West Hill Projects Ltd has been fined more than £95,000 after a worker fell from height.

Hammersmith Magistrates Court heard that on 5 December 2016 the individual was working next to a large opening in a flat roof on Wandle Road in London. He fell about 3.3m through the opening to the ground below and suffered four fractured vertebrae, a fractured rib and a scalp wound. He was unable to work for several months following the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that West Hill Projects Ltd had failed to take any measures to prevent people on site falling through the opening in the flat roof. People had been working in the area in the days beforehand and the company had not properly planned the project.

West Hill Projects Ltd of Seymour Road, London pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £95,604.80 and ordered to pay costs of £988.80.

Speaking after the incident HSE Inspector Owen Rowley said: The risks associated with work at height are well known throughout the construction industry. West Hill Projects Ltd failed to control the risk on site and one of its workers suffered serious injuries as a result.

It is vitally important that those in control of work at height implement suitable and sufficient measures to prevent falls. The simple step of installing edge protection around the opening could have prevented this incident from occurring.

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][1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2][2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Construction projects across Britain are being urged to act now to ensure the health and safety of their workers is protected as the second phase of a targeted inspection initiative gets underway today.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says 43 workers were fatally injured in 2015/16, and an estimated ten times that number died from construction related ill-health, with a further 65,000 self-reported non-fatal injuries.

HSE is now asking every construction contractor, client and designer to ensure they are not adding to this unacceptable toll of harm by failing to manage well-known risks.

In addition to things such as falls from height, the campaign will focus on control of harmful dusts including respirable silica from concrete, brick and stone, asbestos and wood dust, as well as work at height, structural safety, materials handling, good order and welfare provision.

HSE points to the mis-conception that health issues cannot be controlled in construction. It says harmful dust, whether silica or wood, is a serious issue and can be managed effectively with the right design, equipment and training. Health effects may not be immediate, but the ultimate impact on workers and their families can be devastating.

HSE carried out over 2000 inspections during the first phase of the initiative earlier this year with action being taken to address these issues in almost half of visits.

HSE’s Chief Inspector of Construction and Director of Construction Division Peter Baker commented: In phase 1 of this campaign HSE’s inspectors found lots of good examples of small sites working safely and protecting workers health from exposure to harmful dusts, proving it can be done. My message to smaller businesses is don’t wait for an accident or a visit from an HSE inspector learn from the success of others and act now.

Nearly half of construction fatal accidents and injuries reported to HSE involved refurbishment work.

Some small refurbishment sites continue to cut corners and not properly protect their workers resulting in an unacceptable number of deaths and injuries each year.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It helps Great Britain work well by applying a broad range of regulatory interventions and scientific expertise, to prevent 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 information about harm in the construction industry can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/construction/^[2] HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk^[3]
3. Free HSE guidance is available for construction employers and workers at www.hse.gov.uk^[4] about how to manage risks and prevent harm, as well as maintain productivity and business viability.
4. Join the conversation online at @H_S_E ^[5] on twitter and SaferSites ^[6] on Facebook.
5. For more information on HSE’s campaigns visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/strategy/index.htm^[7] for Helping Great Britain Work Well and http://www.hse.gov.uk/gohomehealthy/index.htm^[8] for Go Home Healthy.

An oil storage company has been fined after contractors cut into a sealed pipe causing a tank to explode.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that on 19 January 2015 contractors of ESL Fuels Ltd cut into a sealed pipe using a grinder. The pipe, which was attached to a vessel, was being used as part of a waste oil recovery process at their North Blend Tank Farm. Flammable gases within the pipe ignited, resulting in the lid of the tank detaching due to pressure build up.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company was having difficulty with the waste oil recovery process which was foaming out of the vessel and filling its bund. Rather than dealing with the health and safety issue directly, a decision was taken to connect the vessel to an emergency relief dump tank to collect further foaming and this created a flammable atmosphere within the dump tank and connecting relief pipework.

ESL Fuels Ltd, based at the Stanlow Oil Terminal near Ellesmere Port, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) and Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £17,000.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Matthew Lea said: Even though nobody was injured this incident could have been prevented if the work of the contractors had been controlled.

The contractors were given a very basic induction and were not told about health and safety issues in relation to ESL Fuels Ltd being a COMAH major hazard site. Contractors were not warned about the process work being carried out in the North Blend Tank Farm and how it could impact on them.

HSE has brought this prosecution because a failure took place that could have resulted in death or serious injury and we believe every person should be healthy and safe at work.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It helps Great Britain work well by applying a broad range of regulatory interventions and scientific expertise to prevent 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][1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2][2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Almost half of Britain’s industry leaders do not feel enough is being done across industry to tackle cases of work-related ill-health, according to new research from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The research also found more than two-fifths of businesses are reporting a rise in cases of long-term ill-health with the majority (80%) stating tackling this growing problem is a priority within their organisation.

This news comes as HSE figures show that work-related ill-health is costing the economy more than £9bn with 26 million working days being lost, making it a priority for HSE, as the Government’s chief occupational health adviser.

The views of 300 major business leaders were sought and 40% of respondents said their industry was not doing enough to raise awareness and tackle the causes of long-term work-related ill-health.

The findings were revealed as HSE announced its new national campaign “Go Home Healthy”. The campaign aims to reduce cases of work-related ill-health by shining a light on the causes and encouraging employers to do the right thing to protect their worker’s health.

Speaking after the campaign launch, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, Penny Mordaunt said:

Everyone should want to have a healthy and safe environment at work. Work-related ill-health is a costly issue for individuals, businesses, and the whole economy. This campaign will encourage employers to operate healthier workplaces and ensure workers get the support that they need.

Commenting on the findings, HSE’s chair Martin Temple, said:

The survey findings confirmed what we already suspected more needs to be done to tackle work-related ill-health.

Over the years, figures show that as workplace safety has improved, health has stagnated. The Go Home Healthy campaign is about driving behavioural change in workplaces so we all can go home healthy. There is a moral, legal, and business case for employers to do the right thing by their workers. The importance of more joined-up thinking across industries when it comes to tackling work-related ill-health cannot be overstated.

Join in the conversation using #WorkRight and follow @Go_Home_Healthy for campaign updates. More information on the campaign can be found here: www.hse.gov.uk/gohomehealthy^[1]

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It helps Great Britain work well by applying a broad range of regulatory interventions and scientific expertise, to prevent 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. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding farmers who grow potatoes of the importance of managing risks to workers during the potato harvest as it launches its latest inspection initiative.

HSE inspectors will be visiting farms across the country that grow, pick and process potatoes over the next few months to ensure risks during the harvesting season are being controlled and measures are in place to protect farmers and their workers.

Those working in the industry are reminded of the range of free resources available on the HSE website which offers guidance and advice for what can be a hectic time for workers.

The initiative announcement comes after the latest HSE statistics show that there have been 30 deaths on farms in Great Britain over the last 12 months. Incidents during potato harvesting season remain a common cause of serious and fatal injury and recurring causes include entanglement with dangerous parts of machines, being struck or run over by vehicles and falls from height.

Throughout the inspection initiative, inspectors will be checking:

• Haulm and clod rollers are properly guarded;
• PTO guards are in good condition;
• Harvester operators have been trained;
• All drivers follow Safe Stop;
• Work equipment is adequately maintained;
• Moving vehicles are segregated from pedestrians; and
• Risks or falls from trailers and in potato stores are managed.

HSE’s head of agriculture, Rick Brunt, said: The risks during potato harvesting are well-known but the precautions are straightforward. Farmers and their employees need to work together to make sure equipment is safe and work is well-planned. This inspection initiative is about ensuring those participating in any harvesting activity remain safe and go home from their work healthy.

HSE is calling on anyone involved with the potato harvesting season to do what they can to reduce the likelihood of incidents on their farms. By following guidance freely-available on the HSE website, farmers will be ensuring that risks are adequately controlled.

A steel company has today been fined after the release of toxic and flammable substances from its site in Scunthorpe.

Hull Crown Court heard on 17 June 2011 a large quantity of Benzole was released at an open site glass in Tata Steel’s Scunthorpe Steel Works. The release resulted in a large flammable vapour cloud that exposed five workers to the risk of serious injury of death had the cloud ignited. Two of the workers were exposed to the chemical and suffered coughing and breathing difficulties. They were sent to hospital and were discharged the next day.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Tata Steel failed to take the appropriate safety measures to prevent the release of the toxic and flammable chemical. It was found the company failed to address the risks which had previously been identified and the incident could have been entirely avoided if the company addressed these concerns.

The site in Scunthorpe is a top tier Control of Major Accidents Hazards site due to the large amounts of highly flammable and toxic chemicals stored on the site.

Tata Steel UK Limited of Millbank, London has pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2 (1) and 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The company has today been fined £930,000 and ordered to pay costs of £70,000.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Stephen Hargreaves said: It was extremely fortunate no one was seriously affected by this incident. Had the flammable vapour cloud ignited this could have resulted in multiple fatalities.

This incident highlights the need for all duty holders to implement and address all concerns and potential risks which have been identified. Tata’s failure to do so in this case put a number of workers at risk of serious harm.

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][1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk ^[2][2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A joint venture comprising of three companies established to support the Crossrail tunnel construction has been fined a total of more than £1m following three separate incidents on the project, including the death of a worker.

Southwark Crown Court heard Rene Tkacik died after being crushed by falling wet concrete on 7 March 2014. Two other men were injured following separate incidents within six days of one another, on 16 and 22 January 2015. All three incidents took place in the tunnels around the Fisher Street area.

The three workers were operating under Bam Ferrovial Kier (BFK), an unincorporated joint venture made up of three companies; BAM Nuttall Limited, Ferrovial Agroman (UK) Limited and Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Ltd.

Rene Tkacik, 43 from Slovakia, was working on a team enlarging the tunnel by removing rings of the existing pilot tunnel and spraying walls with liquid concrete. During this operation, a section of the roof collapsed, fatally crushing Mr Tkacik.

On 16 January 2015 Terence Ian Hughes was collecting some equipment from inside one of the tunnels when he was struck by a reversing excavator. He suffered severe fractures to his right leg and crush injuries to his left knee and shin.

Six days later worker Alex Vizitiu, who was part of a team tasked with spraying liquid concrete lining, was assisting with the cleaning of the pipes that supply the concrete. Due to a lack of communication one of the lines was disconnected and he was hit by pressurised water and concrete debris. He suffered head and hip injuries as well as a broken finger and was hospitalised for six days.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found a failure to provide a safe system of work relating to the operations Rena Tkacik and Alex Vizitiu were working on. It was also found there was a failure to properly maintain the excavator which reversed into Ian Hughes.

On all three occasions, the investigation found a failure to properly enforce exclusion zones that would have helped protect workers from foreseeable harm.

Bam Ferrovial Keir, of the corner of Charterhouse Street and Farringdon Road, London has pleaded guilty to three offences. In relation to the death of Rena Tkacik, it has admitted to breaching Regulation 10(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It has today been fined £300,000 in relation to this offence.

BFK has pleaded guilty to two separate breaches of Section 22 (1a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, relating to the two incidents in January 2015. The joint venture has been fined a £600,000 for the incident involving Ian Hughes on 16 January, and £165,000 for the incident relating to Alex Vizitiu on 22 January.

The total fine is therefore £1,065,000. The defendant was also ordered to pay costs of £42,337.28.

HSE Head of Operations Annette Hall said: The omission to implement exclusion zones in a high hazard environment was a consistent failure in this case. Had simple measures such as these been taken, all three incidents could have been prevented, and Rena Tkacik may not have died.

We believe every person should be healthy and safe at work. Here, all three workers were taking part in one of the most important and challenging infrastructure projects of the decade. It was this joint ventures duty to protect its dedicated and highly-skilled workforce. On these three occasions, BFK failed in its duty, with tragic consequences for Rena Tkacik and his family.
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. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

 Warrington based coach fabricator has appeared in court after an apprentice suffered serious injuries when he fell through a roof he was working on.

The 25 year old worker from Orford, who has asked not to be named, suffered three fractured ribs and a ruptured spleen as a result of the incident on 14 April 2016.

Liverpool Magistrates Court heard the worker was assisting other employees with cleaning of the valley gutters on the workshop roof in Hardwick, Warrington when he stepped back onto a fragile skylight, falling 30 feet to the floor below where his fall was broken by a table.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bespoke Bodies Ltd had not properly supervised this work at height activity; it was also found the company failed to identify the risks associated with working at height and working on fragile surfaces.

Bespoke Bodies Ltd of Grange Hardwick, Warrington pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 3 (1) (a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3339.

Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Lianne Farrington said: Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work related injuries and the risks with working at height are well known.

Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary instruction and training to their workers.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive 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: legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. Further HSE news releases are available at press.hse.gov.uk ^[3]
4. For further information on working at height please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm^[4]

An engineering firm was sentenced today for safety breaches after a worker suffered injuries to his hand.

Sheffield Magistrates Court heard that in September 2014 the injured person was employed by The Works agency. He had only been working for four days at the site of Hallamshire Engineering Service Ltd which at the time was based in Dinnington.

He was polishing a metal shaft on a lathe using emery cloth while wearing gloves. The glove appeared to snag and dragged his hand towards the rotating shaft. As a result of the incident he had stitches in his hand and dislocated his scaphoid bone.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that no suitable and sufficient assessments had been carried out to determine control measures for polishing. There were no clear guidelines for employees and others, such as agency workers, on safe ways to polish.

Hallamshire Engineering Service Ltd of Belle Vue Wakefield West Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 3 (1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations 1999. The company was fined £5000 with £2763.40 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Laura Hunter commented: Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working.

This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.
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. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. Please see the link below to the page on HSE’s website that is the best guide to doing it the right way:
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/eis2.pdf

A Lancashire based company Spectral Colours Limited (SCL) has been fined after a worker was crushed under machinery.

Manchester Crown Court heard how the 57-year old employee of SCL was cleaning the dispersion mixing machine at the company’s premises in Crawford Street, Manchester on 30 April 2014. The worker sat on one of the clamping arms when it suddenly toppled over and pinned the worker’s leg underneath the machine.

The employee suffered a fractured ankle and serious crush injuries to his foot.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to properly secure the machinery on site to the ground, increasing the risk of the machinery toppling over and injuring employees.

Spectral Colours Limited of Crawford Street, Rochdale, Lancashire has today pleaded guilty of breaching Regulation 20 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company has been fined £3000 and ordered to pay costs of £22,444.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Tim Beaumont said: This case highlights the need for all duty holders to ensure all machinery in their workplaces are properly fixed and maintained to the required safety standard.

If Spectral Colours had been more thorough in ensuring that the installation of the machinery was completed properly then this accident wouldn’t have happened.

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. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk