TASC NEWS UPDATES
Widnes firm fined over employee's fall injuries...
Date: 27 March 2012
Release No: HSE/NW/77HTS
A Cheshire worker could have been killed when he fell from the top of a chemical storage tank, a court has heard.
The 44-year-old from Bala, North Wales, had been carrying out maintenance work on the tank at a plant in Widnes when the chemical vapour inside set alight, causing an explosion. The worker, who has asked not to be named, was thrown from the tank and fell around two and a half metres, landing on a metal girder below.
The chemical storage tank the worker fell from
His employer, Hutchinson Technical Services (HTS) Ltd, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an investigation into the incident at its Ditton Road site on 13 May 2010.
Runcorn Magistrates' Court was told the worker was knocked unconscious when he fell to the ground, and suffered burns on his right arm and right leg, as well as bruising to his ribs. He was kept in hospital overnight and was off work for several weeks as a result of his injuries.
The court heard the employee had been allowed to work on top of the tank without any measures in place to prevent him being injured in a fall.
HSE immediately issued HTS with a Prohibition Notice following the incident, preventing workers from carrying out work on top of tanks without suitable protective equipment.
The company, which services and repairs tanks for the chemical and other industries, arranged for a cage to be fitted to the top of tanks within two days of receiving the notice. It has since introduced the use of other safety equipment such as harnesses.
HTS pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to ensure suitable measures were in place to prevent workers being injured in a fall.
The company, of Fleming Road in Middlesborough, was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £3,588 in prosecution costs on 26 March 2012.
Speaking after the hearing, the investigating inspector at HSE, Lisa Lewis, said:
"The employee's injuries could have been much worse, and he could have been killed if he'd struck his head when he landed on the girder.
"HTS was able to introduce the use of new equipment within just a few days of the incident happening, that has significantly reduced the chance of workers being injured in a fall.
"This case should act as a warning to other companies whose employees regularly carry out work at height. Taking simple steps could prevent workers being injured."
More than 4,000 people suffered a major injury in a fall while at work in Great Britain last year, and 38 lost their lives. Information on carrying out work safely at height is available at www.hse.gov.uk/falls.
Notes to editors
- The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent 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
- Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 states: "Where work is carried out at height, every employer shall take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury."
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One in five construction sites fail safety inspections...
Date: 5 March 2012
Release No: HSE/NW/17Results
One in five construction sites failed safety checks during the first five days of an intensive inspection initiative in Merseyside and Cheshire.
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited a total 167 sites in the two counties between 20 and 24 February, but 32 were found to have working practices that could put workers at risk.
The inspections were carried out as part of a month-long drive across Great Britain to improve health and safety in one of the country's most dangerous industries. Inspectors are targeting sites where refurbishment or repair work in being carried out, with the aim of reducing the risk of death, injury and ill health.
The primary focus is on high-risk activity including working at height and 'good order', such as ensuring sites are clean and tidy with clear access routes. Attention is also being paid to structural stability, public protection, fire safety issues and asbestos.
During the visits in Merseyside and Cheshire, HSE inspectors issued 29 Prohibition Notices stopping work activities immediately and 15 Improvement Notices requiring changes to be made to working practices. Half of the notices related to unsafe work being carried out at height.
Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of deaths and major injuries in the construction sector in Great Britain, with more than five incidents recorded every day.
The purpose of the initiative is to remind those working in construction that poor standards are unacceptable, and could result in enforcement action.
Neil Jamieson, HSE Principal Inspector for Construction, said:
"The majority of the sites we visited were meeting acceptable standards but sadly one in five weren't, putting the lives and health of workers at risk.
"The fact that half of the enforcement notices we issued related to work at height shows that companies still aren't doing enough to tackle one of the biggest causes of death and major injury in the sector.
"Implementing simple, inexpensive changes, or just a moment of extra thought, could prevent someone being killed or seriously injured. Employers should create an atmosphere where workers can raise concerns without fearing for their jobs."
During 2010/11, two workers were killed while working in the construction industry in Merseyside and Cheshire, and there were 95 serious injuries. Health and safety tips for construction firms are available at www.hse.gov.uk/construction.
Notes to editors
- The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent 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
- During the inspection initiative, HSE inspectors are looking at whether:
- Jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions are in place;
- Equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used properly;
- Sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls;
- Walkways and stairs are free from obstructions; and
- Work areas are clear of unnecessary materials and waste.
- Further information on the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm
- Further information on falls and trips in the construction industry http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/campaigns/fallstrips/index.htm
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Lancashire widow backs construction site clampdown...
Date: 20 February 2012
Release No: HSE/NW/16Construction
The widow of a Lancashire worker, who died after falling from unsafe scaffolding, is backing a new intensive inspection initiative aimed at reducing death, injury and ill health on construction sites.
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will spend the next month visiting sites in Lancashire where refurbishment or repair work is being carried out. The safety checks are part of a Great Britain wide drive to improve standards in one of the country's most dangerous industries.
Peter and Christine Walton
The initiative is being supported by Christine Walton whose husband, Peter, fell from scaffolding while working at Altham Industrial Estate near Burnley in May 2006.
The 55-year-old from Anchorsholme, near Blackpool, was critically injured when an unsecured board on the scaffolding gave way. He died five weeks later in hospital.
The primary focus of the HSE initiative will be on high-risk activity including working at height and 'good order', such as ensuring sites are clean and tidy with clear access routes.
Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of deaths and major injuries in the construction sector in Great Britain, with more than five incidents recorded every day.
The purpose of the initiative is to remind those working in construction that poor standards are unacceptable, and could result in enforcement action.
Christine Walton said:
"Any initiative that helps to tackle deaths, and prevents other people from having to go through what I and my family went through, has to be a good thing.
"Peter trusted that the scaffolding had been erected safely when he climbed up it, but it wasn't. He died because the companies responsible for his safety didn't do their jobs properly.
"Health and safety should be at the forefront of employers' minds in the construction industry, as what happened to Peter could happen to anyone."
During 2010/11, four workers were killed while working in construction in Lancashire and 71 serious injuries were reported. There were seven deaths and 308 serious injuries across the North West as a whole.
Dorothy Shaw, HSE's Principal Inspector for Construction in Lancashire, said:
"The refurbishment sector continues to be the most risky for construction workers, but small changes to working practices can make all the difference.
"Poor management of risks in this industry is unacceptable, and even the smallest of firms should have a culture which allows workers to raise issues without fear of reprisal.
"As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk."
Further information about safe-working in construction can be found online at www.hse.gov.uk/construction
Notes to editors
- The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent 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
- During the inspection initiative, HSE inspectors will be looking at whether:
- Jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions are in place;
- Equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used properly;
- Sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls;
- Walkways and stairs are free from obstructions; and
- Work areas are clear of unnecessary materials and waste.
- Further information on the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm
- Further information on falls and trips in the construction industry http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/campaigns/fallstrips/index.htm
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Clampdown tackles death and injury on Greater Manchester construction sites...
Date: 20 February 2012
Release No: HSE/NW/16Construction
Construction sites in Greater Manchester are being put under the safety spotlight as part of an intensive inspection initiative aimed at reducing death, injury and ill health.
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive will be visiting sites in the county where refurbishment or repair work is being carried out. The safety checks are part of a month-long drive across Great Britain to improve standards in one of the country's most dangerous industries.
The primary focus will be on high-risk activity including working at height and 'good order', such as ensuring sites are clean and tidy with clear access routes. Attention will also be paid to structural stability, fire safety issues and asbestos.
Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of deaths and major injuries in the construction sector in Great Britain, with more than five incidents recorded every day.
The purpose of the initiative is to remind those working in construction that poor standards are unacceptable, and could result in enforcement action.
During 2010/11, 117 serious injuries were reported in the construction industry in Greater Manchester. There were seven deaths and 308 serious injuries across the North West as a whole.
Neil Jamieson, HSE Principal Inspector for Construction, said:
"The refurbishment sector continues to be the most risky for construction workers, but small changes to working practices can make all the difference.
"Poor management of risks in this industry is unacceptable, and even the smallest of firms should have a culture which allows workers to raise issues without fear of reprisal.
"As we have demonstrated in the past, we will take strong action if we find evidence that workers are being unnecessarily put at risk."
Further information about safe-working in construction can be found online at www.hse.gov.uk/construction
Notes to editors
- The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent 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
- During the inspection initiative, HSE inspectors will be looking at whether:
- Jobs that involve working at height have been identified and properly planned to ensure that appropriate precautions are in place;
- Equipment is correctly installed / assembled, inspected and maintained and used properly;
- Sites are well organised, to avoid trips and falls;
- Walkways and stairs are free from obstructions; and
- Work areas are clear of unnecessary materials and waste.
- Further information on the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm
- Further information on falls and trips in the construction industry http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/campaigns/fallstrips/index.htm
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TASC opens a new RTITB centre in the north west...
TASC Ltd once more expand its influence and presence with the safety training fraternity.
This month TASC Ltd successfully achieved accreditation for its training facility in Heywood
from RTITB to instruct in use of fork lift trucks, the team at TASC are pleased to add the provision to its existing
NVQ level 2 plant operations service. MD Michael Bamford stated “ this is the right step at the right time for both TASC and its clients”.
Further expansion of its service and facility are planned in the near future – watch this space
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The Health and Safety Executive supports National Stress Awareness Day 2008...
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is pleased to support National Stress Awareness Day with the launch of a new and improved
stress management standards analysis tool and user manual. This year’s campaign is focused on taking positive action. One of the
positive actions employers can take is to adopt HSE Management Standards for Work-related Stress.
HSE Chief Executive Geoffrey Podger said:
"We must make a conscious effort to deal with work-related stress as we lost over 13.5 million working days to stress last year."
"Pressure is part and parcel of all work and helps to keep us motivated, but excessive pressure can lead to stress which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill. The Stress Management Standards highlight the components of good organisation, job design and management that keep stress levels in check and enhance productivity.
"We are working towards improving the management standards process and enhancing the analysis tool is the first step to making this happen."
In 2007/08 work related stress, depression and anxiety cost Great Britain in excess of £530 million. The number of workers who reported new cases of work-related stress increased by 237,000.
Many successful organisations use the HSE Management Standards. In this simple approach, employers work together with employees and their representatives to bring about a reduction in levels of work-related stress.
Following this year’s theme of ‘Don’t worry take action’ HSE are taking steps to make acting on potential problems easier.
The Analysis Tool is one part of the Management Standards process and allows organisations to identify areas of potential stressors at work. The main improvement to this version is the option to benchmark against either data drawn from organisations in both the private and public sector, or the current data from the Psychosocial Working Conditions (PWC) survey 2004
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Your back is in your hands: HSE gives practical advice on preventing and managing back pain...
Back disorders are the most common form of occupational ill health experienced in Britain, and employers are reminded that they have a duty to prevent and manage back pain amongst their employees.
Back pain can mean misery for sufferers, and can impact on the number of working days lost by businesses.
HSE’s Ergonomist Simon Monnington said: "Many of the problems I see on daily basis can often be addressed through simple measures and proper assessment of risk.
"Employers need to sort out the problems that have the most impact first, and it is vital to ensure that they work with the employees to arrive at solutions, as well as monitoring how well these work in practice.
Recent medical evidence shows that the best route to recovery for people with back pain is to stay active and lead as normal a life as possible, rather than seek bed rest.
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Health and Safety Executive to warn tradesmen of asbestos danger...
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have begun a campaign to warn tradesmen of the dangers of asbestos.
This is supported by the HSE’s ‘Asbestos:The Hidden Killer’ campaign to reduce the rising death rate from asbestos-related disease by educating those in the trade about the danger that asbestos presents to them.
Figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive have revealed that every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases and this number is set to increase.
HSE Inspector Nic Rigby said: "We need to educate tradesmen about how asbestos and its dangers are relevant to them. We want them to change the way they work so that they don’t put their lives at risk.
"Research shows that many workers, particularly tradesmen, think that they are not personally at risk of exposure to asbestos and the diseases it can cause. They think that, since asbestos was banned many years ago, the problem has been dealt with and therefore it is not relevant to them. The reality is very different.
"Asbestos presents a real and relevant risk to plumbers, joiners, electricians and many other maintenance workers. Asbestos may be present in any building constructed or refurbished before the year 2000, and it is estimated that around 500,000 non-domestic buildings could contain asbestos. These buildings all need repair and maintenance work from time to time and when the asbestos fibres are disturbed e.g. by drilling or cutting, they are likely to be inhaled as a deadly dust."
If asbestos-containing material is in good condition and in a position where it cannot be disturbed or damaged, it is safer to leave it where it is and ensure that the risks are managed. Those responsible for managing building maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings, have a duty to inform tradesmen if asbestos is present in a building they are working in. Depending on the type of asbestos-containing material, and providing they have been trained and the proper controls are in place, they may be able to work on the project. Asbestos sprayed coatings, board or lagging on pipes and boilers – should only be tackled by licensed workers.
HSE’s Nic Rigby explained why a major campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the real risk that tradesmen face, "Exposure to asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths, with around 4,000 people a year dying from asbestos-related disease. The overall number of deaths is rising because a large number of workers who have already been exposed to asbestos dust around 40 years ago will go on to develop mesothelioma, a terminal cancer or other asbestos related diseases."
Annually, 1,000 (25%) of the 4,000 now dying are tradesmen and while the number of deaths in traditional industries seems to have reached a plateau, deaths in trades continue to rise.
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