18 November Forklift truck overturns and preventing overturning of forklift trucks Forklift trucks are widely used in industrial and warehousing operations and are extremely useful. They can also be dangerous, causing injuries and property damage through collisions and overturning. One type of forklift safety issue is the leading cause of forklift-related deaths: overturns. Causes of forklift truck overturns There are four main causes of forklift truck overturns: Turning, stopping or … Read More
26 October Hydrofluoric Acid – First Aid Hydrofluoric acid – First Aid Case Study Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is very corrosive, highly irritating and poisonous. HF burns can be severe and extremely painful, causing extensive damage to the skin and eyes, and to the mucous membranes if breathed or swallowed. HF is absorbed quickly and can cause widespread damage to the body and death. … Read More
21 October Safe isolation of plant and equipment – Part 2: Key Stages Safe isolation of plant and equipment – Key Stages Introduction This blog post follows on from Safe Isolation of Plant and Equipment, Part 1. In order to allow various processes such as: cleaning, maintenance, plant repair and modification to take place, safe isolation of plant and equipment is essential. This is not specifically covered by … Read More
14 October Increased risk of jail for H&S offences Increased risk of jail for health and safety offences: 23 people received either an immediate or suspended custodial sentence between the beginning of February and mid-September, which is about three per month. On 1 February 2016, the new sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences came into force. To put this into perspective, 189 individuals were sentenced to … Read More
11 October tyre fitter injured injured in split rim explosion Following the failure to carry out proper risk assessments and to implement simple and sensible control measures, a tyre maintenance company has been fined after a tyre exploded seriously injuring a worker. Nottingham Crown Court heard an employee of Tyre Maintenance Limited went to the waste and recycling centre in Beeston to replace tyres on … Read More
27 September Alton Towers fine £5million over Smiler crash Today the Alton Towers related to the Smiler crash from 02 June 2015 was announced. The Alton Towers fine was £5,000,000 (£5 Million), along with nearly £70,000 of court costs. Investigators found the root cause to be a lack of detailed, robust arrangements for making safety-critical decisions. Read More
22 September Lone worker death – £1 Million fine Recently, I have been asked to put together a range of training courses for some overseas clients. One was to deal with Lone Working, and another was to deal (partly) with Lifting Operations involving awkwardly sized and shaped objects. While thinking about these courses, along comes the following news article. In this article, both of these issues … Read More
19 September HSE Fee for Intervention increase in charges The HSE has increased the charges for the Fee for Intervention Scheme (FFI). The HSE FFI increase means that the HSE now charge £129 per hour. This is likely to lead to an increase in the average invoice that businesses pay tho the HSE from £650 up to £675. From the HSE website: The fee payable … Read More
15 September Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Safe Storage LPG Safe Storage is not a matter to be taken lightly. LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is used as a fuel in a range of applications including in heating and cooking appliances, industrial applications, in vehicles and as a propellant and refrigerant. LPG can be obtained primarily as propane, butane or a mixture of the two. A … Read More
13 September Company in Court due to Risk Assessment Failure Once again, lack of suitable and sufficient risk assessments lands a company in court. In this case, Valero Energy UK Limited was £400, 000 following a serious accident at its Pembroke Refinery. Swansea Crown Court heard that the Berth 6 access tower walkway that provided gangway access to a stationary tanker vessel on 5 March 2012 had dropped … Read More