A Bristol based manufacturer of concrete products has been fined after a worker’s arm was torn off when it was pulled into the rotating tail pulley of a conveyor belt.

Bristol Crown Court heard the injured man was making adjustments to a misaligned conveyor belt at Concrete Fabrications Ltd plant in Henbury, Bristol on 18 May 2015.

The court heard that to do this, the man who does not wish to be named, had to adjust tensioning rods which were located inside the machine’s guards, in close proximity to the conveyor belt and rotating tail pulley.

The worker noticed that aggregate had built up on the tensioning rod and he tried to knock off the material with a hammer so he could use a spanner to adjust the rod. However, the hammer was dragged into the rotating machinery along with the employee’s arm which was severed between the shoulder and the elbow.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), prosecuting told the court that Concrete Fabrications Ltd should have had adequate guards on dangerous parts of machinery.

It said clear procedures should exist regarding maintenance and adjustments of machinery and arrangements should be in place to ensure that machinery is not run without the necessary guarding in place, and that clear isolation and lock off procedures exist.

An unsafe system of work existed for the maintenance of machinery, in so much that the dangerous moving parts of the machine were exposed during maintenance operations. A sufficient risk assessment would have identified the risks associated with tracking conveyor belts, and identified appropriate control measures.

Concrete Fabrications Ltd of Cole Road, St Phillips, Bristol, United Kingdom, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 and was fined £100,000 with £7758 costs awarded to HSE.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Matthew Tyler said: “Company’s need to ensure the risks associated with maintenance tasks are adequately assessed, and effectively controlled, through adequate guarding of dangerous parts of machinery, and the existence of clear robust procedures in respect of maintenance and adjustments of machinery, including isolation and lock off requirements. The consequences of not doing this are clear to see here today.”

Notes to Editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Engineering firm, Point Engineering (Hull) Ltd was sentenced today for safety breaches after a marine hatch and frame weighting more than 500 kilograms fell forward seriously injuring an employee and narrowly missing another person.

The injured person was preparing the marine hatch for inspection and used a sling and overhead crane to move it to a vertical position so that the hinge could be stamped with an approval mark by a surveyor who was with him.

The marine door fell onto Richard Blake, 63, a welder and fabricator at the company, trapping his pelvis and legs, the surveyor, who was approximately one metre away from him narrowly escaped injury when the hatch and frame grazed the toe of his safety boot.

Mr Blake, suffered a shattered pelvis and broken hip when the accident happened in February 2014. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the firm over the incident.

Point Engineering (Hull) Ltd of Lee Smith Street, Hull, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and was fined £30,000 with £24,577 costs at Hull Crown Court.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Sarah Lee commented: “If the job had been correctly planned and risk assessed then a safe way of doing the job could have been established.Sadly it was not, which lead to Mr Blake suffering from these terrible injuries.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A cargo handling company based in Aberdeen has been fined after a worker suffered serious injury.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that North East Stevedoring Company Limited (NESC), a cargo handling company was working at Clipper Quay, Aberdeen Harbour.

On the morning of 13 June 2013, stows (containers) holding loose pipes were being transported by a forklift truck (operated by an NESC employee) from Clipper Quay to within reach of a crane on the quayside.

Christopher Smith, who was employed by Euroline Shipping Company Limited as a ships agent to oversee loading operations, was making his way to the vessel the pipes were to be loaded onto when he was struck on the lower back by the cargo being transported.

He suffered a fracture of the left elbow and fractures of several vertebrae. He has not returned to work since the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that NESC failed to ensure sufficient separation between vehicles and pedestrians. They did not exclude pedestrians from the work area or provide pedestrian routes. There was no safe system of work in place at Clipper Quay.

The court was told NESC was ultimately responsible for the arrangement of their work site and the safety of those using it.

North East Stevedoring Company Limited, of Streamline Terminal, Blaikies Quay, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and was fined £12,000.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Sarah Liversidge said: “The law states duty holders must ensure the workplace is organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles can circulate in a safe manner.

“NESC failed in that undertaking, there was insufficient separation between vehicles and pedestrians within the loading area at the Quay that resulted in Mr Smith sustaining serious injury that has prevented him from returning to work.”

For further information on vehicles at work visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/^[1]

Notes to Editors: 

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[2]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[3]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A food waste disposal and recycling firm has been fined £250,000 after three employees were overcome by toxic gases, including hydrogen sulphide, and a reduced oxygen atmosphere in an animal waste facility in Stoke-on-Trent.

Prosecuting, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told Stafford Crown Court that, on 23 April 2014, an employee of John Pointon and Sons Limited accessed a compartment within an animal waste trailer to free animal waste and was overcome by the gases.

Subsequently, two further employees entered the waste compartment and were also overcome by the gases.

The court heard that this preventable incident could have resulted in fatalities and that the company had been prosecuted twice before for two fatal incidents which involved confined space entry within a processing plant.

John Pointon and Sons Limited, of Bones Lane, Cheddleton, Stoke-on-Trent, was fined £250,000 with costs of £37,362 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Regulation 5(1) of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

Notes to Editor:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A Kent tyre company has been sentenced for safety failings after 21-year-old Matthew Hoare, from Canterbury was killed when a tyre exploded.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how Matthew, an employee of Watling Tyre Service Limited of Kent, was repairing a puncture to the tyre of a ‘dresser loading shovel’ when it exploded.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Matthew was working on his own with inadequate work equipment which was not properly maintained. He was not trained or competent to undertake the work he was told to complete.

After the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector Mike Walters said: “Employees need to be provided with properly maintained equipment and the correct equipment to undertake tasks whilst out on site. Employees also need to be trained and competent in the tasks they were asked to undertake.”

Watling Tyre Service Limited pleaded guilty, at a previous hearing on 29 January 2016, to breaches of Section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 were today fined £1 million and ordered to pay costs of £99,485.

For more information about mechanical tyre repair visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/tyreremoval.htm^[1]

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[2]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[3]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

The Royal Mail Group Limited has been fined £50,000 after a worker’s foot was run over by a reach truck in a bundling warehouse.

Medway Magistrates Court heard how an incident happened at the Royal Mail Group Limited (RMG) bundling centre in Rochester where a worker stepped out into an aisle and another worker, who was driving a reach truck, ran over his foot causing broken bones and bruising. The injured worked was not wearing safety boots with steal toe caps when the incident happened.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 7 March 2014 found that workplace transport was not organised to ensure pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely as they both operated in the same areas without segregation.

Better organisation of the workplace transport within the warehouse would have prevented this incident from happening.

Royal Mail Group Limited, of Victoria Embankment, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 17(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,406.

For further information on workplace transport safety visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg199.pdf ^[1]

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[2]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[3]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A company has been fined £2.6 million after an employee was killed when the trench he was working in collapsed on him in Lancashire.

James Sim, a 32-year-old worker, from Barry, South Wales, a sub-contractor working on behalf of Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions Limited. On the 14 April 2010, Mr Sim was working in a trench, laying ducting for new cable for an offshore windfarm that was being built off the coast by Heysham, Lancashire. The trench was dug to a depth of 2.4 metres, without any shoring. Mr Sim was killed when he became trapped in the trench after it collapsed on him.

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions Limited pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court today after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The Court heard that Balfour Beatty failed to adequately risk assess the works or control the way in which the excavation took place.

HSE inspector Chris Hatton said after the hearing: “The level of this fine should serve as a warning to industry not to ignore health and safety matters.

“Balfour Beatty failed to adequately assess, plan and supervise the work being undertaken. Trench collapses are easy to prevent, and it is disappointing that James’ life was lost in such a tragic way.

“The family has shown great patience and support throughout this investigation which is a credit to both them and James’ memory.”

Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions Limited, of Park Square Newton, Chambers Road, Chapeltown, Sheffield pleaded guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Regulation 31(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and was fined £2.6million with £54,000 costs.

Notes to editors 

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk^[3]
4. More information about structural stability during excavations can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/excavations.htm

Two Derbyshire-based construction firms were fined for safety breaches as a result of separate investigations into reported cases of carpel tunnel syndrome and hand arm vibration syndrome to employees.

Derby Crown Court heard how employees at Sandvik Mining and Construction Limited and Sandvik Construction Mobile Crushers and Screeners Limited were regularly exposed to hand arm vibration through the use of a range of vibratory tools in the assembly and servicing of crushers and screeners.

Investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the activities of both companies found that Sandvik Mining & Construction Ltd between July 2005 and March 2014 and Sandvik Construction Mobile Crushers and Screeners Ltd between 2007 and February 2013, failed to adequately manage the risk to employees from exposure to vibration including failing to carry out suitable and sufficient assessments for the risk from vibration, and had not made reasonable estimates of employee’s exposure.

Sandvik Mining and Construction Limited of Heathcote Road, Swadlincote, Derbyshire Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,246.

Sandvik Construction Mobile Crushers and Screeners Limited of Heathcote Road, Swadlincote, Derbyshire Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £280,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,246.

HSE inspector Edward Walker said after the hearing: “There is a well-known health risk associated with exposure to hand arm vibration and it is important that measures are put in place to manage the risk. Exposure to hand arm vibration can cause debilitating affects which could have been avoided.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[1
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]  and guidance at http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/cement.htm^[3]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk