Health and Safety Failings – Fine issued after worker burnt by flash fire

Fine issued after worker burnt by flash fire

Key Facts:

• A worker suffered serious burns after being caught in a flash fire.
• Unsafe methods of defrosting a pressure washer resulted a flash fire that swept over the employee’s body.
• The company were prosecuted for breaching health and safety regulations, and were fined £6,666.

The Case:

An investigation was launched into a Moray-based company after a worker suffered serious injuries after being caught in a flash fire in an incident on 5 January 2011.

The 49-year-old employee opened the door to a shed housing a pressure washer after seeing smoke seeping out the edges of the shed. As he opened the door, the dense smoke ignited and he was caught in a flash fire that swept over his body. Colleagues extinguished the flames on his back and put his hands in cold water.

He suffered serious burns and was hospitalised for eight days. He was unable to return to work for two months, and ongoing trauma resulted in an additional period off work in 2014.

The resulting investigation found that on the day of the incident, the pressure washer had been left running, unattended in the shed, with the lance and hose removed in an attempt to defrost the machine. It was this that led to the flash fire.

The investigation also found that the company did not have a safe system of work in place for the pressure washer. They had previously had access to the manufacturer’s instructions which stressed the need to use the washer only in well-ventilated areas. However, the company failed to identify that the shed had inadequate ventilation.

No safe system of work had been designed for the defrosting of the pressure washer, despite the fact that it was a known problem amongst staff. As a result, unsafe practices had developed.

The case was heard at Peterhead Sheriff Court on 30 March 2015 where the company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974. They were fined £6,666.

What the HSE inspector had to say:

Speaking after the hearing the HSE Inspector Niall Miller stated that:

“This was an entirely avoidable incident. The need for ventilation to prevent such incidences of combustion is well known and was acknowledged and documented by the company itself. Making sure this happened would have been straightforward.

Sadly, the failure of Ravenhill to follow its own written risk management led to an employee suffering burn injuries and trauma as a result of poor planning.”

What the law states:

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states:

It is the duty of every employer to ensure, wherever reasonably practicable, the health, safety and wellbeing of all his employees.

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