27 May Work at height – caught during the act Here is an example of being caught in the act of doing something foolish and being penalised for it. A foolhardy roofer appeared in court after footing a double extension ladder on a transit van in order to access a third floor façade. In this case, Mr George Nicholls (aged 25), blatantly risked harming himself and others … Read More
27 May Fall from Height – another serious injury leading to prosecution The HSE investigates another work fall from height leading to serious injury. Worker will never walk again. A Southwark based construction company has been prosecuted by the HSE and ordered to over £126,000 in fines and court costs after a worker was left paralysed following a fall. The 38 year old worker fell eight metres … Read More
16 May Workplace Transport Prosecution There are about 50 people killed each year in accidents involving workplace transport. These types of accidents also cause more than 1500 major injuries (accidents which, for example, result in broken bones or amputations) and about 3500 injuries that cause people to be off work for more than three days. This article pulls together links to information … Read More
11 May Lead poisoning prosecution Lead poisoning is still an issue in some workplaces. Recently, a court heard that nine workers at a ceramic tile factory in North Wales had levels of lead in their blood above national safety limits putting them at risk of serious health problems. The employees of a specialist firm (CBD of Denbigh) were tested after … Read More
9 May Asbestos prosecution for failure to communicate In the words of Cool Hand Luke, “What we have here is a failure to communicate”. This led to an asbestos prosecution. A Battersea building firm has been fined for failing to highlight the known presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB) in a warehouse – leading to exposure to a foreman and others to potential … Read More
8 May Work at height – life changing injuries from a fall Another workplace accident involving a fall from height. In this case, a Southampton worker suffered life-changing injuries after he fell five metres through a hole in a South East London church roof while it was being repaired. The 58 year old father of three (AS) sustained a collapsed lung, smashed pelvis and head injuries in the … Read More
28 April Work at Height Prosecutions, fatal fall from scaffold Work at height prosecutions The co-directors of a former London scaffolding firm have faced work at height prosecutions after a trainee worker fell to his death from a poorly constructed scaffold in Westminster. The trainee (SH), who was aged twenty, sustained multiple head injuries in the six-metre fall at Whitehall Place on 24 April 2008. He … Read More
25 April Machinery Safety Prosecution The HSE carried out inspections at two premises belonging to a Tyne and Wear floral foam manufacturers, SOUK, following an incident in which a machine operator suffered a partial amputation of her left middle finger and a broken left index finger while operating a milling machine. Sunderland Magistrates’ Court heard that at the time of the incident (09 … Read More
10 February Construction Site Safety – news from the HSE Construction Site Safety is proving to be an important theme for 2014. According to a recent HSE Newsletter (Issue 37), dangerous practices and poor standards were found at nearly half of the building sites visited during a month-long safety drive by HSE. The nationwide campaign saw inspectors visiting 2607 sites where refurbishment or repair work was taking place. The … Read More
20 December Suspension Trauma [Note this archived article is from December 2013 and guidance has since changed.] All too frequently, the emergency planning element is often not considered when work at height is being planned. Largely, this is because: there is a general lack of awareness of suspension trauma and its consequences employers often fail to appreciate where and … Read More