000 over death

A garden and professional horticulture products firm has been
ordered to hand over nearly £100,000 after a worker was found dead
near dangerous machinery.
The Health and Safety Executive made a plea to all employers about
the dangers of allowing workers access to potentially hazardous
equipment after the incident at the Scotts Company site near
Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
The accident happened when an experienced baler operator became

trapped by hydraulic equipment within an area used for baling. He
apparently entered the enclosure and inadvertently activated a
sensor, starting up the machinery.
The Scotts Company, of Godalming, Surrey, was fined £80,000 and

ordered to pay costs of £19,962 at Sheffield Crown Court after
admitting breaching health and safety rules.
A HSE spokesman said: "This was a tragic incident which could have
been avoided if the baler enclosure had been properly secured to
prevent access.
"Employers have a duty of care to their employees and it is not good
enough at any time to rely on temporary or makeshift arrangements in
the hope that these will be adequate for safe working.
"When any repair work or new installation is undertaken risk
assessments must be updated and appropriate measures taken to
ensure the safety of employees."
Source.
Copyright © Press Association 2008

at 06:07 0 comments
Labels: duty of care, fatality, fine, health and safety, HSE,
IOSH, risk assessments

Machine-crush death was accidental

An inquest has ruled that the death of a worker crushed in a sweet
machine while trying to clear a blockage was accidental.
Martin Pejril was crushed by a machine making jellies and soft sweets
while working a night shift at Tangerine Confectionery Ltd in Poole,
Dorset, on 20 February.
The 33-year-old Czech died at the scene from his injuries,
Bournemouth, Poole and East Dorset Coroner's Court heard.
The jury recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying: "He assisted

in clearing a blockage by climbing on top of the machine.
"The machine suddenly started because instructions to switch it off

had not been followed."
Health and Safety Executive Inspector Simon Jones told the inquest
Simon Jones, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector, told the
inquest: "Martin was trying to clear a stack of trays to clear a blockage
in the in-feed.
"The only way to get to that blockage would be to clear the trays
waiting to be loaded in and, in removing the trays, it has told the
machine it wants more trays to be fed in it. The arms have come over
and have crushed Martin."
Source.
Copyright © Press Association 2008

at 06:05 0 comments
Labels: accident, crushed, fatality, health and safety, HSE,
IOSH
Romanian mine explosion kills 12

At least 12 miners were killed and nine injured in two explosions in a
coal mine in southwest Romania, local authorities said.
The first explosion killed 8 people in the 19th-century mine in Petrila,
a small town in Romania's remote mining region of Jiu Valley.
Another four people were killed in a second blast while trying to reach
the bodies of the victims.
"The tally at the moment is 12 dead and 9 injured," Bogdan Gabriel

Nitu, spokeswoman for Hunedoara county police, said.
"All activity has been called off, rescue teams pulled out and only
bodies remain in the mine," he said.
Several people were treated for extensive burns.

Local media reported that the explosion was caused by an

accumulation of gas and took place nearly 1,000 metres down.
The worst accident in Romania's outdated mining industry after the

1989 fall of communism killed 14 in 2001.
Mining was once a thriving industry employing almost half a million
people in Romania and miners were a feared political force in the
1990s.
But the industry has struggled to compete against cheaper Russian
coal and to keep customers in a more energy-efficient and
environmentally-friendly age.
Restructuring has closed many mines and the Jiu Valley is now an
isolated area plagued by environmental degradation and badly in
need of investment.
Source.
at 02:36 1 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, fatality, injury, mine, mining,
Romania
Friday, 14 November 2008
Shopfitters fined £20,000 after man falls from

tower scaffold
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning shopfitters to have
correctly assembled mobile tower scaffolds after a worker fell three
metres from unprotected scaffolding at a new shopping centre, in
Enfield, on 15 September 2006, and suffered serious head injuries.
E&F Joinery, based in Hailsham, East Sussex, pleaded guilty at the
Old Bailey, (Central Criminal Courts), to three breaches of the Work
at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £20,000 and
was also instructed to pay costs of £11,895.
Helen Donnelly, HSE Inspector said: "This incident resulted in the

injury of a worker, which should never have been able to happen.
Falls from height remain the most common kind of accident resulting
in severe injuries. Companies involved in refurbishment, building or
maintenance should ensure that the work is planned properly and
sensible measures taken so that workers are not exposed to risk. This
case graphically illustrates that work should be planned, and that
scaffolding should be checked to have the adequate edge protection."
The prosecution followed an incident that took place during the fitout
of a shop as part of the construction of Enfield Shopping Centre. The
injured person was working from a mobile tower scaffold while fitting
ductwork for a shop when he fell three metres onto a concrete floor.
He suffered serious head injuries, which consequently lead to
deteriorating physical and mental health.
The HSE inspection showed that while the injured person was not
working directly for E&F Joinery, they were in control of the work and
for planning and supervising it. It also showed that the tower scaffold
did not have the correct edge protection on it, and it was also not
inspected before use. Both of these measures would have helped
prevent the injured person from falling.

Read the full HSE Press Release.

at 01:56 0 comments
Labels: accident, fall from height, fine, head injuries,
health and safety, HSE, scaffold
Blast flattens restaurant; one dead, five hurt

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — An explosion flattened a restaurant and
damaged an adjacent building Thursday, sparking a stubborn fire and
sending at least six people to hospitals as crews prepared to search
for anyone trapped in the rubble.
It took firefighters more than an hour to extricate one of the injured

from a building next to the Branch Inn restaurant, said Fire
Department spokesman Woody Percival.
The injured were taken to hospitals, but their condition wasn't

immediately known. Five were conscious and spoke with firefighters,
Percival said.
Authorities did not know whether the restaurant was open at the time
or how many people were inside. The cause is being investigated.
A fire still burned at the site in Pueblo's historic downtown district

more than two hours later, Percival said. Glass block, bricks and other
debris were strewn more than 100 feet from the restaurant.
Four of the injured were in the restaurant or just outside, and two
were in the building next door, including the one who was trapped,
Percival said.
Percival did not know what type of business was in the adjacent
building. The neighborhood is dotted with boutiques that sell clocks,
antiques, clothing and gifts.
"I don't recognize what's there," he said.
Rick Beatty, a delivery driver for the nearby Flower and Herb Co.,
said the restaurant was "flat to the ground."
Flower company owner Mardi Clay said the explosion was so loud
she thought a car had smashed into her shop. "It rattled the whole
block" and sent smoke billowing, she said.
Update:
One person is dead and five others injured after an explosion leveled
a Colorado restaurant and damaged an adjacent building.
Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer says the victim died at a

hospital after the explosion Thursday at Pueblo's Branch Inn.
Crews are getting ready to search the buildings for anyone else who
may be trapped inside. The rubble is still smoldering nearly four hours
after the blast.
The cause of the blast is under investigation in Pueblo, about 100

miles south of Denver.

Source.
By CATHERINE TSAI
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
at 01:34 0 comments
Labels: explosion, fatality, injury, news, safety, USA
Explosion outside 2014 Russian Olympic city Sochi

maims man
ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — An explosion just outside the Russian
city that will host the 2014 Winter Olympics maimed a man Tuesday,
emergency and police officials said.
It was the sixth suspicious blast to occur in and around the Black Sea
city of Sochi this year.
Regional emergency officials said the man's arm was badly maimed
when he picked up a metal can on his car and it exploded.
Police said investigators were focusing on a possible criminal dispute.
Four people have died and nearly two dozen have been injured in the
explosions that have hit the Sochi region since January. The worst
occurred on Aug. 7, when an explosive device on a beach killed two
and wounded at least seven.
"So far we have not been able to link (the blasts) together," regional
police spokesman Andrei Kovalenko said.
The Russian government is pouring billions of dollars into the region

as part of preparations for the 2014 Games.
Source.
Copyright © 2008 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

at 05:45 0 comments
Labels: explosion, injury, olympics, safety
Drum maker dies from anthrax

musician and drum maker who worked with animal hides thought to
be contaminated with anthrax has died after a week-long illness.
Fernando Gomez, 35, was taken to the Homerton University Hospital

in Hackney after developing symptoms of anthrax inhalation. He was
transferred to intensive care and died on 2 November.
Mr Gomez, originally from Madrid, was a father of four and a

percussionist for a Spanish folk group based in London. He also built
his own bongo drums using imported animal hides, which in rare

cases can be infected with deadly anthrax spores.
A team from the Health Protection Agency investigated Mr Gomez’s

workshop to confirm the source of the anthrax. His flat in Hackney
has also been sealed off. At both locations officers used protective
clothing and constructed a handling tent outside to examine materials
for possible contamination.
Prof Nigel Lightfoot, HPA chief adviser, reassured nearby residents

that there was no risk of them contracting the disease. Speaking the
day before Mr Gomez’s death, he said: ‘We have also been following
up any contacts of this patient who may have been exposed to the
anthrax by being in the same room when the animal skins were being
prepared when the drums were made.
‘We have so far given antibiotics to seven people as a precautionary
measure, and no-one else has developed any symptoms of anthrax.’
Contracting anthrax from animal hides is rare. The last case was in
August 2006 when 50-year-old Christopher Norris, who also made
and played drums, died after contracting the disease.
Mr Lightfoot added: ‘It is the process of removing the animal hairs

during the making of drums that can put people at risk rather than
playing or handling the drums.’
Imported animal hides undergo inspection by a vet and must be

accompanied by the relevant health certification. However, a test to
check specifically for the presence of anthrax is not routinely carried
out. The animal hides that both Mr Gomez and Mr Norris worked with
were believed to have been imported from Africa.
Source.

at 01:34 0 comments
Labels: anthrax, CIEH, fatality, health, HPA, illness
Headphones damage health, warns EU

People listening to music at high volumes on personal headsets and
music-enabled mobile phones may increase their risk of developing
heart disease as well as deafness, European scientists have warned.
The EU’s scientific committee on emerging and newly identified

health risks says there is evidence at least 2.5 million people in the
EU (and perhaps as many as 10 million) listen to music on these
devices for more than one hour a day at high volume. The listeners,
said a committee report, ‘are at high risk due to the levels patterns
and duration of their listening preferences’.
It said: ‘Excessive noise can damage several cell types in the ear and
lead to tinnitus, temporary or permanent hearing loss (deafness).
Published data indicate that excessive acute exposures to PMPs
music at maximal or near maximal output volume can produce
temporary and reversible hearing impairment.’
Furthermore, ‘harmful, lasting and irreversible non-auditory effects…

can be expected; they include cardiovascular effects’, warned the
committee, which added that users could also suffer from decreased

concentration and increased distraction from regular tasks.
However, the committee found there was insufficient evidence to

reach firm conclusions on these claims, and called for additional
research, with a priority being given to potential cognitive difficulties.
Source.

at 01:30 0 comments
Labels: CIEH, deafness, health, heart disease, illness
Berneslai Homes Fined £4,000

A Barnsley company has been fined £2,000 after an accident
occurred while an employee was working at height.
Berneslai Homes will also pay £2,022 in costs after pleading guilty to
breaches of the health and safety legislation governing work of this
type.
One of its workers was called out to conduct emergency work on the
roof of a house but due to insufficient and inadequate planning on the
company's behalf Paul Pickering fell five metres and broke three ribs.
Inspector for the Health and Safety Executive David Stewart claims
the consequences of this accident could have been considerably
worse.
He states: "If the work had been planned properly, with correct
supervision, it would never have happened."
When a job is being performed by someone working at height, Mr

Stewart claims they must always be properly supervised and fully
planned.
Earlier this month a company was fined £10,000 plus £2,400 in costs
after one of its employees suffered an injury while working at height.
Source.
at 03:19 0 comments
Labels: accident, fine, HSE, safe system of work, work at
height
One Person Burned in Explosion at Texas Vodka

Distillery
AUSTIN, Texas — One person was burned Friday when an explosion
tore through a distillery in the Hill Country town of Dripping Springs.

Authorities say the blast happened about 7 a.m. Friday at the San
Luis Spirits distillery.
Hays County sheriff's Deputy Pam Robinson says one person was
airlifted to the burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center in San
Antonio with burns to his hands, legs and face.
The victim's identity and condition were not available, but Robinson
says the man was conscious at the scene.
Firefighters were attacking residual flames from the blast.
No cause has been determined for the blast.
San Luis Spirits produces Dripping Springs Vodka. Dripping Springs

is a community of 1,800 residents about 20 miles southwest of Austin.
© 2008 FOX News Network, LLC.
Source.
at 07:41 0 comments
Labels: accident, burns, explosion, fire, firefighters, news,
USA
China Coal Mine Accident Kills Four

SHIJIAZHUANG, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Four workers were killed and 13
others injured after a conveyer belt snapped at a coal mine in north
China's Hebei Province on Monday morning.
The belt, used to transport miners in and out of the pit, suddenly
snapped at about 6:30 a.m. at the Wannian Coal Mine of Jizhong
Energy Group Co., Ltd. in Handan City, said a spokesman of the
provincial work safety bureau.
Four people died at the scene and 13 others have been hospitalized.
The accident occurred during a shift change, which made it difficult to

determine the specific number of workers on the belt at the time, the
spokesman said, without giving any further details.
An official investigation into the cause of the accident has begun.
© 2008 Xinhua News Agency - CEIS.
Source.
at 07:36 0 comments
Labels: accident, China, fatality, health and safety, injury,
mine
Man killed in work accident

Police are investigating the death of a man in an industrial accident in

Melbourne's east.
Police were called to a vehicle storage yard on the Maroondah

Highway, Ringwood, about 10.40pm yesterday after a report of an
accident involving a man working on a truck being crushed.
Emergency crews found a man, aged about 50, crushed by the tray of
a tip truck, police said.
It is believed the man was working on the vehicle when the tray
section of the tip truck came down and crushed him between the
chassis and the tray, police said.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner in relation to the man's
death.
Source.
at 07:32 0 comments
Labels: accident, Australia, crushed, fatality, health and
safety, police
Nottinghamshire company fined after employee

suffered serious burns
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies to
protect employees from dangerous substances after a 59-year-old
man was engulfed in flames following a petrol leak.
Phoenix Autoparts 2000 Ltd, of Derby Road, Stapleford, Nottingham,

was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £2,375 costs, at Nottingham
Magistrates' Court today after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation
6 (3) of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres
Regulations 2002 for failure to apply measures to control risks from a
dangerous substance and Regulation 5 (1) of the same regulations
for failing to make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to
employees arising from the presence of a dangerous substance.
On 25 August 2006, a 59-year-old employee received severe burns
when a leak of petrol was ignited. The leak occurred during an
operation to transfer petrol from a fuel retriever tank into a vehicle's
petrol tank.
The employee saw what was happening and walked through the
puddle of petrol that had formed under the retriever unit to stop the
leak. As he did so, the petrol was ignited, probably from a stray spark
from an oxyacetylene torch being used nearby, and he was engulfed
in flames.
The man's trousers were set alight and he suffered severe burns to
the backs of his legs and to his hands and arms as he was trying to
rip his trousers off. He ran to a nearby tap to put out the flames. The
man was admitted to hospital for five weeks and had to have two skin
grafts. His burns covered 17 per cent of his body and he has not
returned to work since.
HSE Inspector for Nottinghamshire Maureen Kingman said:

"This was a traumatic incident for the employee, and the company's
management were shocked by what happened. Nevertheless, this

incident highlights the need for companies dealing with hazardous

substances such as petrol to ensure they control all the risks
associated with that substance."
The District Judge commented that the company was negligent in that
it had failed to see what was a serious and obvious risk. When the
flammable liquid ignited a long standing employee suffered serious
injuries. He said that the fine would have been higher, but due to
financial difficulties the Court had to take into account their ability to
pay.
Read full HSE Press Release.

at 03:38 0 comments
Labels: accident, burns, fine, fire, health and safety, HSE,
injury
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Myth: Children need to be wrapped in cotton wool

to keep them safe
The reality
Health and safety law is often used as an excuse to stop children
taking part in exciting activities, but well-managed risk is good for
them. It engages their imagination, helps them learn and even
teaches them to manage risks for themselves in the future. They
won’t understand about risk if they’re wrapped in cotton wool.
Risk itself won’t damage children, but ill-managed and overprotective

actions could!
at 02:00 0 comments
Labels: health and safety, HSE, myth, safety
Calls for more action on work-related road safety

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has
welcomed a report from the House of Commons Transport
Committee saying that more needs to be done to investigate
deaths in work-related road accidents.
Kevin Clinton, RoSPA Head of Road Safety, said: “RoSPA has been
campaigning about managing occupational road risk for more than 10
years and we believe the Health and Safety Executive could have a
much greater part in this.”
The report – Ending the Complacency: Road Safety Beyond 2010 –
estimates that there were between 750 and 1,000 deaths on the road
last year linked to someone being at work.
It says: “It is anomalous that the vast majority of work-related deaths

are not examined by the Health and Safety Executive, purely
because they occur on the roads.
“The Government should review the role of the HSE with regard to
road safety to ensure that it fulfils its unique role in the strategy
beyond 2010.”
It also says the Government should work with employers’

organisations and trade unions on the issue, including an evaluation
of its Driving for Better Business initiative. Fiscal and financial
incentives are suggested to encourage employers to use vehicles
with additional proven safety features, which could help increase
safety features in the wider UK vehicle fleet.
Kevin Clinton said: “It is important to make the correct selection of

vehicles so that employees are using the right car or van for the job
they have to do. But employers also need people, policies and
procedures in place to manage occupational road risk as part of their
mainstream health and safety policies.”
RoSPA recently launched a major research study aimed at helping

young drivers to stay safe when they are on the road as part of their
job and is seeking the views of managers who employ 17- to 24-year-
old drivers. It will lead to a better understanding of the safety issues
involved in these employees getting behind the wheel for tasks such
as making deliveries, going to meetings or travelling between sites.
See: www.rospa.com/roadsafety/youngdriversatwork/
The Society also welcomed proposals for a road accident

investigation branch to parallel those for aviation, marine and rail and
was encouraged that the committee wants a thorough examination of
the drink-drive limit. “There have been many road safety successes
over the years, but this report will help in the development of a road
safety strategy for the next 10 to 20 years,” Kevin Clinton said.
Source.
at 01:50 0 comments

Labels: accident, driving, fatality, HSE, news, road, RoSPA,

safety
Dangerous substances list brings new duties for

companies
Any organisation supplying items which could contain Substances of
Very High Concern (SVHC) are advised to take note of a new list
published by The European Chemicals Agency.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has included 15

substances in the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern
(SVHC) for authorisation which has been published on the ECHA
website.
It will be regularly updated when more substances are identified as
SVHC. ECHA urges companies to check their potential obligations
resulting from the Candidate List.
The Candidate List forms part of the REACH Regs – the Registration,
Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals, a new
European regime for the regulation of chemicals, aimed at ensuring a
high level of protection for human health and the environment from
hazardous chemicals.
ECHA’s executive director Geert Dancet said: “All companies should

take note of the Candidate List. It is critical they know that the
inclusion of the substances in the list generates immediate new legal
obligations for the communication in the supply chain.”
The Candidate list pages on the ECHA website provide an up-to-

date version of the list as well as background information on it and
related obligations.
Source.
at 01:48 0 comments
Labels: chemicals, ECHA, news, REACH, safety, SVHC
Man Burned In Meth-Related Explosion Dies

Authorities say a man who suffered burns when a suspected
methamphetamine lab exploded inside a Tulsa residence last month
has died.
Fire Captain Michael Baker says 53-year-old Terrence Scott Wood

died at Hillcrest Medical Center yesterday.
Wood suffered burns over 65 percent of his body in the October 19th
explosion and fire.
Baker says after the explosion, fire investigators found materials in

the house associated with the production of methamphetamine.

Wood's death is the ninth fire death in Tulsa this year, tying the
number of deaths from fire in the city in 2007.
Baker says it's also the second death linked to the suspected
production of meth in Tulsa this year.
News Source.
at 04:45 0 comments
Labels: accident, drugs, explosion, fatality, fire, USA
Update: Arkoma explosion hurts worker

Previous Article.
Yaffee Iron and Metal Plant on State Line Road in Arkoma was the
scene of an explosion that took place at approximately 2 p.m. Monday.
One worker was critically injured when a military ordnance detonated

while the worker was cutting it.
Bob Hawley, Incident Commander and spokesman at the scene, said

that more than 200 additional pieces of artillery remained at the
scene. The ammunition had been stored for at least 15 years and was
not supposed to have fuses. The company was waiting for the price of
copper to increase in value before dismantling the ammunition.
Following the explosion emergency personnel were dispatched to the

scene. Homes and businesses within a one-half mile radius of the
plant were evacuated.
At approximately 3 p.m. Hawley reported that the Oklahoma Highway

Patrol Bomb Squad as well as military personnel from Vance Air
Force Base in Enid were en route to the scene.
“Our training and expertise is not in handling military rounds,” Hawley

said. “We are just basically here on alert until these officials get to the
scene and they will fully take over the investigation."
More than 100 people were evacuated from their homes in the
Arkoma and Fort Smith, Ark., areas. Hawley stated it could be well
into Tuesday before it will be safe for them to return to their homes.
“We ask that people stay away from this area,” Hawley added.
News Source.
at 04:42 0 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, health and safety, injury,
news, USA
Apparent gas explosion at coal mine hurts two

A state mining safety official says two coal miners have been injured

in what appears to be a gas explosion in northern West Virginia.
Jama Jarrett, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Miners' Health,

Safety and Training, says the explosion happened Monday afternoon
at the Whitetail Kittanning Mine. The mine is operated by Alpha
Natural Resources.
Jarrett did not elaborate on the injured miners' conditions, but she
says no one has been trapped. She also did not say how extensively
the mine has been damaged.
The mine is owned by Kingwood Mining, a subsidiary of Abingdon,
Va.-based Alpha.
Alpha operates 57 mines in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and

Pennsylvania.
News Source.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

at 04:37 0 comments
Labels: explosion, gas, health and safety, injury, mining,
trapped, USA
Clocks go back – HSE issues advice for safe

working in winter
Now that the clocks have gone back, and winter is approaching, the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is offering some timely guidance
to ensure workers remain safe during the colder, darker months
ahead.
HSE Principal Inspector of Construction Peter Black said: “For those

working outdoors, the winter months bring additional challenges to
keeping safe. Cold weather and shorter periods of daylight mean
there is more potential for accidents to happen. With a little planning,
and common sense, these can be avoided.
"Operators of construction plant, such as diggers, telehandlers,

cranes etc must ensure they regularly clean their windows so they
can safely see all around. This should be combined with constant use
of mirrors and a banksman where appropriate. Lights on all vehicles
should be cleaned regularly to ensure vehicles are visible at all times,
and vehicle depots should be well lit to avoid slip and trip hazards –
workplace transport accidents account for many of the deaths and
injuries we investigate every year.
"Farms and other outdoor enterprises must always ensure they have
a suitable, robust procedure in place to make sure lone workers are
safe. In winter this is even more vital – if a worker fell and broke a leg
in a remote location in the dark, how would they summon help? And
who would be responsible for ensuring they had returned home safely
at the end of the day? Recent cases, including the tragic death of a
gamekeeper have highlighted the vital importance of ensuring lone
workers are protected and have the communications they need.
"Companies have a responsibility to provide adequate welfare

facilities:

* In winter it is important to ensure that water supplies do not freeze

and that any gas heaters provided have adequate ventilation - Carbon
Monoxide is a silent killer.
* Where appropriate provision should be made for drying rooms for

wet clothing; and hot water for washing is even more important than
usual.
* Portable chemical toilets should only be used to support workers for

short durations.
* People who are exposed to vibration from power tools should
improve their blood circulation by keeping warm and dry, where
necessary wearing gloves, a hat, waterproofs and heating pads if
available. Stopping smoking improves blood circulation, as does
massaging and exercising fingers during work breaks."
Further advice on workplace health, safety and welfare for managers

is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg244.pdf
[176KB]
Original HSE Press Release.

at 04:31 1 comments
Labels: carbon monoxide, cold, farm, health, health and
safety, HSE, winter
Work resumes on new twin spans

By Jeff Adelson
Construction resumed on a limited basis on the $800 million twin

spans project Monday morning, four days after a concrete girder
toppled into Lake Pontchartrain and took 10 workers with it, leaving
one man dead.
Thursday's fatal accident prompted the state to suspend all work on

the project pending an investigation into the cause. But the state
Department of Transportation and Development said Monday it has
given Boh Bros. Construction Co., the lead contractor on the project,
approval to continue working on aspects of the project that aren't
involved in the accident investigation. The approval came after a
review of safety procedures for those tasks, highway department
spokesman Mark Lambert said.
"They want to get back to work; we want them to get back to work,"
Lambert said. "But we don't want to compromise the safety of any of
the workers. This is, I believe, a mutual agreement. They will continue
to work on those parts of the job that are not part of the investigation."
Work on the massive project, which will replace the current twin
spans that carry Interstate 10 between St. Tammany Parish and
eastern New Orleans, was halted Thursday after a concrete girder
apparently rotated off its pilings and fell into the lake. The accident
occurred as workers attempted to attach a metal platform on which
crews stand while pouring concrete to build the roadway surface,
officials said. The accident sent 10 workers tumbling 30 feet into the
water.

Eric Blackmon of Slidell, a foreman on the crew, was killed and three
others received minor injuries such as broken bones.
The cause of accident is under investigation by Boh Bros., the state
transportation department and the federal Occupational Safety and
Health Administration. Workers appear to have followed all the proper
safety precautions as they worked on the girder, said Ann Barks, a
spokeswoman for the company.
"None of the people with the company have ever seen anything like
this happen before," Barks said.
Further work at the site of the accident, about halfway across the 5
1/4-mile-long bridge, will remain suspended until the investigations
are complete. "Boh Bros. is not going to start working there again until
their investigation ends and DOTD's investigation determines exactly
what happened and what additional steps need to be taken," Barks
said.
News Source.
at 05:50 0 comments
Labels: accident, bridge, construction, fatality, injury,
news, OSHA, USA
Trade union claims work-death statistics far higher

A leading trade union has claimed that the number of work-related
deaths in Ireland exceeds the official figures and has called on the
Government to acknowledge this.
Siptu made the claim at a Health and Safety (HSA) conference being
held in Dublin today.
“According to International Labour Organisation statistics these [work-

related deaths] amount to approximately 1,400 per year, yet Ireland’s
official statistics average around 60 fatalities per year,” said Siptu
safety and health adviser Sylvester Cronin.
“Ireland’s official statistics count only those workers killed as a result

of an accident inside the workplace. They omit to count deaths
caused by work-related illnesses and diseases. They also exclude
work-related deaths caused by road traffic accidents.”
But Mary Dorgan, HSA assistant chief executive, said the Siptu figure
was based on an assumption that about 5 per cent of a country’s
deaths can be attributed to their work, a percentage she said was
widely used in Europe.
Ms Dorgan noted that occupational illnesses are significant and
increasing but said that the 5 per cent assumed figure “is not hugely
helpful”.
She added: “We accept that the whole issue of occupational illness is
a very complicated area. There is not a good system for recording or
reporting it – or diagnosing it. . . . and it is often invisible”.
News Article continues...

at 05:46 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, health, health and safety,

illness, Ireland
Safety accidents in China down 20% in past 10

months
The number of industrial accidents in China was 339,956 from
January to October this year, down 20.1 percent from a year earlier,
the country's work safety regulator reported on Monday.
It said 69,764 people were killed by various accidents including coal

mine accidents. The number of fatalities was 13.5 percent lower
compared with the same period last year.
China counts ordinary traffic accidents, even minor ones, as industrial

accidents.
Talking about the eight serious workplace accidents in October, Zhao

Tiechui, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety
(SAWS), emphasized that local authorities needed to improve their
work on accident prevention, reporting and investigation.
He urged departments at all levels to discover the truth about

collaboration between corrupt officials and illegal merchants and
punish relevant parties severely.
SAWS released a blacklist of 42 companies involved in serious

accidents and said these companies would face sanctions from local
administrative departments such as administrations for industry and
commerce.
Source.
at 05:45 0 comments
Labels: accident, China, fatality, injury, news
Stay at home if you're sick, say bosses

Never mind the credit crunch, if you're feeling sick then don't come to
work, with employees in the banking sector particularly reluctant to
stay at home, British bosses say. Skip related content
Almost three-quarters of employers said staff should stay at home if

they feel ill rather than drag themselves to their desks, according to a
survey of 1,000 bosses on Tuesday.
"In the current economic environment, employees may feel the need
more than ever to go beyond the call of duty and work through an
infectious illness," said Chris Hannant, policy director for the British
Chamber of Commerce (BCC).
"But this is not the way to make a positive impression."
The BCC survey, carried out with medicine maker Benylin, found that
73 percent of bosses think employees should stay at home and

recover when they fall sick, with more than four out of five believing
that poorly staff are less productive.
They were also concerned about the "domino effect" where a sick
employee comes to work and spreads their germs to other staff.
However a separate poll of British workers found many are worried or

feel guilty about taking a day off sick, with 57 percent saying they
would have to be severely ill before deciding to stay at home.
Those working in the banking sector on average took the fewest

number of days off sick in the last year, followed by staff in the hotel
and restaurant industry.
"Given the gap between employer and employee views, the findings
suggest that there needs to be a bit more common sense about
taking sick leave when you're ill and maybe employers need to spell
this out more clearly," Hannant said.
News Source.
at 01:56 0 comments
Labels: BBC, health, illness, news
Arkoma explosion hurts worker

An explosion at an Arkoma metal scrapping plant injured a worker
Monday, a company official said.
The explosion occurred at the Yaffe Iron and Metal plant, said Bill
Cale, board chairman of the plant’s holding company.
At least one employee was hurt in the explosion, but Cale said he did
not know the identity of the employee or the severity and nature of the
injuries.
The injured worker was taken to a Fort Smith, Ark, hospital.
One of the employees was cutting a shell with a torch and the shell
exploded, said Jim Conley, the county’s emergency management
director.
Early reports indicated the explosion appeared to involved military

shells that were supposed to be inert and were to be scrapped by the
plant.
About 200 of the shells were at the plant, said Bob Howley, a
commander with Le Flore County Emergency Management.
More than 50 residences within a one-half mile of the factory were

evacuated and asked to go to the First Assembly of God Church in
Arkoma, where officials set up a staging area.
"We’re evacuating people as a general precaution because we’re

dealing with unexploded military ordnance,” Howley said.
"According to the company president at Yaffe Metal Company, this
material has been out there probably 15 years, at least.”
The plant is on the Oklahoma-Arkansas border, just south of

Interstate 40.

Yaffe Iron and Metal maintains its headquarters in Muskogee.

News Source.
at 01:48 0 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, health and safety, injury,
news, USA
Man cautioned over bogus insurance claim

A man has been cautioned after making a bogus insurance claim for
£35,000.
The man claimed one of his fingers was partially amputated when he
fell on a fence at a Carlisle leisure centre. Staff at the Sheepmount
athletics stadium alerted the police when they became suspicious
because of inconsistencies in his story.
An investigation proved the claim was bogus, and police cautioned

the 27-year-old man from Denton Holme.
A spokesperson for Carlisle Leisure said: "Once we were sure that

the circumstances surrounding this particular incident were
inaccurate, and consequently a false claim was being made, it was
only right to highlight it to show that this will not be tolerated."
The claimant alleged that he bent down to retrieve a football while

balancing his hand on a fence. He claimed his knee gave way
causing him to fall and catch his ring on sharp metal midway down
the fence, resulting in partial amputation of a finger.
The police were called and the man admitted he lied. He was given a
formal caution for attempting to fraudulently obtain money by
misrepresenting the facts.
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source.
at 01:39 0 comments
Labels: compensation, news, police
Safety stats "a reason not to cut back on safety"

The release of the latest set of health and safety statistics, which
show 229 people were killed in Britain's workplaces last year,
emphasises the need for employers to keep investing in essential
health and safety protection for workers even during the economic
downturn.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) said that it

fears unscrupulous firms may slash health and safety spending as a
result of the slide into possible recession, which could be deadly for
workers.

Ray Hurst, the president of IOSH, said:

"Last year 229 people were killed in Britain’s workplaces. For
employers to make major cut backs on health and safety would be
both irresponsible and also dangerous for the future of our economy,
which is already entering a really testing period.
"Nearly 299,000 workers suffered serious injuries and over 2 million

developed illness they put down to work. These failures cost British
business 34 million lost working days. That’s just like pouring money
down the drain. All this is quite apart from the human misery caused.
And it is something we can stop – if everybody is willing to act.
Article continues...
at 01:37 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, health and safety, injury, IOSH
Pipeline Explosion
Another explosion hit an EnCana Corp. sour-gas pipeline in B.C.
Friday afternoon, this time near the small community of Tomslake,
south of Dawson Creek near the Alberta border, the RCMP said.
"The site of an explosion was discovered at a natural gas wellhead at

approximately 12:30 p.m. today," Sgt. Tim Shields said in a news
release Friday.
"The site is about 12 kilometres northwest of the community of

Tomslake … The explosion appears to have been deliberately
detonated and is located in a rural isolated area," he said.
The explosion caused a small gas leak that was quickly contained by
EnCana engineers.
The leak did not pose any danger to the public, and there is no report
of any injuries, Shields said.
Members of the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement
Team are at the scene.
'Right now I am very scared. I don't know what to do. I've been trying
to find my family, load them up and get out of here.' — Eric Kuenzl,
Tomslake residentA contract worker discovered the gas leak at the
well site and informed operations engineers, EnCana said in a news
release Friday.
EnCana has notified the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission about the
latest incident.
"Given the two previous vandalism events earlier this month [October]
in the region, EnCana immediately contacted the RCMP, and officers
are at the scene investigating the cause of the leak and whether it is
connected to the previous pipeline explosions in the region," the
release said.
It's the third sour-gas pipeline explosion targeting EnCana's

infrastructure in northeastern B.C. in October. All three have been in
the same general area, but police have not determined whether

Friday's blast is linked with the other two, which took place on Oct. 11
and Oct. 16.
A threatening letter was sent to Dawson Creek media prior to the first
explosion. The letter called Encana, which is based in Calgary, and
other energy companies "terrorists" for expanding deadly gas wells
and gave the companies a deadline to shut down their operations.
Tomslake resident Eric Kuenzl said he only heard about the Friday
blast from the media.
"Right now I am very scared. I don't know what to do. I've been trying
to find my family, load them up and get out of here," Kuenzl told CBC
News in a telephone interview.
He said local authorities should have notified nearby residents
immediately after the explosion.
"Our own people wouldn't tell us what was going on here and
apparently this happened at about 12:30 this afternoon. What took
until six o'clock for the world to tell us about what's going on?" Kuenzl
said.
News Source.
at 02:30 0 comments
Labels: Canada, explosion, gas leak, natural gas, news,
safety
Advice on preventing and managing back pain

Your back is in your hands: HSE gives practical advice
on preventing and managing back pain at mid Wales
event.
Back disorders are the most common form of occupational ill health
experienced in Britain, and employers from across Wales were in
Llandrindod Wells to get practical advice from the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) and Powys County Council on preventing and
managing back pain amongst their employees.
Back pain can mean misery for sufferers, and can impact on the
number of working days lost by businesses in Wales. The seminar
offered practical advice from HSE, as well as demonstrations from
Powys County Council, and land-based sector skills council Lantra.
HSE’s Ergonomist Simon Monnington visits companies across Wales

and offers guidance on health and safety and systems to employers.
He said: "Many of the problems I see on daily basis can often be
addressed through simple measures and proper assessment of risk.
"Employers need to sort out the problems that have the most impact
first, and it is vital to ensure that they work with the employees to
arrive at solutions, as well as monitoring how well these work in
practice.
HSE is supporting the Welsh Assembly Government’s Welsh Backs

campaign.
Recent medical evidence shows that the best route to recovery for
people with back pain is to stay active and lead as normal a life as

possible, rather than seek bed rest.
Source.
at 02:19 0 comments
Labels: advice, back pain, health, HSE
Excavator driver fined after pedestrian killed near

building site
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning machine operators
to ensure that they adhere to safe working practices when using
excavators, following HSE’s prosecution of an excavator driver after a
pedestrian was killed in Maida Vale, Westminster, in February 2007.
Colin Clifford, 50, from Enfield, was today fined £2,500 and ordered to
pay costs of £1,250 at the Old Bailey, after pleading guilty to
breaching 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
HSE investigating inspector Lisa Chappell said: "Construction

machinery is obviously dangerous, and can cause harm to both site
workers and members of the public. Plant operators must take
sufficient time and care when manoeuvering vehicles. This case
shows the worst case of what can go wrong when operators cut
corners."
HSE Press Release continues...

at 02:17 0 comments
Labels: accident, excavation, fatality, fine, health and
safety, HSE, prosecution
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Health and Safety News: November 2008

package from scaffold

injured in 50ft fall

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (1 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

Auto repair shop explosion injures two

Fire officials planned to return to the site today, to determine whether

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (2 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

the building needs to be demolished

© 2008 The Buffalo News.

Local footballers following in Ian Wright’s

The campaign aims to reduce the rising death rate amongst

Saturday and Sunday league footballers from around Birmingham are

Electricians, plasterers, plumbers and carpenters are all at risk of

Steve Coldrick, Director of the HSE’s Disease Reduction Programme

Full HSE Press Release.

Farmers urged to store feed safely

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (3 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

"It is essential that farmers take action where necessary. It is

Full HSE Press Release.

Working at height warning after man dies

Pervez Mohammed Iqbal, was (on Friday 21st November) ordered, by

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (4 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

Electrical to repair recurring roof leaks. Mr Singh was working under

In undertaking this roofing work, equipment and building materials

At an earlier hearing, on 11th February 2008, Surjit Singh Kundi

Read the full HSE Press Release.

Monday, 24 November 2008

Toddler’s death ‘catastrophe’

The tragedy occurred in October 2005 at the Tiddleywinks nursery in

An inquest into the death last year returned a verdict of unlawful

She admitted at Gloucester Crown Court in October that the children

Investigating EHO Ed Pomfret said the use of drawstring bags in cots

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (5 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

At the hearing Ms Meadows said she accepted full responsibility for

© 2008 Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

Thursday, 20 November 2008

Firm pays out £100,000 over death

The accident happened when an experienced baler operator became

The Scotts Company, of Godalming, Surrey, was fined £80,000 and

Copyright © Press Association 2008

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (6 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

Machine-crush death was accidental

The jury recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying: "He assisted

"The machine suddenly started because instructions to switch it off

Copyright © Press Association 2008

Monday, 17 November 2008

Romanian mine explosion kills 12

"The tally at the moment is 12 dead and 9 injured," Bogdan Gabriel

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (7 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

Local media reported that the explosion was caused by an

The worst accident in Romania's outdated mining industry after the

Friday, 14 November 2008

Shopfitters fined £20,000 after man falls from

Helen Donnelly, HSE Inspector said: "This incident resulted in the

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html (8 of 27) [05/12/2008 12:28:10]

Read the full HSE Press Release.

Blast flattens restaurant; one dead, five hurt

It took firefighters more than an hour to extricate one of the injured

The injured were taken to hospitals, but their condition wasn't

A fire still burned at the site in Pueblo's historic downtown district

"I don't recognize what's there," he said.

Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer says the victim died at a

The cause of the blast is under investigation in Pueblo, about 100