BP Hydrogen project

• Together with BP’s already-proposed ‘blue’ hydrogen project (H2Teesside), HyGreen Teesside strengthens Teesside as the UK’s leading hydrogen hub to decarbonize industry and heavy transport.

• HyGreen Teesside and H2Teesside together have the potential to deliver 30% of the UK’s 2030 target for hydrogen production. 

BP Hygreen Teeside

BP today confirmed it is planning a new large-scale green hydrogen production facility in the North East of England that could deliver up to 500Mwe (megawatt electrical input) of hydrogen production by 2030.

HyGreen Teesside will be developed in multiple stages, and is expected to match production to demand and build on experience to drive down costs. The company is aiming to start production by 2025, with an initial phase of some 60MWe of installed hydrogen production capacity. A final investment decision on the project is expected in 2023.

Hygreen Teesside is the latest addition to BP’s integrated UK business portfolio, which includes delivering 16,000 UK charging points by 2030, 3GW gross of offshore wind in the Irish Sea, and BP and Aberdeen city’s partnership deal.

BP is working with industry, local administration such as Tees Valley Combined Authority (’TVCA’) and the UK government to increase the pace of decarbonisation in transport. Its blue and green hydrogen projects in Teesside, together with the proposed Net Zero Teesside power project, is expected to further support economic development and regeneration in Teesside.

By creating ’high-quality’ jobs in both construction and operation phases, BP says the projects will support local education and skills development to create a highly skilled UK-based hydrogen supply chain.

Louise Jacobsen Plutt, BP’s senior vice president for hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), said: “Low-carbon hydrogen will be essential in decarbonising hard-to-abate industrial sectors including heavy transport. Together, HyGreen and H2Teesside can help transform Teesside into the UK’s green hear. BP plans major green hydrogen project in Teesside, strengthening its people, communities and businesses. This is exactly the type of energy we want to create and more importantly deliver.”

HyGreen Teesside is expected to fuel the development of Teesside into the UK’s first major hydrogen transport hub, leading the way for large-scale decarbonisation of heavy transport, airports, ports and rail in the UK.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, said: “This exciting project builds on our ongoing development of hydrogen in the area through the Tees Valley Hydrogen Transport Hub. It’ll help pave the way for its use across all transport modes, creating high-quality, green jobs in the process.

“This is excellent news following the recent COP26 summit and I look forward to supporting industry to develop new technologies as we build a cleaner transport system and work towards a net-zero future.”

BP says the combined 1.5GW capacity of HyGreen Teesside and H2Teesside could deliver 30% of the UK government’s target of developing 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030. Industries in Teesside account for over 5% of the UK’s industrial emissions and the region is home to five of the country’s top 25 emitters.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, said: “This is yet another coup for the region as we lead the UK in creating the cleaner, safer and healthier jobs and communities of the future. We’re quickly becoming the go-to place for innovation in the hydrogen sector, thanks to our status as the UK’s first Hydrogen Transport Hub and BP’s commitment with other schemes, such as Net Zero Teesside and H2Teesside.

”Whether it’s hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization and storage or offshore wind, Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool has the know-how, sites and ambition to deliver.” 

BP has already announced a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with potential industrial customers for hydrogen in the Teesside area, including both existing and planned operations, as it grows demand for the hydrogen expected to be produced by H2Teesside.

BP has also recently signed an MoU with Daimler Truck to pilot both the development of hydrogen infrastructure and the introduction of hydrogen-powered fuel-cell trucks in the UK. It says HyGreen Teesside would be a further important step in the development its hydrogen business and its first green hydrogen project in the UK.

BP is pursuing proposed projects for green hydrogen production at its refineries in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Lingen in Germany and Castellon in Spain. It has also carried out a feasibility study identifying opportunities for green hydrogen production in Western Australia and was most recently chosen as the preferred bidder to develop a green hydrogen production hub in Aberdeen. 

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IN COURT

A forging company has been fined after an employee suffered a fatal injury when he fell from height from a mobile tower scaffold.

A Stokes Group Limited employee George Clifford was fatally injured at the company site on Cochrane Road,  Dudley, West Midlands, after falling from a tower scaffold whilst dismantling a Eumuco 2000 Tonne Forging Press, Dudley Magistrates’ Court was told. The incident happened on 19 June 2019.

The HSE’s investigation found the company had failed to have a safe system of work in place for the dismantling of the forging press and did not provide information, instruction and training for the task. The mobile scaffold tower was erected without suitable and sufficient measures namely guard rails to prevent a person falling a distance liable to cause injury.

Stokes Group Limited of Cochrane Road, Holly Hall, Dudley, West Midlands pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,885.20.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Karen Sweeney said. “The incident could have been prevented if the work had been properly planned, risk assessed and a safe system of work put in place for the dismantling of the forging press. When devising a safe system of work, consideration should have been given to the selection of work equipment for work at height and whether a mobile tower scaffold was appropriate.

“The incident could also have been prevented had the tower scaffold been erected with suitable and sufficient measures such as guard rails, to prevent a person falling a distance liable to cause injury.”

Company fined after worker severely injured following fall from height

A family-owned and run farming business has today been fined after an employee sustained severe injuries following a fall from height.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how, on 29 November 2017, Alan Twatt (Potatoes) Limited asked an employee to install an electric cable through four barns at a height of approximately 4 metres. A potato box lifted by a forklift was used as a working platform. The worker fell approximately 2.5-3.5 metres and suffered a head injury as well as multiple fractures.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the potato box was inherently unsafe and should not have been used with the forklift truck in any circumstances. Further, the company had failed to follow their own procedures in relation to safe working at height.

Alan Twatt (Potatoes) Limited of Commerce House, South Street, Elgin, Moray pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Banff and has been fined £40,000.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector, Norman Schouten said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by using the correct equipment, such as a scissor lift. A potato box or other makeshift equipment is never a suitable platform for working at height.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)^[1] is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We seek to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. Further information is available about the legislation referred to in this case ^[2].

Associated British Ports, DFDS Seaways PLC and ICTS (UK) Ltd have today been fined after a security guard was fatally injured when he was struck by an articulated vehicle.

Hull Crown Court heard how, on 9 September 2015, a security guard employed at the container terminal at Immingham Docks, approached a HGV which was entering a gate and walked in front of the vehicle. The guard was not visible to the driver, either on approach to the vehicle or as he walked in front of it when he was dragged underneath as it turned towards a warehouse. He sustained multiple injuries and died at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Associated British Ports and DFDS Seaways PLC had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient workplace transport risk assessment, and had not considered the risks that vehicles entering, leaving and manoeuvring in the gate area posed to others.

Associated British Ports required the security guard at the gate to stop traffic and check pedestrians and vehicles entering the terminal but failed to provide means to do so safely as there was no signage indicating drivers should stop and report to security, and no safe facilities.

ICTS (UK) Ltd failed to provide adequate training, and the risks of stopping traffic without any physical protective measures in place had not been considered.

Associated British Ports of Bedford Street, London pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and has been fined £750,750 with £9781.52 costs.

DFDS Seaways PLC of Nordic House, Immingham Docks, Immingham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £166,670 with £9766.02 costs.

ICTS (UK) Ltd of Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, London pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £500,000 with £9338.82 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Carol Downes said: “There are more than 5,000 incidents involving transport in the workplace every year, and, like in this case, sadly, some of which are fatal.

“HSE found inadequate consultation between parties and no assessment of the risks to the segregation of vehicles and pedestrians. A properly implemented transport risk assessment should have identified sufficient measures to separate people and vehicles, and provide safe facilities.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)^[1] is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We seek to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. Further information is available about the legislation referred to in this case ^[2].

A company specialising in underwater civil engineering and commercial diving has been fined following an incident where a working diver was injured.

Beverley Magistrates’ Court heard how on 29 August 2017 a Northern Divers (Engineering) Ltd employee’s finger became trapped whilst fitting a cofferdam underwater at Immingham Port, causing the finger to be severed.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the work was not properly planned, managed or conducted in a manner which protected the health and safety of all persons taking part in the project, thereby exposing employees to serious risk of entrapment and injury.

Northern Divers (Engineering) Ltd of Humber Place, Hull, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6 (1) of the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 in relation to the incident and have been fined £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,369.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Chris Booker said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)^[1] is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We seek to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. Further information is available about the legislation referred to in this case ^[2].

A director of a construction firm has been fined £30,000 after three roofers narrowly escaped the partial collapse of a roof.

Partial roof collapse of the building in Barnsley

Jason Lycett, a director of Brooke Ren, was found guilty of breaching s 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court over the incident, which took place on a building project in Barnsley, South Yorkshire on 24 February 2016. He must also pay £7,027 costs.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Brooke Ren, which was the principal contractor on the development at Church Street, Jump, Barnsley, had ignored instructions given in the preconstruction phase that the development’s roof structure needed to be designed by a specialist. The project involved demolishing a former public house and constructing two, two-storey blocks of flats. Timber roof structures had been constructed for each block and were being tiled.

The HSE found the three roofers had been working on the roof of Block B and were transferring tiles from ground level using a tile hoist and distributing them over the surface of the roof when the hoist broke down. Two of the roofers had climbed down from the roof and the third was descending a ladder from a scaffold when the roof collapsed, demolishing a small wall at eaves level and distorting the scaffold.

None of the three roofers was injured. However, the investigation found that, had the tile hoist not broken down, the workers would have been on the roof when it fell in. The roof structure was not able to withstand the loads.

The HSE found that Brooke Ren, which had failed to employ a specialist to design the roof structure at the preconstruction phase, only did so after the incident.

HSE inspector Alan Sheldon said: “Principal contractors have an important role in managing health and safety risks during the construction phase, so they must have the skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, organisational capability to carry out this work.

“Although there were no injuries, matters could have been very different had the workers still been on the roof at the time of its collapse.”

Article Nick Warburton is deputy editor of IOSH Magazine 

Fraudster jailed for selling fake construction skills cards

Warwickshire City Council Trading Standards brought the prosecution against Andrew Weeks, 53, after he was found producing the fake cards at his printing company Nuneaton Print and selling them online for up to £30.99 each.

Forged documents included cards for the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), the Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) and the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS).

Other fake documentation included occupational health cards, driving licences, qualification certificates for first aid, and City & Guilds certificates.

A Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) investigating officer was able to purchase a CPCS card from Weeks without providing evidence that he was trained to operate machines such as dumper trucks and excavators.

Solicitors acting for the construction industry served a cease and desist order, which Weeks signed agreeing to stop producing the counterfeit documents. However, he changed his company’s name to Yorkshire Novelty Print and continued trading.

Warwickshire trading standards officers then launched their own investigation and raided Weeks’ business premises.

Weeks pleaded guilty to one offence under s 9 of the Fraud Act 2006 at an earlier hearing and was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court to three years and eight months imprisonment. He claimed in his defense that the “novelty item” disclaimer sent out with his products made his actions “acceptable”.

His Honour Judge Barry Berlin said that producing counterfeit licences and qualification certifications had serious ramifications for public safety and described Weeks’ actions as “fraud to foster more fraud”.

He was also sued by CSCS for copyright infringement and ordered to pay damages of £6,000.

The names of those who had purchased fake documents from Weeks are now in the hands of the certificate awarding organisations.

Warwickshire County Councillor Andy Crump, portfolio holder for community safety, said: “Mr Weeks has committed an incredibly serious offence that could mean that hundreds of people across the UK are employed in jobs and trades that they are unqualified to undertake and in some cases, particularly in construction, electrical installation and caring professions may be putting lives at risk, not to mention those who may be driving on our roads today with fake licences.”

Ian Sidney, fraud manager at CITB, added: “The use of fake cards could easily lead to accidents, injuries or even fatalities where contractors do not have the required skills, training or qualifications. Employers must remain vigilant when checking workers’ documentation and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.”

Keeley Downey is assistant editor of IOSH Magazine

London Zoo fined £40k for untrained worker’s fall from faulty step ladder

Image credit: © REX/Shutterstock

The ladder, which was defective, had been consigned to a skip but was returned to use because it wasn’t marked as such, Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told this week.

Angelina Lawson had removed droppings from four aviaries using the ladder and was working at 2.5 m up in a fifth enclosure when the steps gave way on 16 July 2016.

After landing on a wooden floor, she sustained neck pain, concussion and grazed her elbow.

District Judge Richard Blake told the court: “She attended hospital the next day for an x-ray which showed swelling of the soft tissue and she was also diagnosed with concussion which can last up to a month.”

Lawson spent several weeks recovering from soft tissue damage to her neck.

The charity, which runs London Zoo in Regent’s Park, conducted an internal investigation and then informed Westminster City Council. The authority found that Lawson, who’d been working at the zoo for four years, had received no training to use the steps. Judge Blake said the lack of training was a direct cause of the accident. The ZSL admitted two health and safety breaches in August.

According to The Telegraph, Charles Barry, representing the charity, told the court Lawson had been due to have ladder training when she fell, but was “at the bottom of the list” as she did not usually work at height.

Barry pointed out that any profit from the ZSL’s £50m annual turnover is used for its animal conservation work and urged the judge to limit the fine.

Calculating the starting point for the two breaches, Judge Blake determined fines of £150,000 for each offence but after considering the ZSL’s early guilty plea, he reduced the total to £200,000. The overall fine was then cut to £100,000 to reflect the charity’s status and then to £40,000 for other mitigating factors. He also imposed £8,000 costs.

Judge Blake said: “In the circumstances, I consider having regard to the charitable nature of this organisation, it is appropriate to take that into account by halving the fine to £50,000 in each instance.

“I reduce the fine further in respect of each offence. I have dealt with this in the manner I have very much recognised the nature of the Zoological Society.”

Passing sentence, the judge added he had sent a “powerful” message to the society, arguing £40,000 was a “significant sum”.

The Evening Standard reported that the conviction follows the zoo’s caution over the escape of a gorilla from its main enclosure in 2016.

Article By Nick Warburton

Nick Warburton is deputy editor of IOSH Magazine 

The Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) introduced changes to a number of its cards, to incorporate new qualification requirements that have been led by the construction industry. From 01 August 2018, those applying for their first Labourer or Manager card must meet a set of new criteria which will involve holding a JIB-recognised health and safety qualification. You will have to provide evidence you are working as an Electrical Labourer with an electrical company and hold either ONE of the recognised health and safety qualifications: Safety Passport Alliance (SPA) Core H & S Course. These qualifications are accepted as a 3-year exemption from the ECS HS&E Assessment. If you have gained one of these qualifications within the last three years, you will not need to sit the ECS assessment separately when you apply for the new style of card, until the next point of renewal. To sit your Core passport to then be able to apply for your ECS please contact any of our accredited training providers.