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HSQE Newsletter 2022 04
HSQE Newsletter 2022 04
20
working barefoot on site. The site was not adequately secured
to prevent unauthorised persons from entering and a
Inspiring positive change neighbouring property had been undermined with parts of the
Years 2002 - 2022 property at risk of collapse due to the excavation work.
HSE
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2002 - 2022 HSQE Newsletter | April 2022
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Child struck by wall collapse What was the outcome? What happened?
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the On 21 August 2017, a batch of hairspray was being mixed in a
Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined 10,000 litre stainless steel mixing vessel. Flammable vapours
Summary
£22,500 and ordered to pay £11,998.80 in costs. were created within the mixing vessel as a result of heating.
A construction company has been fined for safety breaches
after a substantial part of a wall at a construction site
Anything else? Ethanol was pumped directly into the vessel via pipework from
collapsed, seriously injuring a child.
The HSE inspector said: “ The company should have appointed an external storage tank. Other constituents (liquid and
a competent person to carry out an assessment of the wall at powder) were added to the vessel via a manway lid on the top
What happened?
the start of the project to establish whether it was safe to use of the vessel. The mixing process then required the addition of
The company were the owners of the site in South Elmsall. The
as a boundary wall and then carried out a similar assessment heat via an integral steam coil within the vessel.
company had previously received a large delivery of aggregate,
when the wall was then used as a retaining wall for storing
which was deposited on land next to the construction site.
materials. As the worker was adding powders into the vessel via the lid
Officials from the local council attended the site and ordered
using a metal scoop, flammable vapours leaving the vessel via
the materials to be removed. The company then brought the
the lid ignited, briefly engulfing his upper torso.
materials back on to their site storing them behind a wall.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company newsletter each month. What was the outcome?
had not assessed the structural integrity of the wall to ensure
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(1) of
it was safe to be used as either a secure boundary for the site
the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres
or as a retaining wall for storing materials. When the materials
were stored against the wall it failed and this led directly to the Worker suffered burns at a Regulations (DSEAR) 2002. The company was
fined £480,000 and ordered to pay costs of £13,441.80.
collapse and the injuries to the child. chemical company
Anything else?
The company were a client and a contractor within the
Summary The HSE inspector said: “Duty holders should carry out a
meaning of Construction (Design and Management)
A chemical company has been sentenced for safety breaches DSEAR risk assessment in areas where there is a potential for
Regulations 2015 and failed in their duty to ensure that the
after a 31-year-old worker suffered 13 per cent superficial the creation of explosive or flammable atmospheres in order
wall was either safe for use as a secure site boundary or as a
burns to his right arm and hand following the ignition of to identify adequate control measures.”
retaining wall for storing materials.
flammable vapours at the company’s site in Hull.
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20
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Inspiring positive change
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Cable strike at substation The HSE has issued the MOD Gas explosion
with Crown Censure
Summary Summary
A principal contractor and subcontractor have been fined after following severe injuries to A property management company has been fined after a
an employee’s retina was damaged by an explosion caused by an employee homeowner sustained burns when gas escaping from an open-
a cable strike during construction works at a substation. ended pipe ignited.
Summary
What happened? The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been issued with a Crown What happened?
A high voltage cabling contractor was engaged by a principal Censure by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an Following pre-sale refurbishment work at a property, a gas
contractor to conduct cabling works as part of a construction employee was shot during a training exercise. cooker was disconnected from the gas pipe, but the pipe was
project at a substation. On the 17th September 2019, an not sealed off properly leaving an open-ended pipe connected
excavator driver, working on behalf of the contractor, was What happened? to the mains gas supply, which was only turned off at the
excavating phases for laying a 275kV cable when he struck an In January 2019 an employee of the Ministry of Defence meter. The cooker hob was removed during refurbishment in
existing live cable close by. The contact resulted in multiple suffered severe injuries as a result of being shot with live late summer 2018 when the property was empty.
explosions which caused blistering to the driver’s retina. ammunition during a training exercise where blank
ammunition should have been used. This put both employees On 25 January 2019 the new owner moved in and turned the
How did things go wrong? and persons not in the employment of Ministry of Defence, at gas on to use the central heating boiler. He did not know
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the permit to risk. about the open pipe which immediately began to leak gas. As
dig had not been properly completed by the principal he was trying to turn on his cooker, the leaked gas ignited. This
contractor. That neither they, nor the subcontractors, had What was the outcome? resulted in a small explosion and fire. The homeowner
checked the cable markings prior to work commencing. The The incident has had severe life changing consequences for the sustained smoke inhalation and burns, which required hospital
existing live cable had not been adequately identified and so injured employee. Following their medical discharge, they treatment
the surface markings for the cable location were incorrect by suffered from PTSD and following the incident had difficulty
around 50cm. It was also found that there had been performing routine tasks such as getting dressed, cooking How did things go wrong?
inadequate monitoring and supervision of work. cleaning and driving. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company
in control of the refurbishment work had failed to ensure so
What was the outcome? By accepting the Crown Censure, the MoD admitted breaching far as was reasonably practicable that persons not in their
The PC pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the its duty under Section 2(1) and Section 3 (1) of the Health and employment were not exposed to risks to their health and
Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in that they failed to ensure, so safety from the gas installation.
was fined £900,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,327.52. far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and
welfare at work of its employees, and persons not in their What was the outcome?
The subcontractor pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 3 (1) employment, particularly in relation to the risks associated The company was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the
Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £180,000 with training exercises. Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined
and ordered to pay costs of £6,430.72. £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,105.90
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20
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Inspiring positive change
2002 - 2022 HSQE Newsletter | April 2022
Personal protective Digital musculoskeletal lubricate the new blade, by pressing a cardboard tube of wax
onto the exposed section of it whilst it ran. The tube was
equipment at work (MSD) online assessment drawn in, in turn drawing in the worker’s hand, severing the
regulations updated tools available from the HSE middle two fingers at the first and second knuckle respectively.
The assessment part of HSE's digital MSD tools are now How did things go wrong?
Getty Images The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that although the
available to use free of charge.
worker had received training from the supervisor in using the
Digital versions of the Manual Handling Assessment Charts machine, it was of poor quality, no formal competency
(MAC), Risk Assessment of Pushing and Pulling (RAPP) and assessment had been carried out, nor was he certain that he
Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) tools have been designed could use the machine unsupervised. Furthermore, despite
to simplify the process of completing each assessment. lubrication of the blades in this manner being standard
practice within the company, it was unnecessary as the
The tools can be accessed at: machine was self-lubricating. The worker had been shown how
https://books.hse.gov.uk/MSD-Assessment-Tool#Free-Digital- to do this during training in order to minimise the time needed
MSD-Assessment-Tools for the blade to become greased using the inbuilt lubrication
system and therefore operational. Operational management
was not aware of this dangerous practice and therefore no
The Personal Protective Equipment at Work (Amendment) Worker severed fingers safe method of lubricating the blades had been provided.
Regulations 2022 (PPER 2022) came into force on 6 April 2022.
They amend the 1992 Regulations (PPER 1992). whilst lubricating a What was the outcome?
bandsaw The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the
Under PPER 2022, the types of duties and responsibilities on Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was
employers and employees under the 1992 Regulations (PPER fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,394.
Summary
1992) remain unchanged but are extended to limb (b) workers, A spring manufacturing company has been fined after an
as defined in PPER 2022. In addition, a limb (b) worker now has employee had two fingers of his right hand severed whilst
a duty to use the PPE in accordance with their training and attempting to lubricate a bandsaw.
instruction, and ensure it is returned to the storage area
provided by their employer. What happened?
On 2 October 2019, a labourer employed by the company was Send an email to us at
Find out more about the changes at: assisting in the cutting back department to cut sections of steel newsletter@hsqe.co.uk to receive a
https://www.hse.gov.uk/ppe/ppe-regulations-2022.htm and spring using a vertical bandsaw when the blade began to
get an updated copy of Personal protective equipment at work
free copy of this newsletter each
smoke and squeal. The worker decided to replace the blade, as
L25 from: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l25.pdf on inspection it appeared heavily worn. He attempted to
month.
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20
Years
Inspiring positive change
2002 - 2022 HSQE Newsletter | April 2022
Worker died following fall Worker entangled in potato Fatal incident involving a
from shipping container harvester dairy bull
Summary Summary Summary
A transport and haulage company has been sentenced after a A farmer has been sentenced after a worker suffered multiple A livestock auction mart has been fined after an employee was
worker died after falling from the rear of a transport shipping injuries after becoming entangled in the contra-rotating rollers fatally injured when he was struck by a dairy bull he was
container. of a potato harvester. helping to load it on to a lorry.
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20
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Inspiring positive change
2002 - 2022 HSQE Newsletter | April 2022
Construction company fined 19 May will be the UKs Southend Council to mow
after building collapse ‘Earth overshoot day’ parks and grass once a year
Summary According to the Overshootday.org website, 19 May 2022 will
A construction company has been fined after much of a three- be the UK’s ‘Earth Overshoot day’ - the day on which Earth
bedroom domestic property in Stretford collapsed during a loft Overshoot Day would fall if all of humanity consumed like the
conversion and ground floor extension work. people in the UK.
What happened? Overshootday.org say: “Earth Overshoot Day marks the date
On 4 May 2020 the company had been carrying out a loft when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services
conversion when it collapsed, causing workers to flee from the in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that
site. The building had insufficient temporary supports and year.“
workers did not have sufficient skills, knowledge and
experience, to carry out the work safely. The UK’s date was determined using the 2022 edition of the Getty Images
National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, which features
How did things go wrong? Ecological Footprint and biocapacity data from 1961 to the Southend Council have said that some of its parks and grass
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company latest data-year of 2018. Typically, there is a three to four-year verges will only be mowed once a year to encourage
had failed to properly plan, manage, and monitor the work. It lag between the latest data-year and the present due to the biodiversity.
had failed to provide adequate health and safety measures to United Nation's reporting process.
prevent the risk of collapse at the property including sufficient Some verges will be cut around the edges in order to keep
measures to ensure it remained safe and stable. In summary: pathways clear. The council hopes it will help reverse the 97%
of meadows lost in the last 100 years.
What was the outcome? • The Ecological Footprint for the UK is 4.2 global hectare
The company pleaded guilty of breaching Regulations 13(1) (gha) per person (in 2018)
and 19(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) • The global biocapacity for the same period is 1.6 gha per
Regulations 2015. The company was fined £30,000 and person (in 2018)
ordered to pay costs of £3,000. • Therefore, it would take (4.2 / 1.6) = 2.625 Earths if
everyone on the planet lived like us in the UK.
Anything else? Send an email to us
The HSE inspector said: “This was a very serious incident, and it The UK’s overshoot day is calculated by using the formular 365 at newsletter@hsqe.co.uk to
is fortunate nobody was injured as a result of the collapse. x (1.6/4.2) = 139th day of the year, which is 19 May.
Where contractors fail to take suitable and sufficient receive a free copy of this
precautions whilst carrying out structural alterations HSE will You can find out more at: https://www.overshootday.org/ newsletter each month.
take appropriate action including prosecution.”
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Display Screen Equipment Infection Prevention &
(DSE) Awareness Control Awareness
Abrasive Wheels Electrical Safety Awareness IOSH Safety for Executives &
Awareness Directors
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Child Sexual Exploitation Safeguarding Children
Awareness Level 1
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