Health and Safety News September 2009 PDF

Health and Safety News: September 2009
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Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Man's leg severed after explosion at Miami store

A worker dismantling gas storage tanks at a Miami convenience store
was badly injured after an explosion.
Fire officials say the 38-year-old man's left leg was severed below the
knee in Tuesday accident.
The workers were cleaning and taking up three big gas drums that
hadn't been used in more than 20 years. A spark from a large saw
apparently ignited fumes, prompting the explosion.
The victim was rushed to the hospital. Emergency officials also

rushed his severed leg in hopes of reattaching it.
No other injuries were reported. An investigation continues.
Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.

com.
at 08:16 0 comments
Labels: accident, amputation, explosion, gas,
investigation, USA
Worker hurt in dust explosion

Authorities say a dust explosion in a South Bend factory caused brief
fire that burned a worker.
Firefighters were called late Tuesday to a Lock Joint Tube factory,

where the explosion sent flames through the exhaust system and
http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (1 of 33) [13/11/2009 15:42:11]

onto the roof.
One worker suffered burns on his arms and face and was taken to a
hospital.
Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Kolber says crews were able to quickly
contain the fire. The explosion followed a buildup of dust that was
ignited by a welding arc.
Source.
Copyright 2009 Associated Press.

at 08:14 0 comments
Labels: accident, burns, dust, explosion, fire, injury, USA
Do you consider swine flu to be a major threat to

your business?
Please vote on the poll!
at 08:12 0 comments
Labels: pandemic, poll, swine flu
Are your workers risk aware?

Work at height is an essential part of many jobs including
maintenance of air conditioning units, CCTV and electrical equipment,
but that does not mean that the person carrying out the work is fully
aware of the risk. Anyone who contracts others to access a roof has a
legal duty to ensure that the correct safety measures are in place, so
before work at height is undertaken, it is essential that an assessment
of the work is carried out by a competent person.
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, this means following a

simple hierarchy for managing and selecting equipment, starting with
whether the risk can be eliminated, if not what measures are required
to prevent a fall and how to limit the distance and consequences of a
fall.
When selecting work equipment or other methods to prevent or
minimise a fall, collective measures including guardrails must be
considered before personal fall protection such as lanyards and fall
arrest equipment. For example, if plant units are positioned within 2m
of the edge of the roof, edge protection should be installed. This
would preferably be combined with demarcation (not painted lines or
bunting), to safely guide the worker from the point of entry onto the
roof and to the point of exit.
Installing equipment will not necessarily make work at height safe,

training and supervision must also be provided so that people fully
understand the risks and know how to use the equipment. Only then
will companies be able to limit the dangers associated with working at
height.

More information.
at 06:56 0 comments
Labels: health and safety, risk, risk assessments, safe
system of work, safety, work at height
Monday, 28 September 2009
HSE prosecutes water filtration company after

worker is severely injured
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to
ensure that their equipment is fit for purpose and that safe and
effective working systems are put into place, to protect employees.
This follows the successful prosecution on Wednesday 23 September

of a water technology company at Southampton Magistrate’s Court,
after a contractor fractured his pelvis when heavy equipment fell on
top of him.
Eimco Water Technologies Ltd of Brunel Way, Colchester in Essex,

was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,661.40 after
pleading guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at
Work etc Act 1974, after Grzegorz Trafisz, who was contracted by the
company, suffered fractures to his pelvis.
Eimco Water Technologies Ltd supplies water intake systems for

power stations - seawater is taken in, re-circulated to cool the power
station and then pumped back out to sea.
On 09 July 2008, 25-year-old contractor Grzegorz Trafisz who lives in

Southampton was working at Marchwood Power Station Construction
site, at Marchwood, in Hampshire. He was assembling two
components of a stop-log, which is a steel lock gate used to isolate or
control the flow of water. It works as part of a screening system to
filter fish and other debris from the water.
The two components that Mr Trafisz was working on each weighed

approximately 2,000 kg. They were positioned approximately 0.6
meters above the ground on axle stands, normally used for motor
vehicles. One of the stop-logs became unsupported and fell on Mr
Trafisz, who was working underneath.
The HSE investigation found that Eimco Water Technologies Ltd had
failed to take steps to protect Mr Trafisz by ensuring a safe and
effective working environment. The risks had not been assessed; the
company had failed to follow their own assembly instructions and
were not using equipment that was suitable for the job in hand.
HSE Inspector James Powell, said:
"This incident could have been avoided if the company had taken all
necessary steps to ensure that not only were their working practices
effective but that they also followed them."
"Companies should remember that they are responsible for ensuring

that all their employees, whether directly employed by them or not,
are entitled to work in the safest possible environment with equipment
that is fit for purpose."
Source.

at 09:08 0 comments
Labels: accident, fine, HSE, management, risk
assessments, safe system of work
87% of fleet drivers on the road without basic eye

checks
Managers are not doing
enough to prevent accidents in
their vehicle fleets, research by
a leading insurer has found.
Aviva says that only 55% of

fleet managers ask new drivers
for detailed information
concerning their accident
history and only 13% make
enquiries regarding an
employee's eyesight.
While 65% now have a driver fatigue policy - an increase of more

than 20% since 2005 - Steve Shirley, Aviva's Commercial Motor Risk
Manager, believes this should be the industry standard.
"Fleet managers have a responsibility to make sure that employee

workloads and drivers' schedules are well planned to minimise the
likelihood of driver fatigue," he said.
"Car drivers in particular, shouldn't drive for more than two hours
without a break and fleet managers should consider setting in-house
limits on maximum driving distances to determine the safest mode of
transport and/or the need for overnight accommodation."
The study was based on 1,400 fleet managers' changing approaches

to occupational road risk over the past three years.
Source.
Copyright © Press Association 2009

Image source: http://www.katu.com/news/local/42419947.html
at 07:53 0 comments
Labels: accident, driving, fatigue, safety, safety checks
Workers die as chimney collapses

A chimney has collapsed at a power plant in India killing over 30
people, with more than 40 others feared to be still trapped under the
rubble.
Searches for survivors are continuing at the Bharat Aluminium

Company (BALCO) thermal power plant, in the state of Chhattisgarh.
The under-construction tower, which was to be about 275 metres high

on completion, came crashing down midway at a height of 100
metres.
Heavy rain is thought to have caused the chimney collapse, when

around 100 workers and engineers were there. The site of the
incident is about 600 miles away from the capital New Delhi.
District magistrate Ashok Agarwal said: "The rescue operation is on.

Ambulances have taken the injured to the hospital. We are doing our
best to save the trapped workers. We are hopeful to get the debris
cleared within two days."
Source.

at 07:50 0 comments
Labels: collapse, fatality, India
Delays after Eurostar accident

An investigation has been launched after a power line collapsed as a
Eurostar train pulled into St Pancras International.
None of the 554 passengers were hurt in the incident, which occurred
as a Paris train arrived in London at 6.30pm on Wednesday, but
trains departing for the continent were prevented from leaving the
station for up to two hours.
A Eurostar statement said: "There was a loud bang and smoke.

Travellers at the front of the train saw a cable from the overhead
catenary (power lines) come down over the front car and leading two
carriages of the train and the adjacent part of the platform."
While some reported scenes of panic during the accident, the

statement added: "Eurostar is treating this incident extremely
seriously and is working with station owners High Speed 1 and
Network Rail to identify why this happened. There was no panic and
passengers responded promptly. All the processes and procedures
that we have in place worked well."
Normal service has now been resolved at St Pancras International.
Source.

at 07:43 0 comments
Labels: collapse, London, train
Friday, 25 September 2009

Police fined £40,000 for shooting

Thames Valley Police has been fined £40,000 for breaching health
and safety laws when a civilian worker was accidentally shot.
Pc David Micklethwaite, 52, shot control room employee Keith Tilbury,
57, during a firearms awareness course in Oxfordshire on 30 May
2007.
The police force and Pc Micklethwaite pleaded guilty to offences
under the 1974 Health and Safety Act.
Pc Micklethwaite was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 in

costs.
Thames Valley Police was ordered to pay £25,000 in costs.

It was revealed at Southwark Crown Court that Pc Micklethewaite had
failed a gun training course, but was allowed to continue working.
He mistakenly loaded a Magnum revolver with live ammunition which

was kept in an old Quality Street tin.
The judge said this practice was a "disaster waiting to happen".

Pc Micklethwaite was accused of "engaging in the pointing of
weapons and the pulling of a trigger during role-play in the
classroom", "failing to examine or check the round of ammunition"
and discharging the gun "while inadvertently pointing the weapon at
Keith Tilbury".
Mr Tilbury, a control room employee for Thames Valley Police

Authority, was shot in the stomach at point-blank range while he was
listening to a lecture alongside 10 colleagues at the force's Police
Headquarters North in Kidlington.
He suffered serious damage to his lungs, kidneys and bowel and

spent two weeks in intensive care.
Mr Tilbury has told the BBC he is unlikely to return to work.
Source.
© BBC
at 03:42 0 comments
Labels: accident, fine, firearm, police, prosecution
Firm fined after peat works death

A horticulture firm has been fined £23,300 following the death of an
agency worker in southern Scotland.
Colin McCourt, 55, of Annan, died at the Nutberry Moss Works in
Eastriggs in January 2008 when a tip bucket he was welding moved
and crushed him.
Humax Horticulture Ltd, of Godalming, Surrey, admitted breaching the
Health and Safety Act at the Scottish site.

The Health and Safety Executive said the "tragic death" showed
proper action must be taken to control work risks.
Mr McCourt died on 31 January last year while carrying out repairs at
the Annandale site.
At Dumfries Sheriff Court, Humax admitted breaking health and safety

legislation.
HSE inspector Jean Edgar said the case showed employers needed
to manage workplace risks "irrespective of how wages are paid and
who pays them".
She said employers who took on agency staff should provide them
with the same health and safety protection as their own employees.
"Incidents can happen when inadequate information and instruction is

provided to such workers," she said.
"It may result in a failure to take the correct action to control risks
relating to the work in hand, as shown by this tragic death."
Source.
© BBC News
at 02:58 0 comments
Labels: agency workers, crushed, fatality, fine, HSE,
Scotland, training
Asbestos safety ad banned over disputed deaths

figure
ASA rules against a government agency, the Health and

Safety Executive, after complaint about asbestos
warning ads.
A dispute over the number of people expected to die from exposure to
asbestos fibres has led the Advertising Standards Authority to uphold
a complaint against the Health and Safety Executive.
The highly unusual criticism of the government agency focused on a

series of radio advertisements – "Asbestos: The Hidden Killer" –
about the dangers for building workers and contractors.
The awareness campaign claimed that "Every year there are more
people killed by asbestos than in road accidents." It based its
assertion partially on the number of death certificates that quoted
mesothelioma (a form of cancer where the main cause is recognised
as being inhalation of asbestos fibres) and partially on estimates of
asbestos-related lung cancer.
Figures for fatalities, particularly among joiners, electricians and

plumbers, have been rising recently. The HSE estimated that around
4,000 people in total died each year between 2004 and 2006.
But a complainant claimed the HSE ads exaggerated the danger to
modern-day workers since most of the deaths had been due to
exposure a long time ago from more dangerous types of asbestos
that have since been banned.
The ASA concluded that "the ads could mislead by presenting as

definitive figures which were, in part, based on estimates" and were
therefore misleading. The agency was ordered not to broadcast the
adverts again.
Responding to the ruling, Steve Coldrick, the HSE asbestos

programme director, said: "We are obviously very disappointed with
the decision by the ASA to uphold this sole complaint made against
our award-winning campaign, but we do consider it to be only on a
technicality".
"This campaign is clearly in the public interest and we are now looking
to seek an independent review of the adjudication".
Article continues...
© Guardian News and Media Limited 2009

at 02:32 0 comments
Labels: asbestos, campaign, fatality, health, illness, news
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Myth: Health and safety bans traditional school

ties
The reality
Quite rightly, few parents would see wearing school ties as a safety
issue. After all, millions of kids have been wearing ties for years
without any real problems.

Taking simple precautions during laboratory work or around

machinery makes sense.
But if the concern is about kids fighting, although clip-on ties may
help, the real issue is discipline.
So no, HSE don’t ban school ties – it’s down to the school to make
decisions about uniform, not HSE.
Source.
at 08:47 0 comments
Labels: campaign, child, HSE, myth, school
Myth: Health and safety laws mean concert-goers

have to wear earplugs
The reality
No, audiences don’t have to wear earplugs! Going to noisy concerts is
their choice.
The laws are there to protect people who have to work in loud places.
Concert staff are at more risk of suffering hearing damage because

they regularly work in high levels of noise. That is why employers
should make sure they provide protection – this could be as simple as
moving staff away from the noisiest areas, or providing suitable
earplugs.

Hearing loss is preventable, so it’s important to protect people to help

them enjoy long and successful careers. The laws are there to control
real risks to workers – not to take the fun out of concerts.
Source.
at 08:44 0 comments
Labels: campaign, hearing, HSE, myth
Blind daredevil makes health and safety pledge by

plunging off waterfall
A blind daredevil hit back at so-called ‘elf and safety’ myths by making
a daring descent over a freezing Scottish canyon.
Dean Dunbar, from Blairgowrie, Perthshire, braved two massive
waterfalls on the 100m descent along with an inspector from the
Health and Safety Executive to disprove the popular perception the
organisation stops people enjoying life.
Adrenaline junkie Dean has Cone-Rod Dystrophy (CRD), an inherited

progressive disease that causes deterioration of photoreceptor cells
in the eye. His eyesight has been deteriorating since the age of nine
and he is now registered blind.
Since his first tandem skydive 11 years ago Dean has taken part in
over 50 activities including helicopter bungee jumping, wing walking,
white water sledging and power boating.
He runs his hugely successful Extreme Dreams website from

home, helping people with disabilities find companies willing to help
them take part in extreme sports in addition to selling specialist sports
equipment to extreme activity enthusiasts.
Extreme Dreams is the thousandth organisation to sign up to the

campaign organised by HSE to urge employers to focus on real risks
not trivia and pointless paperwork.
HSE has had a massive response already to the Pledge from

organisations such as BT, Parcel Force, Asda and AIG and hope
to encourage more organisations to sign up and commit to debunking
myths surrounding health and safety that trivialise the impact of
injuries, ill health and deaths on individuals and their families.
The organisation is concerned about people being told they cannot do

something for because of ‘elf and safety’. HSE say the majority of
the time reports are way off the mark and serve only to stoke
ignorance and mistrust of the organisation.
at 08:35 0 comments
Labels: health and safety, HSE, injury, myth, risk
assessments

£37K fine for worker's three-metre airbridge fall

A construction company must pay £37,397 in fines and costs after a
flooring contractor fell three metres from an airbridge and severely
damaged his legs.
Self-employed Keith Sterry was working at Heathrow Terminal 4 on

15 February 2007 when he fell through a thin metal sheet onto a
concrete apron. Rotten plywood floor panels were removed moments
before by another worker during renovation work on the airbridge
floor. The metal sheet below the floor covering and panels was poorly
supported and could not hold Mr Sterry's weight.
Exeter-based ROK Building Ltd had conducted a working at height
risk assessment but not taken action to reduce the risks. It pleaded
guilty breaching Section 4 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc
Act 1974, and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £17,397.14
costs at London's Old Bailey.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) urged all companies to take
seriously the risks of working at height. HSE Inspector Steve Kirton
said, "Any work at height or work near fragile surfaces needs to be
properly planned and assessed. Any identified control measures need
to be fully implemented."
Source.

at 08:31 0 comments
Labels: fall from height, fine, HSE, HSWA, injury, leg injury,
prosecution, risk assessments
Cowboy gas fitters spark fears

Families are being put at risk by the 7,500 'cowboy' gas fitters who
are working illegally across the country, according to the Gas Safe
Register. It reports that they are carrying out a quarter of a million
jobs a year without the skills or the qualifications that the law requires.
Says Gas Safe spokesman Phill Brewster: "Gas and cowboys do not
mix. One in 10 of the illegal gas installations we investigated in the
last nine months have been immediately dangerous, and we had to
disable the appliances straight away to make them safe.
"Almost half of these had faults that could lead to lethal carbon
monoxide exposure. So, with our research showing that illegal gas
fitters do 250,000 jobs in our homes each year, it's worrying to think
how many gas appliances out there have been left in a dangerous
state."
As well as gas work, 90% of illegal fitters also undertake plumbing

jobs, 81% do bathroom fitting, two thirds kitchen fitting, 40% general
building and 43% electrical work.
Source.

at 08:29 0 comments

Labels: carbon monoxide, fatality, gas, Gas Safe Register,

safety
Potato season brings more injuries

The safety watchdog is urging farm workers to be careful around
heavy potato harvesting machinery after a man was killed in Fife.
The 34-year-old was reportedly working on a potato harvester that

was powered up when the accident occurred earlier this month.
It comes as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) look into an

incident in which a Lincolnshire man suffered severe cuts trying to
clear a device designed for chopping. Inspectors are also
investigating injuries to a Cambridgeshire farmer's arm when it was
dragged into some cleaning rollers.
Tony Mitchell of HSE's agriculture and food sector said: "There have
been three deaths involving potato harvesters in the past seven years
and many more serious incidents besides.
"It is essential that proper systems are in place for cleaning

machinery, fixing it or removing blockages. It must be switched off
before any work is attempted on it.
"We understand that farmers are under immense time pressures, with
the weather often another obstacle to contend with, but this should
not mean they take short cuts with safety, risking a lifetime of
disability or death. This not only impacts on them, but also their
families and their livelihoods."
In the past five years, 82 workers suffered fatal injuries between July
and October, with deaths during these four harvest months
accounting for almost half of all deaths in agriculture since 2004/05.
Source.

at 08:27 0 comments
Labels: accident, farm, fatality, health and safety, HSE,
safe system of work
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Tragedy at Scottish wind farm

A man has died in an accident while
carrying out maintenance at a wind farm.
It is understood the man was working

high up on one of the turbines but did
not fall.

Police were called at around 9.15am to

the Causeymire Wind Farm, south of
Spittal, near the A9 in Caithness.
A spokesman for Northern Constabulary

said: "Police inquiries into the
circumstances surrounding the death
are ongoing and a report will be
submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.
"The Health and Safety Executive has been made aware of the
incident. No details of the deceased will be issued until all next of kin
have been informed."
Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said it was

called at 9.11am on Wednesday with a report that a man was
unconscious and stuck on a turbine.
Three fire engines were sent to the wind farm but left the scene when
it was confirmed the worker had died at 10.25am.
RWE npower renewables owns the wind farm. In a statement, a

spokeswoman said: "RWE npower renewables has regretfully been
informed of a fatality at one of its operating wind farms."
"The incident involved a contractor at Causeymire Wind Farm in

Thurso, Scotland.
"Our thoughts at this time are very much with the individual's family.
The cause of the incident is being investigated by RWE npower
renewables and we will be fully co-operating with the Health and
Safety Executive."
Source.
Image: © Copyright Donald Bain and licensed for reuse under this
Creative Commons Licence
at 01:32 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, HSE, investigation, police
Workers 'risking health' by not resting

British workers are risking their health by working through illness as
they are scared of losing their jobs in the recession, according to a
new report.
Simplyheath's Bothered Britain Report suggests more than

half of workers in the UK are not taking enough rest, and are
constantly worrying about their job security. The report says workers
believe taking time off may get used against them.
Research shows that 43% of people did not take any sick days in the
last 12 months, up from 36% in the previous year.
People working in the retail, leisure and catering industries appear to

be under the most pressure, with 58% not taking any sick days in the

last year. In contrast, just 24% of workers in the finance sector did not
take a day off.
Dr Chris Steele MBE, ITV's This Morning resident doctor, said people
may not realise that they are doing more harm to themselves by
working while they are ill, and spreading germs to other colleagues.
He said: "Working through illness weakens the immune system,

delaying the recovery process and leaving you feeling lethargic and
unwell for several weeks, rather than the few days it would take if rest
was taken at the first sign of symptoms."
Source.

at 01:28 0 comments
Labels: disease, health, illness, immune system, sick
leave
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Using pesticides at work 'increases risk of

Parkinson's three-fold'
Gardeners and farmers who use pesticides as part of
their job are up to three times more likely than others to
develop Parkinson’s, according to a new study.
Working with certain chemicals, which have been shown to disrupt

signals in the brain, significantly increased the chances of developing
the devastating neurological condition, researchers found.
Many of the pesticides studied are still used in Britain, while those
which have been banned can remain in the body for decades,
previous research has shown.
Although the latest findings looked at exposure to the chemicals

through work, earlier studies have suggested that damage could be
caused even by small amounts of exposure to the chemicals.
Overall, the study found that those whose job involved using
pesticides were 80 per cent more likely to develop the condition,
which affects 120,000 people in Britain.
However, exposure to any of three chemicals, a weedkiller called 2,4-
dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, or 2,4-D, an insecticide called
permethrin, or another weedkiller called paraquat, increased the risk
three-fold.
In laboratory tests the pesticides have been shown to destroy cells

that release a chemical called dopamine, which carries messages
around the brain and helps to control the movement of muscles.
Although paraquat was banned by the European Union in 2007, the

other two are still available for use in Britain.
The Royal Horticultural Society even recommends products

containing 2,4-D for use to kill some weeds.
Permethrin is used to kill insects and pests and in 2007 the Veterinary

Poisons Information Service Exposure warned that powerful dog flea

treatments which contained the chemical were being wrongly given to
cats, inadvertently killing hundreds of them.
The study, by a team from the Parkinson's Institute, in Sunnyvale,

California, asked 519 patients with the disease and 511 healthy
people about their jobs and exposure to a range of chemicals.
In total 44 of the patients with Parkinson’s and 27 of the healthy

volunteers had been exposed to pesticides through their occupation.
Other occupations, including painting and welding, did not increase
the risk of developing Parkinson’s.
Read More...
© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2009

at 03:07 0 comments
Labels: chemicals, health, health and safety, Parkinson's,
pesticides
Fine for work experience placement firm

A placement company was ordered to pay £22,000 in court costs
after a school pupil was burnt while on a poorly supervised work
experience placement.
Staffordshire-based Making Learning Work Ltd was employed to find

extended work experience placements for 32 pupils from Deansfield
High School in Wolverhampton.
The school paid £650 per youngster back in 2005, on the

understanding that employers would have full health and safety
checks and risk assessments, but Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court
heard one 14-year-old was sent to an unchecked garage and
supervised by a worker who barely spoke English. In January 2006,
the teenager burnt his left hand while draining petrol at R&B Motor
Services, owned by Harjinder Kumar.
Make Learning Work pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the

Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and received one year's
conditional discharge and a bill for £22,000 costs. Mr Kumar was
fined £3,500 for a health and safety offence at a previous hearing.
Health and Safety Executive inspector John Healy said: "Placing a 14-
year-old schoolboy in extended work experience at R&B Motor
Services was totally inappropriate. Probable inexperience and lack of
maturity makes it essential that young people's work experience
placements are risk assessed before the start-date."
Source.

at 01:13 0 comments
Labels: burns, fine, HSE, risk assessments, work
experience

Worker thrown from vehicle by electrical charge

A worker suffered serious burns from an electrical charge and was
thrown from his vehicle when it touched high voltage overhead
electric cables.
Andrew Perry was tipping waste materials at Booths Farm, Cheadle,

Staffordshire, using the control level to move the extending arm of his
truck. When it touched the 33,000 volt overhead electric cables, the
electricity surged through the metal vehicle and through Mr Perry's
body. He was thrown from the vehicle and suffered burns to his arm
and feet.
Site owner John Rowland Fallows, who trades as Fallows Recycling

Services, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 14 of the Electricity
at Work Regulations 1989 at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates'
Court. He was fined £1,600 and ordered to pay £2,214 in costs.
"In this case, there were no barriers or warnings to prevent drivers

visiting this site from tipping waste materials under the power lines
and it was only a matter of time before an incident like this took
place," said HSE inspector Lynne Boulton. "It wouldn't have taken
much effort to install barriers, as proven by the fact that Mr Fallows
quickly erected barriers and warning signs to avoid a repeat of this
incident shortly after it occurred."
Source.

at 01:11 0 comments
Labels: accident, burns, electricity, fine, HSE, thrown from
vehicle
Firms 'should prepare for absences' due to swine

flu
A report has warned firms they must be prepared for up to half their
staff taking two to four weeks of sick leave due to the predicted
second wave of swine flu cases later this year.
Companies should prepare for a "significant" rise in the number of

absentees, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (CIPD) and the Business Continuity Institute said. So
far, swine flu has not had a dramatic impact on most businesses,
many of which have no plans to tackle a pandemic situation, recent
studies have revealed.
Ben Willmott, Senior Public Policy Adviser, CIPD said: "There is a

real danger that senior management teams ignore the threat to their
business posed by a second and more serious wave of swine flu after
seeing the first wave subside much more quickly than anticipated.
"In the event of school and childcare closures, increased parent-

worker absences could have a significant impact and increase

employee absence rates in some areas well above the Government

estimate of pandemic-related staff absences of 12%."
A spokesman for the Business Department said: "We urge all
businesses that have not yet developed or reviewed their contingency
plans to do so now."
Source.
at 01:09 0 comments
Labels: business continuity, health, illness, management,
pandemic, swine flu
Monday, 7 September 2009
UC San Diego pole vaulter dies in training accident

A University of California San Diego pole vaulter has died
after he missed landing on padding and hit his head on concrete, the
Medical Examiner's Office said.
Leon Roach, 19, of Huntington Beach was injured about 7:15 p.m.
Thursday in the accident on campus. He was taken to Scripps
Memorial Hospital-La Jolla and was declared brain dead about 5 p.m.
Saturday.
A school spokeswoman issued a statement about the accident Friday

but did not release any details.
“A tragic accident involving one of our talented scholar athletes

occurred on campus during a track and field workout,” the statement
said. “Words cannot begin to express our sorrow. Our hearts go out to
the family and friends of this remarkable student.”
Source.
© Copyright 2009 The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC

at 08:30 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, sport, USA
Employees more accident prone after clocks go

forward
Workers are more accident prone and get less sleep the Monday after
switching to daylight saving time, a report by US researchers has
found.
David Wagner and Christopher Barnes of Michigan State

University analysed records of mining injuries between the years of
1983 and 2006, comparing the accident rates on different days before
and after the daylight saving time change. Their findings are reported
in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
"On Mondays directly following the switch to Daylight Saving Time - in

which one hour is lost - workers sustain more workplace injuries and
injuries of greater severity," said the researchers.
Mr Wagner and Mr Barnes found that there was a 5.7% increase in
the number of injuries on the Mondays after daylight saving changes,
translating into a 67.6% rise in the days of work lost due to the
injuries. Another study by the pair found that between 2003 and 2006,
workers reported having 40 minutes less sleep on the Monday
following the switch.
Managers may wish to alleviate the risk of accidents at work by

adjusting the start time of employees' shifts, the researchers
suggested.
Source.

at 08:22 0 comments
Labels: accident, injury, research, working days lost
EDF fined £160,000 for worker's fatal fall

Energy supplier EDF has been fined £160,000 for the death of a
worker who fell more than five metres from a scaffolding platform.
James Gordon, a 63-year-old employee of EDF Energy, was working

in Worthing High School's sports hall in West Sussex when the
incident happened in August 2007. A scaffolding tower had been
used to reach lighting and heating equipment high up in the hall and
Mr Gordon was taking the mobile tower apart after the work was
completed.
The highest platform had been dismantled and he was working on a

middle platform without handrails. It appeared Mr Gordon missed his
step, fell straight down and died from head injuries, leaving behind a
widow and several grandchildren.
EDF Energy Contracting Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching regulations

4b and 4c of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Chichester
Crown Court. As well as the fine, the company was ordered to pay full
costs of £24,594.98.
Health and Safety Executive Inspector Russell Beckett said: "It is
important that all tower scaffolds are erected and dismantled correctly
and that guard rails are fitted so as to prevent falls. All too often tower
scaffolds are used incorrectly without the correct handrails."
Source.

at 08:21 0 comments
Labels: fall from height, fatality, fine, HSE, prosecution,
scaffold
Friday, 4 September 2009

Steeplejack death was accidental

THE death of a steeplejack who fell around 114 feet from a chimney
at Sutton Bridge Power Station was an accident, an inquest ruled.
Brian Collins (52) fell through an opening in a gantry towards the top
of one of the two large chimneys at the power station and landed on
steel structures below, causing fatal wounds to his head, brain and
chest.
Mr Collins, from Mansfield, was working for Nottingham firm Central

High Rise at the time of his death, on 13 March 2008, and was senior
foreman for the team in charge of painting the power station chimney
stacks.
An inquest was held into his death before a jury at Spalding
Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Martin Giles, an inspector for the Health and Safety Executive, told
the court that Mr Collins’ work involved climbing up to gantries on the
stacks, removing flooring panels from them and abseiling down on
ropes to chip away rusty areas and repaint them.
The work was carried out while the power station, owned by EDF
Energy and managed by General Electric International, was closed
for maintenance.
at 09:49 0 comments
Labels: accident, fall from height, fatality, HSE
Economic benefits of health and safety not fully

realised, suggests report
A new report from the European Agency for Safety and Health at
Work (EU-OSHA) is the latest to suggest good occupational safety
and health practice can be a strong economic advantage for
organisations.
The paper reviews the connection between Occupational Safety and
Health (OSH) and economic performance especially in relation to
small and medium-sized enterprises.
OSH is not usually viewed as a contributory factor to the economic
viability of an organisation, with compliance with government
guidelines, regulations and laws generally the primary focus of OSH
policies. But EU-OSHA suggests the perceptions of the connection
between effective OSH and the resulting financial benefits could, and
should be improved.
According to EU-OSHA the strong economic advantages of good

occupational health practice need to be highlighted continuously to
organisations because the failure to acknowledge the importance of
this link will limit the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing
disease and injury (Lahiri, Levenstein, Nelson and Rosenberg, 2005;
Toffel and Birkner, 2002). Additionally, while the cost of ensuring
safety is important, “unsafety” is also costly (Rimington, 1993). For

example, a reduction of accidents, damage and improvements to poor

health can lead to a reduction in costs and a greater availability of
people and plant. This, in turn, can improve efficiency and thereby
heighten the effectiveness of businesses (Smallman and John, 2001).
Read the full report.

at 08:33 0 comments
Labels: EU-OSHA, health and safety, news
Health & safety professionals upbeat in the face of

media and economic woes
Sticks
and
stones
might
break
our
bones
but
branding us ‘killjoys’ will never hurt us! This is the spirited response to
their detractors of health and safety professionals, who, despite
constant negative portrayals in the media, feel their role in the
workplace is more important than ever, and would recommend it to
others as a rewarding career.
According to respondents to the Salary and Attitudes Survey 2009,

carried out by IOSH and SHP earlier this year, health and safety is
valued by organisations, with 43 per cent saying their role enjoys a
higher status now than it did five years ago. Just 10 per cent of
practitioners felt their status had diminished, while 39 per cent
believed it to be about the same.
And a whopping 90 per cent said they would recommend a career in

health and safety to others – despite the image of a ‘boring, fun
police’ image built up of the profession in the national media in recent
years.
Nevertheless, poor portrayal in the press was the second most

common concern cited by survey respondents, after the economic
downturn. Around 30 per cent of practitioners said they worry about
the credibility of the profession in the public eye, inaccurate reporting
by the media, and the constant need to rebut ‘bonkers-conkers’
stories.
at 07:11 0 comments
Labels: health and safety, IOSH, SHP

Industry 'failing to learn Buncefield lessons'

UK industry has failed to learn lessons from the Buncefield disaster
and believes that the worst-case scenario will never happen,
according to a business continuity expert.
Assistant vice president of Sembcorp Protection Group Paul

Frankland says that companies only worry about risks within the
boundaries of the site and believe that the emergency services will be
able to tackle anything that fate throws at them.
Mr Frankland believes that many companies have yet to revise their

readiness arrangements for emergencies in light of the Buncefield
explosion and the subsequent inquiries. Mr Frankland has linked the
lack of interest from managers to invest in training, testing and
preparing for emergency situations to the global recession.
According to Mr Frankland, few high-hazard locations have a fully

operational off-site emergency control centre. Even in cases where
provisions have been made, Mr Frankland believes that economic
pressures are holding back exercising and testing.
"On-site facilities can so easily be destroyed or rendered inaccessible

in a worse-case scenario incident, as was demonstrated by the
Buncefield explosion. At a major incident, every minute really does
count, so having to first re-establish an emergency control centre
simply is not a viable option," he said.
Source.

at 07:03 0 comments
Labels: Buncefield, business continuity, risk assessments
Firm fined for shredder crush injuries

A Birmingham-based waste disposal company which allowed a
shredder to fall on one of its workers has been ordered to pay
£11,500 in fines and costs.
Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard that Kevin Kelly, an employee

at Secure IT Disposals Ltd, was working at the company's Woodgate
Business Park premises in November 2008 when he was hit by a one-
ton mobile shredding machine. It was being raised for maintenance
by a forklift truck, but fell off the forks onto Mr Kelly, who was working
below. He was not crushed but needed immediate surgery for serious
back injuries and has been unable to work since then.
Magistrates fined Secure IT Disposals £8,000, and £3,500 costs,

after it pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety
at Work etc Act 1974.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warned companies to ensure

they implement safe systems for lifting loads and using suitable lifting
equipment.

HSE Inspector Paul Smith said: "This case should be a warning to all
companies undertaking non-routine and one-off jobs that time spent
thinking about how to do the job safely with the right equipment will
ultimately save time and costs, and mostly importantly save lives."
Source.

at 07:01 0 comments
Labels: accident, back injuries, HSE, HSWA, risk
assessments, safe system of work, shredder
HSE: Building site had been warned

Two prohibition notices had already been served at an Aberdeen
building site where a man was killed, it has been revealed.
The notices were issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in
July 2007 and October 2008 against Inveresk Developments.
The site, where renovation work was being carried out on flats, had
since been sold by the company to a new developer. An HSE
spokesman said the notices only applied to Inveresk and not the new
developer on the site.
A 63-year-old man died when he fell from scaffolding. He was taken

to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was pronounced dead.
The first notice served against Inveresk was due to a lack of

emergency procedures and fire precautions. The second notice was
issued after a follow up inspection, and the regulator ordered the
developer to "cease all construction work until competent site
manager is in place".
The HSE is carrying out a joint investigation with Grampian Police

regarding the incident.
Source.

at 06:47 0 comments
Labels: fall from height, fatality, HSE, police, prohibition
notice
Worker killed in lawnmower accident

A man has died in a lawnmower accident at a golf club which left him
trapped under the machine, police said.
The accident happened while the man was cutting grass with the
industrial machine at Stanedge Golf Club, in Ashover, Derbyshire. He
was in his 50s and from the Bolsover area.

The mower landed on him after he fell off it, a police spokesman said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The spokesman added that
investigations into the incident had been handed over to North East
Derbyshire District Council.
A council spokesman said: "Officers from the council's environmental

health service - in liaison with the police - are to undertake a full
independent investigation under the Health and Safety at Work Act
1974. This investigation is ongoing and will try to determine how this
tragic incident occurred."
Source.

at 06:45 0 comments
Labels: accident, environmental health, fatality, grass
cutting, HSWA, police
Top honour for Irish health and safety champion

A pioneer of health and safety in Ireland has received a top honour
from the world’s largest professional organisation in health and safety.
Martin O’Halloran, chief executive of the Health and Safety Authority

(HSA), has been made an Honorary Vice-President of the Institution
of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). He becomes one of 20 to
currently hold the honour, seen as a key role in helping to champion
health and safety in the workplace.
A chartered IOSH member, Martin became chief executive of the

Health and Safety Authority in 2007, having been assistant chief
executive since 2003. Hailing from Bohermeen, County Meath, he
has held senior positions with the former Telecom Eireann, Eircom
and Vodafone. He is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin from where
he gained an MSc in Statistics and Operations Research.
Martin also served as a non-executive director of the then National
Authority for Occupational Safety and Health, from 1992-95. He was
also Irish delegate to the European Commission advisory committee
on Occupational Safety and Health during this time.
“Martin is one of the first ever health and safety professionals in this
country and has a wealth of expertise and knowledge, so this honour
is entirely deserved,” said Norita Robinson, IOSH development
manager for Ireland.
Other Irish Honorary Vice-Presidents include Tom Walsh, former

director general of the HSA, Professor Peter McKie CBE, chairman of
the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) and Jim
Keyes, HSENI chief executive.
Commenting on the award, Mr. O’Halloran said:
“I am very pleased to be honoured by such a well regarded

international organisation. I remain committed to the improvement of
health and safety performance in Irish workplaces and to contribute to
the setting of international standards.”

Source.
at 06:42 0 comments
Labels: award, health and safety, HSA, HSE, IOSH
Firms unprepared for swine flu - study

Less than half of UK firms have a contingency plan to deal with the
swine flu outbreak if it gets worse, research has found.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) survey of 450

companies exposed the lack of firms' planning for the consequences
of workers taking time off to recover from the virus.
The lack of planning is reflected in figures revealing 83.7% of firms

were unaffected by the disease, and only a third thought the problem
would affect the UK's economic recovery. The news comes amid
warnings of a second wave of the infection in the autumn.
Claims that workers were using swine flu as an excuse to have time
off has been challenged by the findings. The opposite has been
suggested by anecdotal evidence - with employers more likely to
keep workers displaying symptoms away from the office to avoid
mass infection.
Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said: "Employers should be

using this time to work with their staff to ensure they have
contingency plans in place to deal with any possible resurgence of the
virus in the autumn. Part of that must be ensuring that they actively
encourage staff to stay at home if they have any symptoms of swine
flu to help stop it spreading."
Source.

at 03:40 0 comments
Labels: BCC, health, illness, pandemic, swine flu
Causes of bad office atmosphere revealed

Negative office atmosphere is the main cause of a bad day at work,
according to new research.
A Best Companies survey of 3,000 people found women were

most likely to complain about the problem, adding that it was often
caused by office politics.
Other things found to impact on the working day include tyrant

bosses, not being appreciated and boring work. Jonathan Austin,
chief executive of Best Companies, which promotes employee
engagement, said it was up to managers to make sure workers were
having a good day at the office.

He said: "Ensure that office politics don't create a bad atmosphere

and carefully manage those staff who could be potential bad apples.
It's important to ensure people are motivated about their work so set
objectives carefully and look for ways to give people work they find
interesting. Simply saying thank you will go a long way to ensuring
that people don't feel taken for granted."
Source.

at 03:38 0 comments
Labels: health, IOSH, research, stress
Tyre recycling plant fire could burn for weeks

A tyre recycling plant fire is being left to burn itself out after firefighters
decided their attempts to control the blaze would use up too much
water.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said it would take "millions

of gallons of water" to extinguish the flames which have engulfed the
Murfitts plant in Littleport, Cambs, for the past week.
However, it also said the fire, which has consumed 200 tonnes of
rubber and caused a diesel tank and several cylinders to explode, "is
likely to take weeks" to die down.
Initially, 10 crews were sent to the plant when the inferno began last
Friday, destroying two large industrial buildings.
A huge plume of black smoke could be seen for several miles and
nearby families were initially encouraged to close their windows and
doors. Scientists from Oxfordshire have since tested its toxicity, and
said they do not think the smoke is dangerous.
Source.

at 03:36 0 comments
Labels: fire, firefighters, recycling, smoke
Tube safety alert prompts improvement notice

The London Underground (LU) has been told to improve safety
procedures after three Tube trains went through red signals on the
District line.
The incidents, which were all in the High Street Kensington area of
west London, prompted rail regulators the Office of Rail Regulation
(ORR) to request improvements from LU.
An ORR spokesman said: "We have asked LU to look at the post-

incident procedures it took which were not followed properly. We have

asked them to make improvements."
The incidents in question all took place earlier this year, with one
Tube passing a red light at West Kensington on 23 February, the
second at Earl's Court the following day and the third was on 17
March.
Lorraine Ward, regional organiser for the TSSA transport union, said:
"Passengers and business need to have confidence in the safe
operation of the Underground. We will not shirk our responsibility in
terms of reminding LU of their accountability to passengers and our
members in this respect.
"We will therefore be pressing management for an urgent meeting to

discuss their improvement plan."
The LU has been given until 15 September to make the necessary

changes.
Source.

at 03:34 0 comments
Labels: London, ORR, safety, train
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after clocks go
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■ EDF fined
£160,000 for
worker's fatal fall

■ Steeplejack death
was accidental
■ Economic
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and safety not
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■ Health & safety
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upbeat in the face
o...
■ Industry 'failing to
learn Buncefield
lessons'
■ Firm fined for
shredder crush
injuries
■ HSE: Building site
had been warned
■ Worker killed in
lawnmower
accident
■ Top honour for
Irish health and
safety champion
■ Firms unprepared
for swine flu -
study
■ Causes of bad
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Health and Safety News: September 2009

Health and Safety News

out six weeks due to injury

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Man's leg severed after explosion at Miami store

The victim was rushed to the hospital. Emergency officials also

Information from: The Miami Herald, http://www.herald.

Worker hurt in dust explosion

Firefighters were called late Tuesday to a Lock Joint Tube factory,

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (1 of 33) [13/11/2009 15:42:11]

onto the roof.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press.

Do you consider swine flu to be a major threat to

Are your workers risk aware?

Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, this means following a

Installing equipment will not necessarily make work at height safe,

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (2 of 33) [13/11/2009 15:42:11]

Monday, 28 September 2009

HSE prosecutes water filtration company after

This follows the successful prosecution on Wednesday 23 September

Eimco Water Technologies Ltd of Brunel Way, Colchester in Essex,

Eimco Water Technologies Ltd supplies water intake systems for

On 09 July 2008, 25-year-old contractor Grzegorz Trafisz who lives in

The two components that Mr Trafisz was working on each weighed

HSE Inspector James Powell, said:

"Companies should remember that they are responsible for ensuring

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (3 of 33) [13/11/2009 15:42:11]

87% of fleet drivers on the road without basic eye

Aviva says that only 55% of

While 65% now have a driver fatigue policy - an increase of more

"Fleet managers have a responsibility to make sure that employee

The study was based on 1,400 fleet managers' changing approaches

Copyright © Press Association 2009

Workers die as chimney collapses

Searches for survivors are continuing at the Bharat Aluminium

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (4 of 33) [13/11/2009 15:42:11]

Company (BALCO) thermal power plant, in the state of Chhattisgarh.

The under-construction tower, which was to be about 275 metres high

Heavy rain is thought to have caused the chimney collapse, when

District magistrate Ashok Agarwal said: "The rescue operation is on.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

Delays after Eurostar accident

A Eurostar statement said: "There was a loud bang and smoke.

While some reported scenes of panic during the accident, the

Copyright © Press Association 2009

Friday, 25 September 2009

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (5 of 33) [13/11/2009 15:42:11]

Police fined £40,000 for shooting

Pc Micklethwaite was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 in

Thames Valley Police was ordered to pay £25,000 in costs.

He mistakenly loaded a Magnum revolver with live ammunition which

The judge said this practice was a "disaster waiting to happen".

Mr Tilbury, a control room employee for Thames Valley Police

He suffered serious damage to his lungs, kidneys and bowel and

Mr Tilbury has told the BBC he is unlikely to return to work.

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Firm fined after peat works death

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html (6 of 33) [13/11/2009 15:42:11]

At Dumfries Sheriff Court, Humax admitted breaking health and safety

"Incidents can happen when inadequate information and instruction is

Asbestos safety ad banned over disputed deaths

ASA rules against a government agency, the Health and

The highly unusual criticism of the government agency focused on a