health and safety news - october 2008
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8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - October 2008
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ealth and Safety News: October 2008
accident has cost a 41-year-old Shreveport man part of his arm.
Alicia Dixon says the CenterPoint worker is hospitalized. She saysshe cannot release his name.
Dixon says the accident at a gas transmission station north ofShreveport was a problem with equipment rather than a natural gasexplosion, as Caddo Parish officials reported Tuesday.
Dixon says she does not know any details, but there was neither a firenor a release of natural gas. She says it appears to have been an
equipment malfunction, but she does not know what sort ofequipment or what happened.
New s Source .
at 02:04 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , heal th and safety , in jury, n e w s , USA
Twelve die in China lift accident Twelve people were killed when the elevator they were riding inplunged to the ground at a construction site in southeast China, statepress reported.
The accident occurred on Thursday at the construction site of aresidential building in Xiapu county, Fujian province, Xinhua newsagency said.
The 12 victims were found dead at the site of the accident, whichoccurred about 6.40am (local time).
An investigation has been launched, it added.
China has a dismal work safety record, with thousands of peopledying every year in mines, factories and on construction sites.
On Tuesday, 11 construction workers were killed and 12 injured insouthwest China's Chongqing city when a crane container carryingthem at a building site plunged to the ground.
New s Source .
at 02:01 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , China, fa ta l i t y , heal th and safety , l i f t
Secretary of State supports launch of HSE ‘Asbestos the Hidden k iller ’ campaign Figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive today revealedthat every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases,and this number is set to increase.
Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy has given his support tohelp highlight the importance of the Health and Safety Executive ’s
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Tags● Acc iden t
● Back In ju ries
● Burns
● Col lapse
● Crane
● Explos ion
● Fata l i ty
● Fine
● Fork l i f t
● Heal th and Safety
● HSE
● In jury
● Lorry
● N e w s
● Work at Height
● COSHH Essent ia ls
● Heal th and Safety Exec ut ive (HS
● Inst i t u te o f Occ upat ional Safety aHealt h ( IOSH)
● Make Free Donat ions
● Nat ional Examinat ion Board of Occupat ional Safety and Heal th (NEBOSH)
● NEBOSH Revisio n
● Useful Book s and DVDs
What's new at HSE - Pressrelease
● Clocks go bac k - advice for safe w o rk i ng i n w in te r
● Excavat or dr iver f ined af ter pedestr ian k i l led near bu i ld ing s i
● Scot land asbestos campaign pho
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(HSE) Asbestos: The Hidden Killer campaign which is runningthroughout October and November and aims to reduce the risingdeath rate by educating today’s tradesmen about the danger thatasbestos presents to them.
The campaign was launched in Scotland on Thursday 23 October atHampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland’s national football stadium.
Mr Murphy, a keen footballer, was shocked to learn that 20tradesmen a week were dying from having been exposed to asbestosin their working lives. He commented:
"I was shocked to learn that the number of deaths is on the increaseyear on year. Any steps we can take to reduce that number are to bewelcomed. These are not just statistics, and each number representsa person with families and dependents and represents an avoidablehuman tragedy. The occupational safety of workers throughoutScotland is a major priority for us all and I am happy to support thecampaign. If lives are saved by letting tradesmen across Scotlandknow the simple facts we should all spread the word."
HSE Press Releas e continues...
at 01:56 0 com m en ts Labels: asbestos , campa ign, fa ta l i t y , heal th , news ,Scot land
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Plant Fire Causes Explosion in Dairy South Valley firefighters are still investigating a plant explosion, whichcaused workers to evacuate on Monday morning.
It happened at California Dairies Incorporated on the 2,000 block ofNorth Plaza in Visalia.
Witnesses say an entire floor was blown out and the explosion left ahole in the building, just after 9a.m., causing dozens to evacuate forsafety.
Over fifteen fire officials from Visalia City Fire Department and TulareCounty Fire Department were called to the scene to put out the firethat was sparked from the explosion.
The fire caused massive plumes of smoke to bellow out of the plantfor hours.
Firefighters say they suspect the explosion was from the hydrationsystem, but although they know what exploded, they don't know whatcaused the disaster.
"It appears there was some type of powder explosion in the milkhydration area, we're still investigating what happened," said MarkNelson with the Visalia City Fire Department.
Officials say the fire burning in the plant was put out after a couple ofhours and no injuries were reported.
New s Source .
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● Your back is in your hands: HSE g ives adv ice on prevent ing and managing back pa in
● HSE publ ishes heal th and safet y s ta t is t ic s for 2007/08
AddMe - Search Engine Opt imi zat
Links to this site● In search of severe w eather
● GotSafety B log
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Labels: acc iden t , evacua t ion, explos ion , f i re , f i re f ighters ,news , powder , USA
Exploding pipe stopper injures contractor
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning individuals andcompanies of the dangers of working in construction after a joinersuffered leg injuries and damaged hearing when an over-inflated pipestopper exploded in the confined space where he was working,resulting in significant hospital treatment.
The joiner was sub-contracted to Galliford Try Construction Ltd,working on the construction of a water treatment works at VictoriaRoad, Holyhead when the incident took place on 16 June 2005.
He was constructing shuttering for concrete to be poured into amanhole when he was asked by a colleague to insert an inflatablepipe stopper into a culvert to stop the fluid in the culvert in so it couldbe lined. The pipe stopper had a maximum inflation pressure of 1.5
bar (approximately 21psi) and was inflated without warning. Howeverthe device inflating the pipe stopper was not compatible with it, andhad a higher pressure safety cut-off.
As a result, the pipe stopper burst with significant force, the joinersustained a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula, and alsosuffered damage to his hearing from the noise of the pipe stopperexploding.
At Holyhead Magistrates’ Court, the principal contractor, Galliford TryConstruction Limited of Cowley Business Park, Cowley, Uxbridge,Middlesex, pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3 (1) of the Healthand Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £15,000 andordered to pay costs of £8,788.
The pipe stopper and inflation equipment was provided by SelwoodLtd, of Bournemouth Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire,who also pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 23 of the Provision andUse of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. They were fined £3,000and ordered to pay costs of £8,798.
HSE Press Releas e continues...
at 04:18 0 com m en ts Labels: explos ion , f ine , heal th and safety , hear ing, HSE ,leg in jury
Organic peroxide tank explosion Celanese Corp. said Monday it may be unable to fulfill orders forspecialty polymers products because of a factory explosion at one ofits locations in Edmonton, Canada, late last week, the company saidin a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to Bloomberg news reports, an organic peroxide tankexploded at the Celanese plant on Friday, injuring nine people.
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All nine were released from hospitals the same day, according toBloomberg.
In its SEC filing, the company said it has declared force-majeure,which is a contracts provision that allows companies experiencing anextraordinary event a chance to avoid fulfilling the exact needs of anorder contract.
Celanese added, “The company has notified customers and isexamining the available inventory of product. Upon completion of this
assessment, the company intends to allocate the available inventoryamong its customers in a fair and reasonable manner.”
New s Source .
at 04:15 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , Canada, explos ion , in jury, news
Worker run over in hold of ship A 44-year-o ld man has been in jured w hen he w as runover by a lor ry in the ho ld o f a sh ip de l iver ing coal t o apow er sta t ion in Essex.
The accident happened at Tilbury Power Station, an ambulanceservice spokeswoman said.
The injured man was taken to Basildon University hospital with asuspected fractured pelvis and other injuries.
"We were told the man had been run over by a 12 tonne lorry in thehold of a ship delivering coal," she said.
Fire crews and ambulance service staff worked to treat the man whowas trapped in the incident.
New s Source .
at 04:10 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , heal th and safety , in jury, lo r ry, ships
Monday, 27 October 2008
HSE launches 'Asbestos: The Hidden Killer' campaign in association w ith ex-footballer Ian Wright Figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive today revealedthat every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases,and this number is set to increase.
Former tradesman and England and Arsenal footballing legend, IanWright, has given his support to help highlight the importance of theHealth and Safety Executive's (HSE) "Asbestos:The Hidden Killer"campaign which is running throughout October and November and
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aims to reduce the rising death rate by educating today's tradesmenabout the danger that asbestos presents to them.
Ian Wright was shocked when he learnt that 20 tradesmen a weekwere dying from having been exposed to asbestos in their workinglives. "I used to be a plasterer before becoming a professionalfootballer, and was really surprised to learn that the number of deathsis actually on the increase year on year. If that was footballers dying,the whole of the premiership would be wiped out in just threemonths."
Steve Coldrick, Director of the HSE's Disease Reduction Programmesays, "We need to educate tradesmen about how asbestos and itsdangers are relevant to them. We want them to change the way theywork so that they don't put their lives at risk."
"I can really relate to the situations tradesmen find themselves in andurge them to take care," added campaign ambassador, Ian Wright.
HSE Press Releas e continues.
at 06:13 0 com m en ts Labels: asbestos , fa ta l i t y , HSE , i l lness, news
Council lays carpet deal Bromley Council’s health and safety team has signed an agreementto form a lead authority partnership with Allied Carpets at thecompany’s Orpington store in Sevenoaks.
The agreement, the first of its kind in the borough, provides a singlepoint of contact for the company’s 220 branches across the UK.
Richard Foulger, Bromley’s chief EHO, said: ‘Our occupational safety
team has gained considerable expertise in the flooring industry,enabling them to co-ordinate complaints and responses from aposition of strength when issues arise at Allied in other boroughs aswell as our own. This is a good fit with our role to support businessesto provide safe and healthy workplaces.’
Clive Hutchings, Allied Carpets’ chief executive, said: ‘I am pleased tosee our company working closely with Bromley Council. I’d like to seethe relationship grow and become proactive so that we can act onnew ideas that will further improve the welfare of staff and customers.’
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Labels: Bromley , compla in ts , f loor ing, London
Selfridges discovers asbestos in w indow frames Retail chain Selfridges has been forced to board up the shop-frontdisplay at its flagship store in Oxford Street after asbestos panellingwas found in the window frames.
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Christine Watts, Selfridges communications director, said brownasbestos, or amosite, had been discovered three weeks ago during afull survey of the building. Panels were removed last week while thestore remained open.
She said: ‘It was found at the top of the window frames of five out ofthe 26 windows. They were sealed immediately and the Health andSafety Executive was informed.’
Ms Watts said the substance was dealt with in line with HSErequirements. ‘We are going beyond what’s required by doing this full
and intrusive survey of the entire building.’
Last week the HSE launched a campaign, Asbestos – Hidden Killer,to publicise the dangers posed by asbestos to workers in the buildingtrade in a series of radio spots, newspaper adverts and targetedleaflets. It details stories of people who have suffered with asbestos-related diseases.
An HSE spokesperson said: ‘The people who are most at risk areplumbers, electricians and joiners who are working in environmentswhere the asbestos isn’t being managed.’
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Labels: amos i te , asbestos , HSE
Friday, 24 October 2008
Firecracker explosion k ills 29 It will be a dark Diwali for the families of 29 people who got killed — 10 of them children — in a colony of firecracker-makers in Deeg’sDarukuta locality late on Wednesday night. Eight other people injuredin the explosion are being treated in hospital.
It was a tinderbox waiting to explode. Darukuta’s cracker-makers, inpreparation for Diwali, had built a huge stock of gunpowder. It ’s notclear how the explosion took place, but at 9.20pm on Wednesdaythere was a loud blast. Most of the people were indoors when theexplosion shook their dwellings. There was smoke billowing allaround and a raging fire.
Six buildings collapsed from the impact; walls of many other housesdeveloped cracks. More than 50 people were trapped under thedebris, but people in the neighbourhood managed to rescue a fewbefore the local administration took over.
According to sources, the explosion took place in the house of twobrothers, Sukha and Badle Jatav, while they were making crackers.
New s Source .
at 03:32 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , back in jur ies , col lapse , Diwa l i,explos ion , fa ta l i t y , f i re , news
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Pier blaze ow ners cancelled fire alert contract The owners of a historic pier cancelled a contract to provide amanned fire alert response a month before a major blaze destroyedthe landmark, a report has revealed.
The contract, with alarm company System 2 Security, was terminatedin June. It provided provision for a member of staff to visit Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier to check the building and call 999 in theevent of a fire alert.
A fire alarm signal was transmitted to a private monitoring companyfrom the pier on the night of the fire, but a call was not received byDevon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service until 6.45am.
Essex alarm company Yeoman Monitoring Services called a key-holder to alert them to the fire, but was unable to reach them.Firefighters have said they could have saved the pier if those vital fivehours were not lost.
A spokesman from System 2 Security said the old owners had acontract with them to provide a physical response to an alarm, butwhen new owners Kerry and Michelle Michael took over it wascancelled.
He added: "They then took over responsibility of doing it themselvesand all calls were directed to one person's mobile."
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source .
at 03:27 0 com m en ts Labels: emergency p lanning , f i re , f i re f ighters , pier
Corus death-blast report released A report into the blast that killed three and injured 12 at the CorusSteelworks in Port Talbot has been released by the Health and SafetyExecutive (HSE).
The company was fined £1.33 million with £1.74 million costs atSwansea Crown Court for health and safety breaches relating to theincident in 2001.
The explosion was caused by water entering the No.5 blast furnaceafter the failure of safety-critical water-cooling systems.
It lifted the 5,000-tonne furnace 0.75m off its support structure andreleased hot material and gases into the casting house.
Three Corus employees - Andrew Hutin, Stephen Galsworthy andLen Radford - died, and 12 other employees and contractors sufferedserious injuries.
The HSE's Director for Wales, Terry Rose, said: "This report does notprovide any new information on this incident.
"It draws together the main points of all the information, which hasalready been put in the public domain through the various public
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hearings that have taken place since it occurred.
"It is a stark reminder that safety needs to be managed at a corporatelevel, and summarises the lessons to be learned both by Corus UKand the steelmaking industry."
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source .
at 03:25 0 com m en ts Labels: Corus, explos ion , fa ta l i t y , f ine , HSE , in jury, news ,
s tee l
Thursday, 23 October 2008
European Week aims at cutting workplace accidents and diseases Reducing the number of work-related accidents and illnesses is the
target for the European Week for Safety and Health at Work from 20-24 October 2008. Organised by the European Agency for Safety andHealth at Work (EU-OSHA), the week's campaign activities willhighlight the importance of assessing health and safety risks. EU-OSHA has also produced a new report on 'Risk Assessment' toshowcase practical ways in which workplace risks can be managedand reduced.
The European Week is part of the Healthy Workplaces campaign onrisk assessment. During this week hundreds of campaign events andactivities will take place all over Europe. These include conferencesand exhibitions, training sessions and activities where both large andsmall companies work together. The common theme linking all theseevents is promoting the importance of carrying out risk assessment in
every workplace.
Jukka Takala, Director of EU-OSHA, says: “Every three-and-a-halfminutes somebody in the EU dies from work-related causes andevery four-and-a-half seconds an EU worker is involved in anaccident that forces them to stay at home for at least three workingdays. This is unacceptable! We need a change, and this changestarts with assessing workplace risks. We have to make employers,workers, safety representatives and policy makers aware that properrisk assessment is the key to good workplace safety and healthmanagement.”
The success of the Healthy Workplaces campaign and its EuropeanWeek is largely due to the support of the EU-OSHA network of focal
points in the 27 EU Member States and accession countries. Thecontribution of many local and regional initiatives carried out by tradeunions, enterprises, NGOs and government administrations also playan important role. All these activities show that workplace accidentand illness prevention is a top priority in Europe.
The newly published Risk Assessment Magazine is one of manyinitiatives to increase awareness about the importance of proper riskmanagement. It shows examples of good practice by governmentministries, employers’ organisations and trade unionists from acrossEurope to improve workplace risk management.
For more information read the EU OSHA Press Release .
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at 01:14 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , fa ta l i t y , i l lness, in jury, OSHA , r isk assessments
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Survey company prosecuted as HSE campaign to raise awareness of asbestos danger begins An asbestos surveying company has been fined after beingprosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing toidentify asbestos insulation board in school buildings in RhonddaCynon Taf during a series of type 2 asbestos surveys carried out forthe Authority.
Normandie Analytical Services Ltd ("The Company") carried out thesurveys at Cardinal Newman Comprehensive School in Pontypridd,and Aberdare Boys School, Aberdare. Both surveys were inadequatein that the Company failed to identify the presence of asbestos in a
number of areas within the schools.
HSE’s investigation followed an incident at Cardinal NewmanComprehensive School when asbestos insulation board wasunintentionally disturbed by construction workers. This resulted in theconstruction workers being exposed to a potential risk to their health.
The Company, whose head office is in Guernsey, have branchesacross the UK including Bridgend, were prosecuted for two breachesof Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 andpleaded guilty at a hearing in Llwynypia Magistrates Court on 16thOctober 2008. They were fined £18,000 and ordered to pay over£21,000 in costs.
HSE inspector Steve Lewis said: "This case demonstrates a failure bythis Company to carry out systematic and comprehensive checks forasbestos.
Read the full HSE Press Release .
HSE’s new communications campaign "Asbestos: The h idden k i l le r " aims to inform tradesmen that asbestos is a danger that isreal and relevant to them. Currently asbestos kills 4,000 people ayear. More people die each year from exposure to asbestos than inroad accidents. Any building built or refurbished before the year 2000may contain the substance and because of this trades people likejoiners, plumbers, electricians could be exposed to this hidden killer.
at 03:49 0 com m en ts Labels: asbestos , f ine , HSE , prosecu t ion
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Offshore industry addresses competence concerns Following concerns raised by workers in the offshore industry aboutbasic safety competence the Step Change in Safety initiative is
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creating new minimum safety training standards for employees,particularly new starts, working on installations on the UK continentalshelf (UKCS).
The new standards cover nine basic safety elements, including thecore topics of risk assessment and permit to work, and alsointroducing new key safety awareness centred on mechanical liftingand platform integrity.
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Labels: competence , heal th and safety , of fshore , permi t t o wo rk , r i sk assessments
Joint operation identifies dangerous gas appliances A joint initiative between the Health and Safety Executive and
Gateshead Council has resulted in two care homes being told to takeaction over potential dangerous boilers.
A team of officers from HSE and the council visited a number ofprivately rented properties in the Bensham and Chopwell areas ofGateshead recently. A selection of residential and nursing carehomes were also visited.
In one residential care home the team discovered a potentiallydangerous back boiler with insufficient ventilation and a dangerousflue. The boiler was condemned and its use prohibited. The owner ofthe home had to make temporary arrangements to provide hot waterand heating for the residents before replacing the outdated boiler witha brand new combination boiler.
Read full HSE Press Releas e .
at 00:56 0 com m en ts Labels: boi ler , gas , heal th and safety , HSE
Monday, 20 October 2008
Rail w orkers cleared over crash Two railway workers who were arrested over the fatal Grayrigg traincrash have been cleared and will not face any action, the RMT hassaid.
The union attacked the arrests, saying the pair had been living undera "shadow of suspicion" for nearly a year after the accident inCumbria in which a woman died and 22 passengers were injured.
The RMT said at the time of the crash in February 2007 that it was"mystified" as to why the two men had been arrested.
General secretary Bob Crow said neither man was directly involved inmaintenance on points in the area of the accident and neither had
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faced disciplinary action.
"Both the Rail Accident Investigation Branch interim report andNetwork Rail's own report have pointed clearly to managementfailings and lack of resources, and it is those structural failings thatstill need to be addressed.
"NR's spending targets have been slashed by 30% over the last fiveyears and we have raised concerns about the workloads placed onindividuals on a number of occasions.
"NR is still dogged by inappropriate practices brought in by privatecontractors and there is still too much emphasis on getting thingsdone quickly and cheaply rather than properly and safely."
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source .
at 05:47 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , fa ta l i t y , heal th and safety , management ,t ra in
Woman keeps £110,000 stress compensation A businesswoman who won nearly £110,000 compensation for astress-related illness she suffered while working for a huge telecomsfirm has fought off a bid by the company to have the award quashed.
O2 appealed against a ruling that it breached its duty to SusanDickins by failing to ease the pressure of her job, but the Court ofAppeal has rejected the argument.
Ms Dickins, 44, of Taplow in Buckinghamshire, worked her way upfrom secretary to regulatory finance manager at the firm.
But she said the pressure of work became so great that she could notcope and warned bosses but they did not act to help her situation. InMay 2002 her psychiatric health broke down and she had not workedsince.
Ms Dickins was awarded £109,754 by Oxford County Court lastDecember. The judge said her illness should have been "reasonablyforeseeable" to her employers.
O2's arguments that there was no proper evidence to support thefinding of foreseeability or that the company's conduct contributed toher illness and that there had been no warning signs which wererejected.
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source .
at 05:45 0 com m en ts Labels: compensa t ion, i l lness, s t ress
Friday, 17 October 2008
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Injured d irector jailed after fatal-explosion cover-up A Dorset scrap-metal company has been fined £60,000 and itsdirector imprisoned following the death of an employee after a gascylinder exploded – the circumstances of which the director tried tocover up.
In a case conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service, on behalf of
Dorset Police and the HSE, Winchester Crown Court heard on 23September that the cylinder exploded at the Poole site of RelianceScrap Metal Merchants, causing fatal injuries to employee TommyMooney and serious burns to director David Matthews.
The court heard that on 9 May 2005, Matthews had been using acompactor machine to crush and shear a number of pressuredcylinders, which were being hand-fed into the shear-blade path of themachine, and held there until cut.
A huge explosion and fireball occurred when a cylinder of acetylenegas was crushed by the guillotine blade of the machine. Both menwere seriously burned, but Mr Mooney died of his injuries in PooleHospital on the same day.
In mitigation, Matthews said he had put himself and not Mr Mooney inthe most dangerous part of the operation. If he had known there wasany potential for an explosion, he would not have put himself or MrMooney in such a position. The company did not offer separatemitigation.
David Bell, a key HSE inspector on the case, commented: “This is avery sad case. Common sense tells you that if you cut up apressurised cylinder it will explode, and if it contains flammable gasthen the consequences are likely to be horrific. Mr Mooney would bealive today had such risks not been taken.
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at 06:54 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , cyl inder , explos ion , fa ta l i t y , HSE , pol ice ,pr ison , prosecu t ion
Firm and director knew of raised-load risks A driver was thrown through the windscreen of his container-handling
vehicle (CHV) when the back lifted up while he was lowering its load.
Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard on 15 September that the agencyworker had been manoeuvring the vehicle down the yard of Leedsfirm, London Container Services, on 22 May 2007, with a 40-foot-longcontainer raised five-containers high to a height of 50ft. The vehicle‘nosedived’ after the back of the CHV lifted up.
The load and mast hit the ground and the driver fell 30ft through thewindscreen, sustaining a broken bone in his foot, cuts to his hands,bumps and cuts to his head, and severe bruising. He needed 20stitches in the back of his right leg.
The court was told the supplier of the vehicle had given specific
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written advice to LCS and its director, Terence Lee, about thedangers of travelling with a raised load. To compound matters, thenarrow aisles at the site made it difficult for drivers to travel withcontainers at a safe height.
LCS pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of HSWA 1974 by not ensuringits employees’ safety – fine £13,000 – and reg.9(1) of of the Provisionand Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) by notensuring that all people using CHVs on site were adequately trainedin their use – fine £3300. The HSE was awarded full costs of £3336.
Lee pleaded guilty to an offence under s37 of HSWA, in that the s2(1)offence was committed with his consent or connivance or wasattributable to his neglect. He was fined £800, with full costs of £175.
Art ic le cont inues. ..
at 06:51 0 com m en ts Labels: f ine , head in jur ies , HSE , HSWA , in jury , news ,prosecu t ion, PUWER
Myth: Health and safety laws ban bonfires
The rea l i ty Despite the story of a rugby club showing a film of a bonfire instead oflighting a real one, health and safety legislation doesn ’t ban them.
Over the coming months, millions of people will be enjoying Diwaliand Guy Fawkes Night celebrations. So if you’re organising a publicevent, now or at any other time, don’t let it go up in smoke - takepractical steps to manage the risks responsibly, and sensibly.
Pr inc ip les of sensib le r isk m anagement .
at 05:05 0 com m en ts Labels: f i re , HSE , m y t h , r i sk assessments
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Not enough evidence to prosecute over Liverpool crane collapse newsThe Health and Safety Executive has decided not to take a
prosecution over the collapse of a luffing jib tower crane in Liverpoollast year, which resulted in the death of a Polish worker.
This is despite the findings of its investigation into the incident beingso serious that it was prompted last month to issue a warning to cranesuppliers out of concern for worker safety.
The crane collapsed when the slew-ring bolts failed and the slew ringfractured, allowing the main crane assembly to fall from its tower andland upside down on top of the building being constructed. ZbigniewSwirzynski, who was working underneath the crane, was killed andthe crane driver was injured. An inquest in July this year returned averdict of accidental death.
The HSE carried out a thorough investigation into the incident, whichhappened in the city centre on 15 January 2007, in conjunction withMerseyside Police, with assistance from the Health and SafetyLaboratory (HSL). Because of the seriousness of its findings, it tookthe unusual step of issuing a warning, while the investigation wasongoing, asking suppliers of luffing tower cranes to take certainactions to prevent a similar incident from occurring again.
Nevertheless, they have now concluded that there is insufficientevidence to bring proceedings against any of the parties investigated,including the crane manufacturer; the crane hirer; the principalcontractor running the site; the sub-contractor using the crane at thetime of the incident; and the crane driver.
Art ic le cont inues. .. at 05:00 0 com m en ts Labels: crane , fa ta l i t y , HSE , HSL , in jury , news , po l i ce,prosecu t ion
Tougher health and safety penalties to be
enshrined in law The Health and Safety (Offences) Bill, which increases the penaltiesfor health and safety crimes, will come into law in January next yearafter it gained Royal Assent yesterday.
Introduced by Labour MP Keith Hill, the Bill amends Section 33 of theHealth and Safety at Work etc., Act 1974. It raises the maximum finethat may be imposed by the lower courts from £5000 to £20,000 formost health and safety offences, and makes imprisonment an optionfor more offences in both lower and higher courts.
Welcoming the Bill, Health and safety minister, Lord McKenzie ofLuton, said: "It is generally accepted that the level of fines for somehealth and safety offences is too low. These changes will ensure that
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sentences can now be more easily set at a level to deter businessesthat do not take their health and safety-management responsibilitiesseriously, and further encourage employers and others to comply withthe law.
"Furthermore, by extending the £20,000 maximum fine to the lowercourts and making imprisonment an option, more cases will beresolved in the lower courts and justice will be faster, less costly, andmore efficient."
At ic le cont inues. ..
at 04:57 0 com m en ts Labels: f ine , heal th and safety , law , leg is la t ion , news
Call for training and PPE to stem violence against police Better training and PPE – including stab vests – is needed to counter
a rising tide of violence against police staff, warns Unison.
The trade union is demanding a crackdown on physical abuse ofpolice workers after new statistics showed that almost three-quartersof police custody staff have been threatened with physical violence – with 22 per cent needing medical treatment following an attack.
Other high-risk jobs highlighted by the union’s survey include forensicservices, police community support officers, police station inquiryclerks, and traffic wardens.
Unison’s national officer for police staff, Ben Priestley, said: “Becauseof the nature of the Police service, staff will come up against somepretty hard, and sometimes dangerous, characters. It’s hardly
surprising that members come in for abuse and even violence,however, that risk can be reduced if staff are given the right trainingand equipment to protect themselves, the public, and other membersof staff.”
He continued: “Employers have a duty of care towards their staff andit’s clear that some forces are failing in that duty. The survey showssignificant staff shortages in every area where violence is prevalent,and this must have an impact on the safety of remaining staff.”
New s Source .
at 04:56 0 com m en ts Labels: in jury, po l i ce, PPE, sa fe ty , t rade un ion , t ra in ing ,v io lence
Coach firm lied about drivers ’ hours A coach-hire company that falsified tachograph records, putting itsdrivers and other road users at risk, is to be put out of business afterits appeal was thrown out.
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At a public inquiry in April this year, the Traffic Commissioner forScotland found that Browns of Edinburgh had lied and falsifiedtachograph records and drivers’ hours, breaching the EuropeanWorking Time Directive.
Describing the case as “extremely serious, with the conduct causinggrave risks to road safety and undermining the principles of faircompetition”, the Commissioner disqualified the owner, RonaldBrown, from holding a public-service vehicle operator licence for fouryears.
The Transport Tribunal has now upheld the Commissioner’s rulingafter the firm appealed the decision.
The Tribunal stated: “The Traffic Commissioner found that this wasone of the most serious types of case that could come before a TrafficCommissioner, for the use of ‘ghost drivers’, missing mileage, anddrivers’ hours offences struck at the heart of the regulatory system,which is there to promote and protect road safety and faircompetition.”
Commenting on Ronald Brown’s disqualification, it added: “Even uponhis own evidence, as the person responsible for supervisingmaintenance, he knew where his vehicles were at any given time, andhe would also have been aware of the pressure being placed upon
the drivers to ensure that the vehicles were back at base in Edinburghin order to commence new work.”
The Tribunal confirmed the company will be put out of business from8 November.
New s Source .
at 04:52 0 com m en ts Labels: coach , d i rec t i ves, news , Scot land , tachograph
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Using fireworks at home I f you ’re organis ing a f i rework par t y a t home
There are some simple tips to make sure the night goes with a bang,but doesn’t end at casualty – ‘The Fireworks Code’. They are thesame common sense points we all remember from childhood, butthey work and bear repeating.
On the day of t he event : * Read the instructions on your fireworks in advance so you knowwhat you need to do.* Locate any bonfire away from trees or other buildings such asfences or garden sheds to avoid sparks setting them alight.* Do not use petrol or paraffin to light your bonfire.* Have a bucket of water handy in case of an emergency. You canalso put any used sparklers in it.* Have a torch so you can safely read the instructions on the firework.Light fireworks at arm's length, using a taper.* Follow the Firework Safety Code: this means that you should, forexample:
Do not drink alcohol if setting off fireworksKeep fireworks in a closed box
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Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn't gone off, itcould still explode.Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw themAlways supervise children around fireworksKeep pets indoors
The morn ing af ter : * Carefully check and clear the garden of fireworks, including anymisfires ie those that should have gone off but didn't.* Dispose of fireworks safely
Looking af ter your pets
Finally – don’t forget about your pets – unfortunately they don’t enjoyfireworks the way humans do. Keep them safely indoors when thereare fireworks nearby. See RSPCA website Fi reworks for furtherinformation.
Source .
at 08:57 0 com m en ts Labels: animals , f i reworks , HSE , pets , sa fe ty
Energy saving compact fluorescent light s (CFLs) The Health Protection Agency has undertaken research which showsthat some energy saving light bulbs emit ultraviolet radiation whichcould expose people above recommended guideline levels.
In most workplace installations and uses of CFLs there is no risk andthe Health and Safety Executive strongly supports their continued usebut their use for activities needing bright local illumination, such aselectronic component assembly, jewellery making and watch repair,may need to be re-assessed.
The Health Protection Agency is recommending some precautionarymeasures for the use of certain types of CFLs. The Agency's view isthat open (single envelope) CFLs should not be used where peopleare in close proximity - closer than 30 cm or 1 ft - to the bare light bulbfor over 1 hour a day. The Agency advises that for such situationsopen CFLs should be replaced by the encapsulated (doubleenvelope) type. Alternatively, the lamp should be moved so that it isat least 30 cm or 1 ft away.
Read the rest of the Heal th Protect ion Agency 's Press Release .
at 08:53 0 com m en ts
Labels: energy conservat ion , HPA , HSE , sa fe ty, UV
Asbestos - The hidden killer Every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related disease. If youcarry out work on a building that was built or refurbished before theyear 2000, you could have been exposed to asbestos, without even
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knowing it.
Asbestos is a hidden killer. So now’s the time to get clued up on thefacts, so that you, your workmates, your friends and family areprotected.
Read more about the Heal th and Safety Exec ut ive 's Asbestos Campaign .
at 08:51 0 com m en ts Labels: asbestos , campa ign, fa ta l i t y , heal th , heal th and
sa fe ty, HSE , i l lness, sa fe ty
Monday, 13 October 2008
3 injured in boat explosion Three people are in the hospital after a boat they were on in awestern Pennsylvania lake exploded.
Somerset County rescue workers say two people were flown toregional hospitals, and a third was driven to Somerset Hospital afterthe boat they were riding on the Youghiogheny River Lake explodedSunday afternoon just after they launched it. Five people were onboard.
Confluence Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Close says theexplosion may have been caused by a gas leak.
The State Fish and Boat Commission is investigating the cause of thefire.
Source .
at 08:01 0 com m en ts
Labels: explos ion , f i re , gas leak , in jury, USA
Seven killed in Myanmar bus explosion Seven passengers were killed and one was injured when a busexploded in Myanmar's main city Yangon early Monday morning, apolice official said.
The blast occurred at 2:30 am (Sunday 2000 GMT) as the busheaded north through the city, said the police official who did not wishto be named.
The official said the explosion had been caused by a faulty re-fitting ofthe bus to run on cheaper natural gas instead of petrol, a commonpractice in impoverished Myanmar.
Myanmar has also been hit by a spate of bombings which authoritieshave mostly blamed on armed exile groups, but when a bus explosionat a busy Yangon intersection last month and injured threepassengers, officials did not say whether it was caused by a bomb.
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State-run media has also begun blaming blasts on democracyactivists, accusing two members of detained opposition leader AungSan Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) of bombing pro-government offices in July.
The NLD won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the juntanever allowed it to take office and Nobel peace laureate Aung SanSuu Kyi has been under house arrest almost continuously since.
The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962, partly justifying its grip onpower by claiming the need to fend off ethnic rebellions.
Source .
at 07:58 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , explos ion , fa ta l i t y , gas , in jury, Myanmar
Con Ed explosion victim is mourned by hundreds With tears and heavy hearts, co-workers and loved ones filled aQueens funeral home Sunday night for the wake of a Con Ed workerkilled in a Brooklyn manhole explosion.
Hundreds of mourners filed past the coffin of George Dillman, 26,stunned that his life was cut short just as he was making plans tomarry his fiancée, Alyssa Block.
Among the grief-stricken attendees at the C. Johann & Sons FuneralHome in College Point were members of the Hicksville FireDepartment on Long Island, where Dillman was a volunteer firefighter.
Dillman and his partner, Craig Penney, were working Thursdayunderneath Sutter Ave. in East New York, splicing high-voltage lines,when the fatal blast occurred.
Penney, 28, tried desperately to pull Dillman from the fiery hole, butfailed. Penney suffered minor injuries. It remained unclear last nightwhat triggered the explosion. Con Ed officials said some of the linesDillman and Penney were working on carried 27,000 volts.
By Oren YanivDaily News Staff WriterOrig ina l New s Ar t ic le .
at 05:42 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , explos ion , fa ta l i t y , f i re f ighters , in jury,USA
Student injured in frat party accident Trinity College officials say a student was critically injured while divinginto a pool at a fraternity party.
The student, whose name was not released, was taken to HartfordHospital after the incident late Saturday at the Psi Upsilon house nearcampus.
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Officials say the student dove into a makeshift pool that had been duginto the ground for the tropical-themed party.
It was being held to celebrate next weekend's homecomingcelebration.
Trinity Dean Frederick Alford says counseling is being offered tostudents at the Hartford college. The student's condition was notavailable early Monday.
Source: NewsDay.comat 05:40 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , in jury, USA
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Building firm fined £6,000 for safety at height failures The Health and Safety Executive today warned employers that theyface prosecution if they fail to ensure the safety of people working atheight.
The warning came after a North East roofing company, was fined£6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £17,028 at SunderlandMagistrates’ Court after it failed to ensure that roofing work wascarried out safely on an industrial building on Wearside.
Abercorn Homes Ltd, of Hobson Industrial Estate, Burnopfield, Tyneand Wear, was found guilty of breaching regulations 4 (1) (c) and 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, following an investigationby the HSE. The charges relate to work carried out on 3 November
2006, on an industrial roof at Rainton Meadows Arena at RaintonBridge.
Read the complete HSE Press Releas e .
at 08:30 0 com m en ts Labels: f ine , HSE , prosecu t ion, sa fe sys tem o f w ork , w o r k at he ight
Trucker banned for watching film A "criminally irresponsible" truck driver has been banned for watchingBattlestar Galactica on a laptop while veering all over the M6motorway in his his 38-tonne truck.
Benjamin Trotman, 37, of The Hobbins, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, hadpleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to dangerous driving near Kendalin Cumbria in December last year.
He has now been banned for 15 months, given 225 hours communityservice and ordered to pay £546 costs at Penrith Magistrates' Court.
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The father of two drive at 55mph for 25 miles, veering from the hard-shoulder to the middle lane, slowing down and speeding up as hefollowed the sci-fi action.
Another lorry driver, Brian Taylor, called the police after spottingTrotman's Poundstretcher lorry repeatedly driving across lanes. Hepulled alongside and sounded his horn but his action had no effect.
Chairman of the bench John Findlay had said that "no one couldcomplain" if he sent Trotman to prison, but instead decided on acommunity penalty.
He said: "You were so distracted by what you were watching that yourdriving fell far below the standard expected of a professional driver. Itwas criminally irresponsible and could have had appallingconsequences."
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source .
at 08:23 0 com m en ts Labels: dr iv ing, hazard , Kendal , laptop , lo r ry
Health and Safety concerns blight school trips Health and safety, financial and workload issues mean that someschools are still not allowing pupils to go on trips, according to anOfsted report.
It says that learning outside the classroom increases pupils' sense ofachievement. But while many schools overcome issues that threatensuch trips, others are discouraged by them.
Ofcom considered 27 schools whose curriculum provision is classedas outstanding or improving, interviewed 13 specialist organisationsand had talks with five local authorities.
It says that primary schools increasingly rely on outside commercialorganisations to arrange residential school trips "because of concernsabout health and safety and the high workload for staff, especially insmall schools."
It concludes that "the Government recognises that concerns abouthealth and safety, and fears of litigation in the event of accident orinjury, can be barriers to taking young people out of the classroom."
On the issue of workload, the report found that some teachers are put
off by the "hassle" of organising trips.
Overall, inspectors found that while class visits to places such asmuseums, nature reserves and foreign countries can be worthwhile,not all schools are reaping the benefits because they are not tied intocurriculum activities.
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source .
at 08:22 0 com m en ts Labels: heal th and safety , school . educat ion
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Firework factory owners deny manslaughter A fireworks factory owner and his son have denied the manslaughterof two firemen who died in an explosion at the site.
Martin Winter, 50, boss of East Sussex-based Alpha Fireworks, andNathan Winter, 23, have pleaded not guilty at a plea and casemanagement hearing at Lewes Crown Court.
The pair, both of Marlie Farm, The Broyle, Shortgate, near Lewes,East Sussex, were each charged with two counts of manslaughter.Alpha Fireworks has denied two counts of contravening health andsafety legislation.
The charges relate to the deaths of firemen Geoff Wicker, 49, andBrian Wembridge, 63, in the blast on December 3, 2006.
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Source .
at 08:20 0 com m en ts Labels: fa ta l i t y , f i re f ighters , f i reworks , manslaughter ,prosecu t ion
Engineer killed in China storm A typhoon off the coast of China has claimed the life of a British
engineer, reports have said.
Graham Ross, 52, was chief engineer on the UK-registered freighterMaersk Kithira. A spokeswoman for shipping firm Maersk said theship was travelling between Yantiam and Xiamen when it was hit by astorm.
Mr Ross, from Liverpool, joined Cunard Shipping Limited as a 16-year-old cadet in 1972. He had worked for Maersk since 1991, and hadsailed as chief engineer for eight years.
A spokeswoman for the Danish firm said: "We share the family's lossand deeply regret this unfortunate accident. The family has beeninformed and we are doing everything we can to help the family with
their bereavement. The safety of our crew is a top priority and we areconducting investigations into the cause of this incident."
It is thought Mr Ross was injured as he and the ship's chief officerwere carrying out work on board the freighter. It is understood theship had been damaged during an earlier typhoon.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We understand that he (Mr Ross)died after an accident on a ship after bad weather. We are offering hisfamily support."
Copyright © PA Business 2008
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Source .
at 08:19 0 com m en ts Labels: acc iden t , China, fa ta l i t y , s to rm
November 2008
September 2008
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