Health and Safety News - February 2009

Health and Safety News: February 2009

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Friday, 27 February 2009

Laing O'Rourke fined £90k after worker injured Laing O'Rourke has been hit with £90,000 in fines and costs after a worker was seriously injured in a fall on the £1 billion Liverpool One scheme in August, 2007. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the top five contractor had "failed to make adequate risk assessments and plan a safe system of work" on the project – Europe's largest regeneration development. Liverpool Crown Court heard employee William Taylor fell more than 3m during the construction of concrete stairs inside one of the main apartment blocks on the project. HSE principal inspector Nic Rigby said Mr Taylor sustained multiple serious head and other injuries and narrowly escaped falling three floors to the base of the building. The court was told that two other workers also escaped injury whilst working in the same unprotected area. Mr Rigby said: "This prosecution should act as a warning to all those involved in the management of construction work. It was down to chance alone that this incident did not result in a fatality. That risk would have been avoided had the planning and management of the work being carried out not been so deficient. He added: "The accident occurred because the company failed to make adequate risk assessments and plan a safe system of work. This accident happened on the third floor of the building. "Had the accident not occurred this same system of work would have been repeated on every one of the 12 floors of the building. A fall from that height would clearly have had much more serious consequences." A Laing O'Rourke spokesman said the company "has learned and will continue to learn lessons from this incident". He said: "Laing O'Rourke Construction has been and will continue to be fully committed to the health and safety of all its employees, contractors and the general public."

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The company – which was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in court costs – pleaded guilty to a breach under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. Source .

Copyright Emap 2009 - all rights reserved. at 07:42 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a l l f r o m h e i g h t , f i n e , h e a d i n j u r i e s , H SE , management , risk assessments

Man dies in chain saw accide accident nt BELCHERTOWN — Police say a self-employed logger and father of five from Belchertown was killed in a chain saw accident in nearby South Hadley. South Hadley police say 56-year-old Marc Sugrue was cutting a large limb from a tree on Wednesday when the chain saw he was using kicked back and cut into his neck. Paramedics who responded to the scene found Sugrue suspended from a safety harness about 30 feet in the air. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He leaves his wife, Janis, and five daughters ranging in age from 17 to 30. The incident remains under investigation. Joe Koslik, who is married to one of Sugrue ’s daughters, tells The Daily Hampshire Gazette that his father-in-law was a hard worker who adored his daughters and treated him like a son. Source .

© Copyright 2009 Associated Press. at 07:38 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , c h a i n s a w , f a t a l i t y , t r e e , U SA

Bayer CropScience cited for alleged health and safety violations OHSA officials say the August 2008 blast that killed two workers was linked to Bayer CropScience's "failure to conduct proper hazard analysis." Federal regulators have cited Bayer CropScience for alleged health and safety violations they said contributed the death of two workers during a plant explosion in Institute Aug. 28. “Bayer CropScience’s

failure to conduct the proper hazard analysis of its Methomyl Unit and failure to properly prepare for emergencies left http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (2 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


employees exposed to unnecessary risk and contributed to this unfortunate unfortunat e tragedy,” Jeffrey Funke, director of Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Charleston area office, said in a news release issued Thursday. The citations carry a proposed $143,000 in fines — $73,000 for serious violations and $70,000 for repeat violations. Last year, a large explosion ripped through the Bayer CropScience plant, resulting in a fireball that witnesses said could be seen for miles. Employee Barry Withrow was killed in the explosion. His co-worker, Bill Oxley, was severely injured and later died at the West Penn Hospital burn unit in Pittsburgh. OSHA inspectors were on the site the next day. According to the agency, the company was guilty of several serious violations, including failing to properly train employees on specific safety and health hazards and failing to ensure employees’ use of safety equipment. Nick Crosby, the company’s Institute site manager, said in a prepared statement that Bayer ’s internal investigation is still ongoing. “We

will be studying (the alleged violations) thoroughly and dealing with them appropriately,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure we are operating our entire facility as safely as possible. ” The company has 15 business days to inform OSHA whether it will contest the violations. State and local officials have criticized plant managers for not providing emergency responders information about what was taking place at the plant, saying they couldn ’t make a conclusion whether the public near the site was in danger as the disaster unfolded. As a result, Gov. Joe Manchin has asked state lawmakers to pass legislation requiring plants and other industrial facilities to put in place plans to contact emergency responders when emergencies arise. Source .

Copyright 2009 West Virginia Media. All rights reserved. at 07:36 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: f i n e , h a z a r d , OSHA , r i s k , r i s k a s s e s s m e n t s , U SA

Government urged to act to support mesotheliom a victims A r a n ge g e o f e v e n t s w i l l t a k e p l a c e t h r o ug u g h o ut ut t h e U K t o d a y ( 2 7 Fe Fe b r u a r y ) t o m a r k A c t i o n M e s o t h e l i o m a D a y 2 0 0 9 a n d r a i s e a w a r e n e s s o f t h e a s b e s t o s -r -r e l a t e d c a n c e r , w h i c h a f f e c t s a n d k i l l s t h o u s a n d s o f p e o pl pl e every year.

The campaign is organised by the British Lung Foundation, which, on the inaugural Day in 2006, delivered the Mesothelioma Charter to 10 Downing Street. Signed by 14,000 people the Charter calls for improved care and treatment for mesothelioma patients, better http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (3 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


protection for employees, and more funding for research. The Day is supported by Unite the union, which is calling for millions to be invested in research to treat mesothelioma sufferers, and support their families. Said joint general secretary, Derek Simpson: “This horrific disease, caused mainly by exposure to asbestos, has been rife within industries in which our members have traditionally worked, such as engineering, construction, ship-building, ship-building, and railways. We will continue to fight for those who have been affected to ensure they receive adequate compensation, but our fight will not stop there. We want to make sure adequate resources are available to find better medical treatments and, hopefully, a cure. ” The union wants the Government to provide funding for a National Centre for Asbestos-Related Asbestos-Related Disease to keep the UK in line with other western countries. Chair of the British Mesothelioma Interest Group, consultant thoracic surgeon John Edwards, said: “Researchers are desperate for funds to develop life-saving treatments. Mesothelioma is far and away the least-researched of the top 20 cancers in the UK. Funding for a UK National Centre for Asbestos-Related Diseases is a priority. Such a virtual institution would encourage collaboration and stimulate research to generate future treatments to prolong and save lives.” Industrial disease specialists Irwin Mitchell Solicitors is also urging the Government to create a central insurance fund to help provide support for those suffering from mesothelioma, and other occupational diseases. Roger Maddocks, partner of the firm ’s North East office, called for the establishment of an Employers ’ Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB), which would give workers protection similar to the Motor Insurers ’ Bureau, which pays out compensation claims for road users hit by uninsured and untraced drivers. He added: “With all mesothelioma claims, time is of the essence – it is a fatal and vicous disease that usually kills its victims within 12 months – and a database of insurers would help speed up the claim process. The ELIB would provide a vital last resort in those cases where an insurer cannot be traced.” Cases of mesothelioma in the UK are expected to peak in 2015, with a death rate of 2450 people. For a moving account of how mesothelioma affected one man ’s life, see SHP’s feature ‘M e s o t h e l i o m a : B o b ’s s t o r y ’ Source .

Copyright 2004 UBM Information Information.. at 07:31 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a s b e s t o s , c a n c e r , d i s e a s e , ELIB , h e a l t h , l u n g c a n c e r , SH P

One in three military deaths due to w eak safety procedures A third of deaths in the British military occur as a result of safety failures, the Ministry of Defence has admitted. Minutes from a MoD board meeting last year, leaked to The Independentt on Sunday, reveal that nearly 800 service personnel Independen http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (4 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


have been killed over the past 10 years, in accidents ranging from car crashes to electric shocks. The minutes quote MoD official, Sir Ian Andrews, who warned his peers: “Examination of the figures on deaths in the Armed Forces between 2001 and 2008 showed that one in three of the total number recorded was caused by health and safety failures. . . Analysis of the data on fatalities, which, overall, had worsened during the reporting period, suggested the department had to improve significantly. ” According to figures seen by the newspaper, 201 military servicemen and women died in 2007, with 73 defined as “deaths due to violence ”, including those killed in hostilities. However, 80 deaths were attributable attributab le to accidents, the vast majority of which were the result of road-traffic road-traff ic incidents. The figures will be a source of concern to the Ministry, given the Corporate Manslaughter Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act removed its crown immunity to prosecution over work-related deaths where serious health and safety breaches are involved. In the run-up to the Act gaining Royal Assent, Colonel Chris Manning told the IOSH Conference in 2007 that it was imperative for the military to take on the challenge presented by the new law, and make efforts to ensure it was as well prepared as possible. He added: “We can do better in relation to industrial accidents, and it is entirely reasonable that we should be prosecuted under the law if a gross breach results in someone’s death. . . [W]e cannot afford to have avoidable accidents, or we ’re doing the enemy ’s job for them. “However,

the moment we say that the safety issue becomes more important than business output itself, we lose confidence of those we are seeking to influence. We have to acknowledge that soldiering is a dangerous business, and that we are there to deliver violence to a potential battlefield. ” Commenting on The Independent on Sunday ’s report, an MoD spokesperson said: “The MoD takes all available measures to minimise risks through provision of the best equipment, training and procedures for our personnel. Military life can never be risk-free and although we make every effort to minimise risks, we can never remove them entirely. ” Source .

Copyright 2004 UBM Information Information.. at 07:29 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a t a l i t y , IOSH , m a n a g e m e n t , M o D , r i s k assessments

No charges after boy crushed by tree The HSE will be bringing no safety charges against the National Trust after a young boy was killed by a falling tree in one of its parks. But the Executive has refused to comment on whether the prospect of attracting potential potential negative media publicity, with regard to what some see as over-excessive health and safety regulations, influenced the decision.



Eight-year-old Timothy Sutton was killed on New Year ’s Day 2005, Eight-year-old while walking through Dunham Massey Park in Altringham. He was crushed under a rotting beech tree, which was blown over by high winds as he walked past. The regulator decided against a prosecution of the National Trust, claiming a conviction was unlikely. An HSE spokesperson said: “This was a complex case, and HSE ’s conclusion that there was no realistic prospect of a conviction for any breaches of health and safety law reflects the opinions sought from expert witnesses and legal advisors. However, the HSE recognises that decision was difficult and unwelcome for Timothy’s family.” The National Trust’s chairman, and former editor of The Times, Sir Simon Jenkins, is an outspoken critic of what he perceives as a “compliance culture” brought about by the introduction of a whole host of business-related regulations, such as health and safety. He also vented his anger after the property manager at Dunham Massey Park was brought in for questioning following the accident. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph published earlier this month, he said: “People must be liberated from a total risk-aversion mentality. Was it right that a property manager should be arrested because of a freak accident in which a young boy was killed by a falling branch from one of the Trust ’s five million trees? ” The Trust has now welcomed the Executive ’s decision not to prosecute. It claimed that it has tree-managem tree-management ent procedures in place, which are “above the legal requirements demanded by health and safety legislation ”. A spokesperson from the Trust added: “We welcome the conclusion that there was nothing to suggest that safety standards did not meet legal and statutory requirements. We continue to extend our sympathy to Timothy ’s family and friends and remain deeply saddened by the accident. ” Source .

Copyright 2004 UBM Information Information.. at 07:07 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a t a l i t y , H SE , N a t i o n a l T r u s t , t r e e

Physios w arn of lack of progress progress on RSI The lack of progress in tackling the problems of repetitive strain injury (RSI) in the last six years means that the problem costs employees around £300m a year. This is according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which points to HSE figures for 2007/08 that reveal that more than a third (81,000) of RSI cases were reported in the last 12 months. This is just 6000 shy of the 87,000 new cases reported in 2001/02, when 222,000 people in work were found to be suffering from the condition. An estimated 2.8m working days were lost in 2007-08 due to RSI, with the average affected person taking 13.3 days off sick. This added up to around £300m per year in lost working time, sick pay and administration, administratio n, said the Society. As a result, it is now calling on the Government to make it a statutory duty for employers to provide occupational-he occupational-health alth services, and to



incentivise employers to provide such services through measures such as tax relief. It also wants the Government to promote the business and social case for providing occupational-health occupational-health services, with a particular emphasis on the effectiveness of early intervention. Pauline Cole, a CSP spokesperson and member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics, said: “There is a clear opportunity for employers to do more to provide occupational-health occupational-h ealth services, both with regard to prevention of RSI and rehabilitation rehabilitation.. “The

CSP is calling on the Government to both encourage and enforce measures to address this with legislation, combined with incentives and best-practice guidance. We may then, after the frustration of many years of no progress, begin to see some reduction in the rates of this almost completely preventable condition. ” According to analysis by the Labour Research Department, on behalf of the CSP, the jobs where workers are most likely to develop a musculoskeletal upper-limb, upper-limb, or neck, disorder are: process, plant and machine operatives (1.21 per 100 workers); skilled construction and building trades (1.14 per 100 workers); and health and social welfare associate professionals (1.10 per 100 workers). Source .

Copyright 2004 UBM Information Information.. at 06:57 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: h e a l t h , H SE , i n j u r y , RS I

Thursday, Thursd ay, 26 February 20 09

HSE launches new W ork-related stress w ebsite the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new version of the work-related stress website, with a range of helpful advice, online tools and guidance to help you tackle stress in your workplace. For those familiar with the old site, this revised version is designed to be more accessible and provides tailored messages for different audiences. On the site you will find a brand new self-assessment tool for line managers to test their skills. Please visit h t t p : / / w w w . h s e . g o v . u k / s t r e s s / i n d e x . h t m to find out more. at 09:23 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: g u i d a n c e , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , H SE , s t r e s s

Teen Te en dies after skateboa rding accident ARVADA - The Ralston Valley High School student hospitalized after a skateboarding accident Wednesday has died.



Susan Medina with the Arvada Police Department believes the teen was holding the driver's side door of a Mustang while the driver traveled westbound on 85th Avenue. The victim was run over by the car at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday in the 12100 block of 85th. The 15-year-old victim, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to a local hospital with multiple injuries. He died early Thursday morning. His name has not been released. Police are investigating the events of the case. The 16-year-old driver of the Mustang was taken to the police department to be questioned but it is unclear what charges might be filed. The driver's name has not been released. This is the third skateboarding accident resulting in death since 2007. In 2008, 17-year-old Austin Ayers died at St. Anthony Central after being hit by a Jeep Wrangler he was holding onto while riding his long board. The accident happened in the 6500 block of Oak Street in Arvada. In 2007, Heritage High School senior John Nicolette was killed after holding onto a car while skateboarding near the school in Littleton. Source .

(Copyright KUSA*TV/Denver Post, All Rights Reserved) at 08:46 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a t a l i t y , s c a t e b o a r d i n g , U SA

Monday, 23 February 2009

Work ers feel bosses ignoring health and safety Health and safety has become less of a concern to the nation ’s employers as a result of the recession, workers believe. A survey by National Accident Helpline found that 62 per cent of employees believed that their employer was placing less emphasis on health and safety. Just over a third – 38 per cent – believed that their employer remained as committed to workplace safety as ever. The figures come just days after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that 34 million work days – 1.4 days for every British worker – are lost annually as a result of work-related illness or injury. National Accident Helpline legal director John Campbell said: “Investing time and money to make your workplace as safe as possible may seem less important during a recession, but these figures show that there is a financial incentive to do so. “Employees

who have accidents because of poor workplace safety have every right to claim for compensation. “Cutting

corners on health and safety is a false economy as there will be costs to the business through lost man hours and sick pay. This could cost the business more in the long run ” Source .



at 02:14 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: c o m p e n s a t i o n , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , H SE

Compensation culture in UK grossly exaggerated, says new research

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New research shows that the majority of people have modest expectations for compensation following injuries at work, casting doubt on the widely-made claim that Britain has developed a compensation culture. In fact, H u b b a r d Pe Pe g m a n & W h i t n e y (H PW ) Solicitors says its own experience is that people often stoically avoid seeking compensation for injuries, even for modest amounts, in case they are made redundant as punishment by their employer. HPW’s research (undertaken by YouGov and based on a representative representati ve sample of nearly 2,000 adults) reveals that while over 90% expect some form of monetary compensation after an injury at work, people typically under-estimate how much they would receive and very few over-estimate, even though awards can be surprisingly modest. For instance: Typical compensation awarded for an arm fractured at work is in the region of £6,000 (£4,000 for the injury and around £2,000 for loss of earnings for an average earner) – however, 44% of adults expected £2,000 or less, 61% estimated under £5,000 and only 4% expected a bumper payout of over £10,000. •

The typical compensation awarded for a leg broken at work is £8,650 (£5,750 for the injury and £2,900 for loss of earnings for an average earner) – however, 46% of adults expected £5,000 or less, while only 12% expected more than £10,000. •

The typical compensation awarded for permanent blindness in one eye from an injury at work is at least £31,500 (with additional sums for loss of earnings while recovering and further compensation, set by the court, for the impact on the victim ’s lifestyle) – however, 27% of adults expected £20,000 or less and only 21% expected a significantly higher payout of over £100,000. •

Only when you get to really serious injuries do people, not surprisingly, expect very substantial compensation. The typical compensation awarded for permanent loss of the use of both legs from an injury at work is at least £140,000 and generally substantially higher (depending on loss of earnings and effect on lifestyle) – however, 20% of adults expected £100,000 or less, while 42% expected over £200,000 (which in most cases people would get). •

Charlotte Pegman, Managing Partner of H u b b a r d P e g m a n & W h i t n e y , the Solicitors which carried out the research said: “Not only are most compensation awards unspectacular, but most people actually have very modest expectations – typically in-line with average awards or even expecting substantially less. Our research indicates to us that most people only want fair and reasonable compensation when they are injured at work. "While large compensation awards for seemingly minor injuries and http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (9 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


slights rightly attract hostile media attention, the reality is that awards for most workplace injuries – often nasty ones – are generally much more modest." Source . at 02:10 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , c o m p e n s a t i o n , i n j u r y

74 die in mine explosion in China China’s mining industry suffered the highest death toll in several months — an explosion in the Tunlan Coal Mine in China ’s Shanxi Province early Sunday, February 22, killed 74 and injured 114. The coal mine belongs to a major mining company in China, the Shanxi Xishan Coal and Electricity Power Co., Ltd. A gas explosion suddenly took place at approximately 2:23 a.m. on Sunday, when 436 miners were working underground. According to the news release by the State Administration of Work Safety, more than 300 miners were able to flee the blaze, yet many still died due to carbon monoxide poisoning or burn injuries, and more than 100 injured were hospitalized with five in critical condition. Unlike other small illegal mining companies in China that are constantly plagued by mining disasters, Shanxi Xishan Coal and Electricity Power Co., Ltd. is a big name in China with an annual coal yield of five million tons and zero fatalities since 2004. This stunned China’s high level officials. Thus far, 68 hyperbaric chambers in Taiyuan City have been put in operation for treating the victims, four medical teams, and 40-plus ambulances have rushed or are on the way to the disaster area. Source . at 01:15 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: C h i n a , e x p l o s i o n , f a t a l i t y , i n j u r y , m i n e , m i n i n g

Wednesday, 18 February 2009

The cost cost of employee m isunderstanding Em p l o y e e s n o t f u l l y u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e i r r o l e o r c o m p a n y p o l ic i c i e s c a n p r e se se n t a s i g n i f i c a n t t h r e a t t o a c o m p a n y ' s c o m p l i an a n c e w i t h H e a l t h a n d Sa Sa f e t y l a w , p a r t i c u l a r ly ly i n l i g h t o f t h e r e c e n t i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h e H e a l t h a n d Sa Sa f e t y O f f e n c e s A c t 2 0 0 8 .

The much anticipated Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 has introduced tougher penalties to ensure businesses are compliant with the law and should act as a wake up call to any chief executives who remain complacent. The Act has significantly increased the maximum fine for health and http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (10 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


safety breaches from £5,000 to £20,000. Notably, serious offenders can now be imprisoned for up to two years as well as receive fines, and certain offences, which are currently heard by Magistrates, can now be heard in both the Magistrates and Crown Courts. Pr e v e n t i n g e m p l o y e e m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g

Companies must make sure every individual within their organisation complies with the health and safety requirements in order to fulfil their rightful obligations obligations as an employer and avoid the wrath of the courts. However, health and safety is open to the risk of employee misunderstanding, misunderstandi ng, which occurs when an employee means to do a job correctly but possesses insufficient information and/or skill to do so. Research by IDC that Cognisco commissioned earlier this year entitled, Counting the Cost of Employee Misunderstanding, revealed the extent to which employee misunderstandi misunderstanding ng impacts health and safety. It found that more than one in four UK and US companies has paid out personal injury claims and industrial tribunal settlements as a direct consequence of employee misunderstanding. Furthermore, nearly 100 per cent of the companies surveyed revealed that employee misunderstanding misunderstanding exposed them to the risk of personnel and public injuries, with 14 per cent admitting they risked workplace or public fatalities. A tangible example of employee misunderstanding was the Caltherm UK case in December where the company was fined £13,000 after an industrial oven fell on an employee's foot, breaking three bones and dislocating five toes. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Wayne Owen blamed insufficient safeguards safeguards and a lack of risk assessment for the accident. He said: "Lack of information, instruction, training and planning for the movement of such heavy equipment, coupled with an unsuitable means of transport, all contributed to an unsafe system of work which led to the accident." M e a s u r i n g c o n f i d e n c e a nd nd c o m p e t e n c e

However, companies can avoid the same fate as Caltherm by measuring the degree to which their staff understands the organisation's health and safety policies via employee assessments. These knowledge management and development solutions measure the levels of knowledge in the areas relevant to health and safety and identify tangible weaknesses. In addition, these assessments should also measure attributes such as confidence and competence when complying with the health and safety requirements. The benefit of assessing an employee's understanding and confidence are two-fold. Firstly, companies can make informed choices about how to improve health and safety compliance. Secondly, where knowledge gaps are identified, companies can implement training more effectively effectively by targeting it to where it is most needed. This also helps reduce costs as it is tailored to the individual's learning and development needs, unlike a "one size fits all" approach. Sn a p s h o t s o f c o m p l i a n c e

Once assessments are completed and employee training programmes rolled out, the results can be benchmarked against an agreed standard. This enables the company to place individuals on a predetermined predetermine d scale depending on score and associated level of risk. This provides a snapshot of compliance for any given timescale and can be used as an essential component of validation and observance with the new legislation.

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An added benefit of measuring staff understanding is the identificatio identification n of 'knowledge custodians' in your firm who can act as health and safety champions or be highlighted as examples of best practice. There tend to be clusters of these individuals within every organisation; they they are the people that the rest of your employees go to with questions when no one else knows the answer. Knowledge custodians are useful advocates and can be utilised for health and safety compliance by providing ongoing training and mentoring for underperforming underperfor ming employees. An employee assessment program should be a vital part of risk management and compliance strategies, strategies, as well as a key talent management tool. Careful assessment of these factors will help to ensure that any strategy, health and safety or other, is implemented as effectively as possible. This will protect your company's staff, customers and business reputation. Source . at 07:59 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: f i n e , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , H SE , l e g i s l a t i o n , r i s k assessments, training

Key training issues for 2009 N e a l St St o n e t a k e s a l o o k a t t h e f a c t o r s h e be be l i e v e s w i l l influence training choic es for the year ahead

With the UK economy experiencing a downturn and businesses fighting hard to remain competitive, directors and managers will be determined to ensure that health and safety training adds real value to a business rather than just ensuring compliance with the law. Over recent years the B r i t i s h S a f e t y C o u n c i l has seen a 'stepchange' in the attitudes of those who determine the health and safety training needs of their organisations. Not too long ago, training budgets were routinely set without a full needs analysis of the staff competences that are necessary to ensure that risks to workers' health and safety are properly controlled. For some it was simply a question of undertake the training, any training, and tick the box. Evidence suggests that this is very different now and with the current economic climate as it is there are a number of key issues that business leaders and managers need to consider with regards to staff training for 2009. Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is becoming more important and during 2009 we will see more evidence that all organisations – private, public and voluntary - are demanding training that meets the personal needs of the staff member to carry out their role and safely complete the tasks assigned to them. In 2009, directors and managers will want to have clear evidence that the health and safety training being provided is adding value to the business and that there are tangible outputs including improvements in performance. Clearly training may not be approved unless the business is convinced that it supports its efforts to comply with the law while contributing to clear business aims.



Training must be cost effective. 2009 might see a move towards inhouse training being provided by own staff rather than using external training providers or using other methods to develop the necessary skills and competence. Organisations will want to ensure that the end result of equipping staff with the necessary skills and competence is achieved in the most cost effective way. The B SC has recognised that for both organisations and individuals, there needs to be a more flexible approach to how and when training is carried out. This is especially true of qualification type training training courses where the study is often carried out over a prolonged period of time. 2009 will see a move towards training organisations offering these types of courses in a wide range of different ways to meet the personal needs of individuals and companies. There is likely to be increasing demand for e-learning and other 'modern' methods of training, such as blended and distance learning, all of which offer greater flexibility – and potential cost and time savings - for both delegates and their employers. The end result from training was never considered as important as is it today. Managers in 2009 are far clearer about what the expected outcome from the training is – whether to learn a skill, gain knowledge or increase motivation – and that there is in place a mechanism to test or measure the extent to which the outcome has been achieved. It is predicted that there will be a greater obligation on training providers and business managers to assist in this way by building in clearer measures of training outcomes. F l ex ex i b l e l e a r n i n g

To meet the increasing demand for flexible training, the B SC will be developing a range of e-learning health and safety courses during 2009. And to help safety professionals on limited budgets keep up to speed with the latest developments, we will be running a full programme of free seminars delivered by experts and leaders on major health and safety issues and challenges at the Health and Safety '09 exhibitions taking place at Sandown Park on 24th and 25th February and at the Reebok Stadium Bolton in October. Neal Stone is head of policy and public affairs at the B r i t i s h S a f e t y C o u n c i l (B SC ) Source . at 07:02 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: B r i t i s h S a f e t y C o u n c i l , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , t r a i n i n g

Welder dies after explosion BOARDMAN, Ore. -- A welder has died in an industrial accident at ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston in Boardman, authorities authorities said Tuesday. Kevin Paul Gregerson, 21, of Hermiston, was reportedly buried in debris after an explosion inside a tank, reported The East Oregonian. Boardman fire and police departments, along with the Morrow County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at 12:47 p.m. Monday at the potato processing plant at 600 Columbia Ave. N.E. A small confined space rescue team also was called. Gregerson's body was recovered just after 8 p.m., the newspaper http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (13 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


reported. Stephanie Childs, spokeswoman for ConAgra Foods, said Gregerson worked for one of the company's contractors. He reportedly worked for Northwest Metal Fabricators. "We're in the process of doing everything we can to understand what happened," Childs said. "We're definitely looking into the matter. We consider this to be a very unfortunat unfortunate e incident and extend our deepest sympathies to the family." Melanie Mesaros, spokeswoman for Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration, Administration, said officials were at the tank Tuesday investigating. Mesaros said officials would generally look into what kind of training and supervision the employee had. They would also look at the company's safety policies. Oregon OSHA has conducted three scheduled inspections at the Boardman plant since 2002, Mesaros said. No violations were found in April 2006. A serious violation related to machine guards was reported in a July 2006 inspection that resulted in a $780 penalty. In September 2007, the company received an "other than serious" citation. Violations are listed as serious or other than serious, Mesaros said. Source .

© Copyright 2009 Tacoma News, Inc. at 06:14 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , e x p l o s i o n , f a t a l i t y , OSHA , U SA , w e l d i n g

Businesses Busines ses w arned against making cutbacks As the recession tightens and businesses across the UK look at ways of reducing costs in order to stay afloat, the British Safety Council (BSC) and a leading lawyer in the field of personal injury have issued a stark warning to business leaders that reducing spend on controlling risks to workplace health and safety could endanger lives and cost companies an average of £30,000 per claim along with significant reputationall damage. reputationa "There is a danger with the credit crunch that firms will cut back on health and safety planning and implementation, leading to an increase in personal injuries at work," says Grahame Aldous QC of 9 Gough Square Chambers, "This may provide more work for lawyers, but the reputational and internal ethos damage to firms may be considerable if they let this area of their operations go. Despite the myth of a compensation culture, personal injury claims have been reducing, but firms should not be surprised if that reverses if they let health and safety go to cut costs." Research conducted last year by the BSC, revealed that despite long established laws on health and safety, two out of three UK employees have had little or no safety training, while barely half of their bosses had arranged a safety audit or had a health and safety management system in place.



Source . at 05:42 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , m a n a g e m e n t , s a f e t y , t r a i n i n g

Tuesday, 17 February 200 9

Harry Potter film set reopens after stuntm an accident The set of the latest Harry Potter film has been allowed to reopen after an accident which left a stuntman badly injured, the Health and Safety Executive has confirmed. David Holmes, a stunt double for the film's star, Daniel Radcliffe, remains in hospital with a serious back injury after the accident on January 28. The set was cordoned off after the accident but the HSE has now agreed for it to reopen, a spokesman said. "We have carried out a site visit and the set has now reopened," he added. "The investigation is ongoing." It is understood Mr Holmes, who is originally from Romford but lives in Leigh-on-Sea,, Essex, was practising an aerial sequence when he Leigh-on-Sea was injured. He is receiving treatment at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, in Stanmore, north west London, which counts treatment for acute spinal injuries among its specialities. A statement released on behalf of Mr Holmes's family after the accident thanked people for their thoughts and prayers and added: "We are trusting in the expertise of the medical staff who are caring for David." Some 160 get well messages have been posted on a Facebook page set up by Mr Holmes's brother Adam. The group David's Get Well Wishes has more than 480 members. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which is due to be released in the summer, is in production at the Hertfordshire studios. According to the Daily Mirror, Mr Holmes fell to the ground following an explosion which was part of the stunt during pre-production work on the seventh film in the series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. Source .

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2009 Previous articles: H a r r y Po Po t t e r s t u n t m a n i n j u re re d H a r r y Po Po t t e r s e t t o r e m a i n c l o s e d at 03:20 0 c o m m e n t s



Labels: a c c i d e n t , b a c k i n j u r i e s , H SE , i n v e s t i g a t i o n , s t u n t

Recent 'Harry Pott er' accident offers offers a reminder of w hen stunts go w rong The stunt men and women who put their lives on the line to entertain us seldom get the credit they deserve until something goes wrong. It was reported that Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was seriously injured when a harness broke after an on-set explosion went horribly wrong. We thought it appropriate to remind you of other movie heroes who were either seriously injured or paid the ultimate price while trying to entertain. A r i s C o m n i n o s , fell into a coma after a car crash while filming the

opening scene of Quantum of Solace (2008) C on o n w a y Wi Wi c k l i f f e , died in a car crash on the set of The Dark

Knight (2008) H a r r y O ' Co Co n n o r , died performing a rappelling stunt while filming

xXx (2002) M a r c A k e r s t r e a m , was killed by flying debris from an explosion in

The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998) Sonja Davis , died during a free-fall stunt while filming Vampire in

Brooklyn (1995) J a n e t W i l d e r and four spectators were killed during a speedboat

accident while filming Gone Fishing (1995) A r t S c h o l l , killed in a plane crash while filming Top Gun (1986) P a u l M a n t z , killed in a plane crash while filming The Flight of the

Phoenix (1965) H . B. B . H a l i c k i (writer, director, and legendary car stunt master) died

in a car accident while filming Gone in Sixty Seconds 2 (1989) Source . at 02:48 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a t a l i t y , i n j u r y , s t u n t

Three injured Friday in slag explosion a t ArcelorMittal EAST CHICAGO | Three contract workers were injured Friday in an explosion at the slag pit at ArcelorMittal's Indiana Harbor East plant. One of the workers was taken to a local medical facility, said East http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (16 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


Chicago spokesman Damian Rico. The other two were airlifted to a Chicago hospital burn unit, he said. No information on their identities, injuries or conditions was available Monday. ArcelorMittal spokeswoman Katie Patterson confirmed the incident, but couldn't provide information on the condition of the injured workers. "Emergency personnel were immediately contacted and the incident was investigated," Patterson said in a statement Monday. "The health and safety of our employees and everyone who works within ArcelorMittal will always be our top priority." The injured workers are employed by contractors working at the blast furnace No.7 slag pit, said Tom Hargrove, president of United Steelworkers Local 1010, which represents the plant's hourly workers. Although none of his members were injured, the union is participating in the ongoing investigation "to make sure it doesn't happen again," Hargrove said The injured contractors are employed by subcontractors for Lafarge Slag, which has the contract to remove slag from the plant, according to a Lafarge employee. The company uses the slag -- a waste byproduct of the steelmaking process -- to make concrete. Hargrove identified one of the subcontractors as Slag Beemsterboer & Ballast. A spokeswoman for the Hammond-based company declined to release any information on the incident. Officials from Lafarge North America and from Lafarge's facility at the steel plant did not return calls for information about the explosion. Source .

© Copyright 2009, The Times, Munster, IN at 01:27 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: b u r n s , e x p l o s i o n , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , i n j u r y , s t e e l , U SA

Explosion rocks Ferrysburg fuel depot FERRYSBURG — An explosion at a Ferrysburg gas depot shook homes and was heard as far away as Grand Haven early Sunday morning. According to Ferrysburg Fire Chief Mike Olthof, the department was called to the CITGO Exxon Mobil Terminal, 524 Third St., at around 3:15 a.m. by reports of an explosion. When firefighters arrived on the scene, flames were shooting as high as 70 feet in the air from a 10,000-gallon 10,000-gallo n oil/water separator tank, Olthof said. The fire was brought under control within 20 to 25 minutes of the firefighters' firefighter s' arrival. The explosion shook homes in the 500 block of Third Street and adjacent Carmen Drive, waking their owners and prompting some to flee the area.



Janis and Josh Vanderputte, who live on Carmen Drive, initially thought someone had driven a car into their home. "It sounded like an M-80 going off next to your head," Josh said. "As soon as (Janis) opened the blind, you could see the flames." The couple collected some things and were out of the house about three-and-a-half three-and-a -half minutes after they heard the explosion, they said. The Vanderputtes joined several neighbors in the parking lot of the Leppink's store, 17717 174th Ave., for about an hour before returning home. William Treece, who lives on Third Street, said he thought a branch had fallen on his roof before police knocked on his door to inform him of the explosion. "It was just one quick boom," he said. "It was loud enough to wake me up out of a sound sleep." Another neighbor on Carmen Drive, Jon Vink, didn't evacuate he said he was worried the fire would spread.

—

but

"It was so loud your ears were ringing in bed," he said. "You don't sleep through something like that." Olthof said the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety duty sergeant reported hearing the explosion from the department's building on Washington Avenue. "It shook a few windows," Olthof said. The tank had just been emptied on Friday, Olthof said, and only about 2 inches of material remained inside it. The cause of the explosion is being investigated by a CITGO Exxon Mobil team, but it is believed a malfunction with some heat tape insulation initially sparked the blaze, Olthof said. There was no one at the terminal when the explosion occurred, Olthof said, and no one was hurt in the incident. The fire department was aided by prior knowledge of the facility, Olthof said, and the oil company has allowed the firefighters to take yearly tours of the depot and make plans for an incident like what happened Sunday ahead of time. Olthof said Sunday's explosion was the first incident that he can remember in 24 years. "They have an excellent safety record," he said of the oil company. An employee at the terminal this morning declined to comment on the explosion. Source .

Copyright © grandhaventr grandhaventribune.com. ibune.com. at 01:23 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , e x p l o s i o n , f i r e , f i r e f i g h t e r s , g a s , U SA




Explosion at Ferrysburg Citgo depot rocks neighborhood Hundreds of residents in Ferrysburg, Spring Lake and Grand Haven reported feeling the explosion and seeing flames shoot up to 70 feet in the air. Ferrysburg Fire Chief Mike Olthof said the department responded to the explosion at the Citgo Buckeye Terminal in the 500 block of Third Street shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday. A 10,000-gallon water/oil separator tank had exploded, sending debris around the property. No one was at the property at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported, fire investigators said. "Initially, when we arrived, there were flames 70 feet high," Olthof said. "But we had it knocked down in 15-20 minutes." "It looked a little worse than it was," Olthof said, adding that the tank only had about 2 inches of mixture. Several residents in the area opted to evacuate, Olthof said, although he wasn't sure of the exact number. Edward and Brenda Olger opted to stay home because they saw that the fire was extinguished quickly. "My wife looked outside and could see the flames," Edward Olger said. "But by the time you could count to 20 (the fire department) was already there." No attempt was made to evacuate nearby residents because fire investigators did not believe the incident posed any danger, Olthof said. The fire department is familiar with the Citgo property and knew the tank's location and what it was used for, he said. The tank is deep inside the Citgo property, so there was no danger of debris striking nearby properties, Olthof said. "We work closely with the terminal people, and they keep very good safety records," Olthof said. "There was no danger." As of Sunday night, no cause had been identified. But Olthof said the problem may have been a blanket of insulation on the outside of the tank that is supposed to keep the tank from freezing. "There may have been a malfunction," he said. No damage estimates to the facility have been released yet, Olthof said. Source .

© 2008 Michigan Online LLC. at 03:00 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , e x p l o s i o n , f i r e , U SA

Friday, 13 February 2009

Molt en metal explosions - safety alert



The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety alert to industry after a Polish worker died from multiple organ failure after suffering 80% burns caused by a molten metal explosion which occurred at an induction furnace melting ferro-titanium. R ea ea d t h e m o l t e n m e t a l e x p l o s i o n s s a f e t y a l e r t. at 06:31 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , a d v i c e , a l e r t , b u r n s , e x p l o s i o n , f a t a l i t y , H SE

National Tinnitus Week The Health and Safety Executive is supporting National Tinnitus Week, which raises awareness of tinnitus (buzzing, ringing or tone in the ear), a distressing condition that is common in the music and entertainment entertainme nt industry. The music and entertainmen entertainmentt industry, supported by HSE and Environmentall Health Officers have developed practical advice on Environmenta controlling noise at work in the music and entertainment sectors Sound Advice. V i s it i t t h e S o u nd n d A d v i c e w e b s it it e . at 06:29 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a d v i c e , c a m p a i g n , e n v i r o n m e n t a l h e a l t h , H SE , n o i s e, t i n n i t u s

Food manufacture injury statistics L a t e s t s t a t i s t i c s f o r 2 0 0 7 /8 /8 - i n j u r y r a t e c o m p a r i s o n s f o r f o o d m a n u fa f a c t u r i n g w o r k p l a c e s. at 06:27 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f o o d , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , H SE , i n j u r y

Is poultry dust making you ill? The Health and Safety Executive has produced a pocket card for workers in the poultry farming industry, providing simple breathing protection advice for employees. V i ew ew p o c k e t c a r d . at 06:25 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: f a r m , g u i d a n c e , h e a l t h , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , H SE , PPE PP E , RP E



European chemical legislation Proposed European legislation ‘Regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (Regulation (EC) no. 1272/2008) ’ is now ‘under implementatio implementation n ’. F i nd nd o u t m o r e a b o u t t h e r e g u l a t i o n. at 05:29 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: c h e m i c a l s , EU , l e g i s l a t i o n


Preventing Occupational Accidents in Europe Around 5 million employees per year are estimated to suffer from work-related accidents involving ‘over-3-day’ absence from work, and a further 5,500 are killed in the European Union (EU). [1. The average estimated number of fatal occupational accidents was 350,000 and there were 264 million non-fatal accidents in 1998, according to the International Labor Organisation (ILO). [2] Given the magnitude of the problem, well-designed prevention strategies are needed. Accident investigation stands as a significant way to prevent occupational accidents because it clarifies accident causation factors and mechanisms. Unfortunately, in the EU, the official accident investigation practices Unfortunately, and methods vary between countries and even within the same country, and a formal documented structural procedure is absent. [3] Of all of the EU member states, the central authorities of the Nordic countries provide Labor Inspectorss with books or manuals on how the investigation should be performed in the country ’s own language. Austria, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have guidelines (although they are not regarded as formal methods), but Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Greece are examples of countries where a written guidance does not exist. R e a d f u l l a r t i c l e f r o m O H S On On l i n e . at 01:48 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , EU , f a t a l i t y , g u i d a n c e , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y

PP E hazards part of $225,000 fine against industrial painting firm OSHA has proposed a total of $225,000 in fines against Certified Painting Co. Inc. in Alsip, Ill., for an alleged eight willful and nine serious violations of federal workplace safety standards. The agency's investigation, opened in July 2008, cited the company for failure to have proper carbon monoxide monitoring devices; to provide and ensure workers were using personal protective clothing; to provide



required hygiene facilities and ensure workers conducted required hygiene practices after possible exposure to lead or other hazardous materials; and to provide U.S. Coast Guard-approve Guard-approved d life jackets and have a lifesaving skiff immediately available at locations where employees were working over or adjacent to water. The company also was cited for failure to provide proper fall protection and equipment for employees working on scaffolding; to maintain a safety and health program; to provide a required training program prior to employees being exposed to lead; and to conduct regular inspections of the jobsite by a competent person. "Failing to practice required OSHA safety and health standards is detrimental to the welfare of American workers," said Gary Anderson, director of the agency's area office in Calumet City, Ill. "Any employer that is committed to providing a safe place of work can avoid employee injuries and fatalities by following OSHA's regulations." Certified Painting performs industrial painting on bridges and other construction projects throughout throughout the state of Illinois. The company has been inspected by OSHA 16 times and has been cited for safety and health violations more than 100 times since 1976, according to the agency. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the latest citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Source .

Copyright 2009 1105 Media Inc. at 01:45 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , c a r b o n m o n o x i d e , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , m a n a g e m e n t , OSHA , s a f e t y

Firms fined £80,000 after concrete death By Olivia Boyd HSE says simple risk planning would have prevented the accident and cost nothing The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has urged the industry to plan work more carefully to reduce risk following the prosecution of two firms over a fatal accident. UCS Civils of Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, and Pochin Concrete Pumping of Middlewich in Cheshire were each fined £40,000 following the incident, in which 41-year-old construction worker Michael Broughton was killed while pouring concrete. In December 2003, a suspended hose whipped violently when a concrete pump was restarted on an office site at Redhouse Interchange in Doncaster, fatally injuring Broughton and throwing another man some distance. After the hearing, HSE inspector Rob Cooper said: “This case highlights the need to fully consider all the risks involved when planning work and putting in place measures to control the risk. “The

precautions that should have been adopted were as simple as to



ensure that no one stood close to the end of the flexible delivery hose until concrete was flowing smoothly from it - something which would have not added any significant cost or time to the work. ” Since the accident, industry body the C o ns n s t r u c t i o n P la l a n t -h -h i r e A s s o c i a t i o n (CPA) has published a code of practice for the safe use of concrete pumps. The HSE said that all contractors and machine operators should now be familiar with the guidance. UCS Civils and Pochin Concrete Pumping were ordered to pay costs of £31,600 and £45,000 respectively. Source .

© Building 2008 at 01:23 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a t a l i t y , f i n e , H SE , p r o s e c u t i o n , r i s k assessments

Site death co-work ers had not read instruction manual By Sophie Griffiths Inquest reveals scissor-grab machine that killed construction worker was being used inappropriate inappropriately ly None of the workers for a contractor whose employee was killed in a machine accident had read the safety guide for how to operate it, an inquest has heard. The fatality occurred in Bradford in 2007, when Steven Allen died on the construction of a new waste recycling plant, after becoming trapped by a Probst scissor-grab machine. The inquest into the death heard that the machine had been used to lift bags of concrete, despite the manual strictly prohibiting its use for anything other than concrete blocks, according to reports by the Telegraph and Argus. The newspaper said that no staff had received training for the use of the machine, nor had anybody been appointed as a slinger or banksman during the lifting operation. UK Health and Safety Executive inspector Catherine Rimmer also informed the inquest that a certificate showing the competence of the lift operator, David Akrigg, was two years out of date. Source .

© Building 2008 at 01:20 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a t a l i t y , H SE , m a n a g e m e n t , s a f e s y s t e m of work , training



New Y ork to get new safety law law s By Emily Wright City's Department of Building to spend £3.6m enforcing rules New safety rules for construction in New York have been announced this week with $5.3m (£3.6m) a year being ploughed into the enforcement of the regulations. New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) commissioner Robert LiMandri has announced 41 recommendations to change the way high risk construction will be regulated in the city. These changes are based on a $4m study s tudy of construction in the city which saw engineers and construction experts make 600 visits to job sites around New York. The Department of Buildings then held conferences with crane manufacturers manufacturer s and building officials to discuss the findings. The recommendations recommendatio ns which have been released as a result relate to crane, hoist, excavation and concrete operations. It is understood that work will start on enforcing these changes in the next few months. Nine people died in crane collapses last year in New York and 22 of the recommendations relate to crane safety. There are nine key rules which have been made to prevent crane related deaths and accidents in the future. They are: o The city should establish a tracking system for tower crane components, including the turntable, A-frame, machine deck, climbing frame and basic boom section o The DOB should establish a register of Occupational Safety and Health Administration-qualified Administration-qualified inspectors to carry out crane inspections o There should be oversight of crane erection, dismantling and jumping (climbing) o The department should require strict adherence with load test protocols, according to the manufacturer manufacturer's 's recommendations. o There should be technical oversight of tower crane tie-ins, and of tower crane foundations o There should be an identification system for tower crane counterweights, counterweight s, and stronger requirements for bolted connections o There should be enhanced standards for crane prototype application, with a new designation of Approved Manufacturer o There should be additional safety requirements for older equipment and cranes not supported by the manufacturer. o There should be new standards for crane maintenance and repair. The $5.3m budget increase has been made to fund 63 new positions for oversight and enforcement of construction safety regulations. Source .

© Building 2008 at 01:18 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: c o n c r e t e , c o n s t r u c t i o n , c r a n e , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (24 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


U SA

Man crushed to death on site in Scotland By Sophie Griffiths Labourer on site of Lidl store was airlifted to hospital after accident A man has been crushed to death on a building site in Stevenston, Scotland. The 59-year-old was critically injured while working on the site of the new Lidl store, the Ardrossan Herald reports. The incident happened last week. The man was airlifted to a hospital in Dundee, and medics battled to save his life, but he died on Saturday. A post mortem is being carried out to establish the cause of death. Source .

© Building 2008 at 01:16 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , c o n s t r u c t i o n , f a t a l i t y , S c o t l a n d

Vigil planned outside inquest int o construction site death By Sophie Griffiths Campaign group Families Against Corporate Killers will join victim's family in vigil to highlight rise in site deaths The family of a worker fatally injured on a building site is to hold a vigil outside the inquest into his death. Steven Allen, 23, of Keighley in Yorkshire, died from injuries sustained while working on construction of a waste recycling site in Bradford in March 2007. His head became trapped after an incomplete load of bags on a pallet slipped as it was being lifted by a block grab. The victim's mother, Judith Allen, will be joined in the vigil by safety campaign group Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) and members of Bradford Area Safety Reps Association. It is being held to highlight a national increase in construction site fatalities. Judith Allen has been fighting for her son's death to be investigated thoroughly by the police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and is hoping that unanswered questions will be addressed in the inquest. The HSE investigated the accident and its report will be heard today http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (25 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


and tomorrow. She said: “I still do not know exactly how and why my son came to die. I am not sure the investigation into his death - whether the safety procedures and systems on site were good enough to protect workers - has been thorough enough.” The HSE has not made a decision on whether it will prosecute for health and safety offences and the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to undertake a manslaughter prosecution. prosecution. Hilda Palmer, facilitator of FACK, said: “Employers in the industry, the HSE as enforcers of H&S law, and the government, need not only to hear the views of the families of those who pay the ultimate burden for the lack of health and safety, but to take action on them and tighten up safety on sites before more workers are unnecessarily killed.” Earlier this week, Bradford MP Terry Rooney chaired a meeting that questioned Rita Donaghy, head of the inquiry into construction, about how it is progressing. Source .

© Building 2008 at 01:14 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: c a m p a i g n , c o n s t r u c t i o n , f a t a l i t y , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , H SE


HSE Guidance Generic prior authorisation certificates issued for x-ray machines and accelerators. Regulation 5 of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRR99) has, from 13 May 2000, placed a legal duty on radiation employers, to have written permission from HSE before carrying out specified operations. However, the overwhelming majority of employers should be able to meet all the conditions in the relevant generic authorisation (GA), in which case authorisation is automatic: the employer does not have to apply to the HSE, and no action is required by HSE. Employers will only need to apply to HSE for individual authorisation authorisation where these conditions cannot be met. An employer who believes that an individual authorisation under the Regulations is required, may wish to discuss the issue with the local HSE Inspector, who will advise. All applications for individual authorisations should be made to the local office. The practices covered by Regulation 5 are: * the use of accelerators (other than electron microscopes); * the use of x ray machines for the following specific purposes: * industry radiography; * the processing of products; * research; or * x raying of patients for medical treatment. treatment. HSE has published two GA certificates, covering certain uses of x-ray http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (26 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


machines and accelerators (other than electron microscopes). The first certificate of generic authorisation covers the use of accelerators and the second covers the use of x ray machines. Both authorisations specify certain conditions which must be met before the GA will apply. X-rays Accelerators at 08:31 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: g u i d a n c e , H SE , i o n i s i n g r a d i a t i o n , IRR99 , x - r a y

Campaign highlight s danger of slipping Bosses and workers are being warned about the dangers of slips and falls in the workplace after such incidents led to 61 deaths and more than 14,000 serious injuries last year The H e a l t h a n d Sa Sa f e t y E x e c u t i v e (HSE) is launching the second phase of its S h a t t e r e d L i v e s campaign to highlight the sometimes fatal consequences of accidents in the workplace and to encourage employers to take action. Head of the HSE Injury Reduction Programme, Marcia Davies, said: "People often view slips, trips and falls as trivial incidents, even comical, but they are no joke to those who suffer major injuries, a lifetime of disability, time off work and, in the worst cases, death. "We want to raise awareness of how these incidents can happen and how they can be easily avoided by taking common-sense actions and precautions at no or little cost. If you spot a hazard in your workplace, deal with it, don't assume that somebody else will. She said lives can be shattered by the consequences of these types of accidents, and simple measures introduced by firms could make a "positive difference to safety in the workplace". Fatalities and serious injuries arising from falls cost Britain an estimated £700 million last year. Source .

Copyright © Press Association 2009 at 08:16 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , c a m p a i g n , f a l l s , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , H SE , s l i p s, t r i p s

Im perial Sugar CEO reflects reflects on explosion A year ago today Imperial Sugar C.E.O. John Sheptor was in the midst of a tragedy. Eight of his employees were missing and many more were injured after an explosion rocked one of his company ’s Port Wentworth Plant.



Only on the job for a couple weeks Sheptor was about to face what he calls the longest and most memorable year of his life. News Three’s Alice Massimi sat down to speak with him about the ups and downs and the future of Imperial Sugar. Inside the refinery the night of the explosion he knows first hand the terror of the night. “I

was in the factory with three other managers. We heard the first explosion looked at each other and within seconds the second explosion that knocked us all to the floor. ” While some would see him as just a suit, John Sheptor feels the loss of fourteen employees. Fourteen friends now memorialized at Legacy Park. “Very

emotional to walk around to each of the podiums and read the names remember the faces remember the families.” It’s a year in which he will also recall the trials of not just dealing with loss but in trying to rebuild a company but he adds it ’s the plans to rebuild that keep him and his employees going. “It’s

the hope that all of that represents that this factory is going to be brought back to life from the tragedy that we all lived through. We are preparing a business that will support this community for the generations to come. ” Admitting this past year has felt like ten he says it ’s a year he in which he experienced the warmth and care of a community. “It

will be the year I will always remember as the most demanding and at times the most rewarding with experiencing true humanity and brotherly love.” Sheptor says he expects to have the sugar refinery at the plant up and running within the next couple of weeks. While many other businesses have been taking a financial hit Sheptor says people always need sugar. Source .

©2009 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. at 04:13 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , e x p l o s i o n , f a t a l i t y , i n j u r y , U SA


Firm fined over asbestos in skip The boss of a skip hire company has been forced to pay out more than £5,000 after he was caught storing cancer-causing material without the proper licence. The case was brought to court after Environment Agency officers discovered cement-bonded asbestos at a waste transfer station known as Stainers Yard, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. Salisbury magistrates heard that site operator Robert Maidment had



been paid by a roofing firm to transport the asbestos to a landfill site for safe disposal, but he had instead moved it to his own premises - in breach of the regulations. Mr Maidment, of Gillingham, Dorset, was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £2,048 costs after admitting breaching his site operator's environmental permit and the Environmenta Environmentall Permitting Regulations 2007. Emily Pitts from the Environment Agency said: "Because of its hazardous nature, asbestos must be handled with great care and only kept at sites with suitable facilities. The defendant had been warned by the agency about the illegal storage of asbestos at Stainers Yard, yet chose to ignore our advice." Source .

Copyright © Press Association 2009 at 04:03 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a s b e s t o s , E n vi vi r o n m e n t A g e n c y , f i n e , l a n d f i l l

Harry Pott er set to remain closed Filming of the new Harry Potter film will continue to be postponed until the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) completes its investigations into an accident which left a stuntman badly injured. David Holmes, a stunt double for the film's star Daniel Radcliffe, was taken to hospital after sustaining serious back injuries while practising an aerial sequence on the set at the Leavesden studios near Watford, Hertfordshire. Mr Holmes, 25, from Romford, was taken to Watford General Hospital but was later transferred to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, in Stanmore, north west London. A spokesman for the HSE said: "The HSE investigation is ongoing. The set has been cordoned off and will not be used again until we have finished that part of our investigation." Source .

Copyright © Press Association 2009 at 02:31 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , b a c k i n j u r i e s , H SE , i n v e s t i g a t i o n

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Six injured in pow er plant explosion OAK CREEK — Six people were injured in an explosion and fire Tuesday morning at the Oak Creek Power Plant. The explosion in the plant ’s coal handling facility was reported shortly before 11 a.m. It started a fire in a silo used to collect coal dust. Six http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (29 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


contractors were in the area at the time. Five people went directly to Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee for treatment. One person, in critical condition, was transported to the hospital Tuesday afternoon after receiving initial treatment at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa. Officials have not yet released the names of the injured parties. The explosion and subsequent fire happened in plant ’s coal handling facility, which serves both the old power plant and the new expansion area, said We Energies spokeswoman Irissol Arce. She did not know what, if any, effect the fire would have on the plant ’s coal supply but said they don’t expect any problems. We Energies has 350 employees at the plant, Arce said, not including contractors and subcontractors who work there. There are about 2,600 people working at the plant, which is currently undergoing a massive expansion, according to the company ’s Web site. During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, We Energies and Oak Creek Fire Department officials described what happened: Oak Creek firefighters received a call for service at We Energies just before 11 a.m., saying that there had been an explosion. The Oak Creek Fire Department responded with a full assignment, and requested help from other departments as needed. At least 15 other departments — including several from Racine County — assisted with rescue and fire personnel and equipment. Oak Creek Assistant Fire Chief Tom Rosandich said the fire started with an explosion in a dust collector, which collects residual coal dust after coal is dumped into the hopper. There were six contractors working in the silo at the time of the explosion, officials said, putting up scaffolding and preparing to do pipe repair work. The workers are employees of Safway, a subcontractor for Automated Fire Protection. Flight for Life transported two of the injured workers, one to ColumbiaSt. Mary’s and one to Froedtert. Columbia-St. Mary ’s has a burn unit. Kathy Schmitz, a spokeswoman for Columbia-St. Mary ’s, said all the victims are men between the ages of 22 and 43. Two were treated and released. Three were in fair condition and one was in critical condition as of Tuesday night. Schmitz said the five men who had come directly to Columbia-St. Mary’s received burns to about 10 percent of their bodies, including to their faces, hands and back. They were also treated for smoke inhalation, she said. “Our

prayers and thoughts go out to those individuals and their families,” said Barry McNulty, a spokesman for We Energies. The dust collection silo the contractors were working in was built in November 2007, and was designed to withstand an incident like this with blow-out panels that release internal pressure after an explosion, McNulty said. He said the plant is stable and continues to operate; there were no interruptions interruption s in power service due to the explosion. Construction work at the site was not disrupted, nor was work at the power plant, McNulty said. McNulty said a full investigation will be done, not only by the fire department, but also the Occupational Safety and Health http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (30 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


Administration and likely other regulatory agencies like the Public Administration Service Commission of Wisconsin. Officials interviewed workers who were in the general vicinity of the explosion and fire. Rosandich said the entire fire was contained within the silo and that it was knocked down within an hour of initial response. Personnel remained on scene for several hours, checking for hot spots. Source .

Copyright 2008, The Journal Times at 07:23 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , e x p l o s i o n , f i r e , i n j u r y , U SA

Violent video gam es 'may save lives' A computer scientist believes that violent video games could be the answer to saving lives in the workplace. Games such as Doom 3 and Half Life 2 could be altered to make 3D fire safety simulators, meaning that "real" buildings such as offices and factories could be created and users would be able to practise facing emergency scenarios. Scientists at D u r ha h a m U n i v e r s i t y have researched the modifying of the games' software and believe that the programs could be produced relatively easily and cheaply. The findings were published in the F i re r e S a f e t y J o u r n a l , which said that simulations would highlight any problems with a building's layout, as well as inform people of the evacuation procedure. Lead author Dr Shamus Smith said: "Although virtual environment toolkits are available, they usually only provide a subset of the tools needed to build complete virtual worlds. Although you can create fire and smoke for example, it is not very straightfor straightforward. ward. "In order to include these features using toolkits, it often requires additional programming skills and a substantial time investment on the part of the developer. "By using readily available computer games, these features can be very easily simulated and are obviously vital in creating a virtual fire evacuation scenario." Source .

Copyright © Press Association 2009 at 03:34 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: e v a c u a t i o n , f i r e , h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y , s a f e t y , simulation

Tuesday, 3 February 200 9



HSE w arn of dangers of using concrete diggers after man suffers burns The H e a l t h a n d Sa Sa f e t y E x e c u t i v e (H SE ) is demanding that companies follow safe working practices when using mechanical equipment. The call follows HSE's prosecution of Trains (Rochdale) Limited after a worker received burns to his left hand and arm when he hit a live electrical cable. The company was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,000 at Trafford Magistrates Court after being found guilty of breaching section 4(3) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. On 8 August 2007 an employee of Trains (Rochdale) Ltd, was operating a mechanical breaker (which breaks up concrete), at Nuttall Street, Rochdale. He was attempting to install a post and rail fence around a car park owned by Trains (Rochdale) Limited, located on the site of a row of demolished terrace houses. While breaking up the concrete he struck a buried live electrical cable receiving burns to his left hand and arm. HSE investigating inspector Rosemary Leese-Weller said: "This incident was easily avoidable. The employer had failed to provide plans of underground electrical cables and did not carry out scans of the area to locate any buried services. "If the company had simply provided the plans, undertaken the scans and located the cable, digging in the area could have been avoided and this incident would never have occurred." The HSE investigation showed that Trains (Rochdale) Limited failed to provide the employee with a copy of service plans, nor did it carry out a scan of the area which would have identified underground underground electrical cables. Source . at 02:17 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: b u r n s , c o n c r e t e , e l e c t r i c i t y , f i n e , H SE , s a f e s y s t e m of work

Flash-bang science back in the classroom S c h o o l s c i e n c e t e a c h e r s a r e b e i n g u r ge ge d t o s t o p u s i n g a f e a r o f b r e a k i n g h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y r u l e s t o r e -i -i n t r o d u c e exc iting and engaging pract ical classroom demonstrations.

Judith Hackitt CBE, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive ( H SE ) supported this message today [Tuesday 27 January] when she demonstrated to a classroom of children the principles of combustion by setting her hands alight - safely. Judith and Dr David Brown, Chief Executive of the I n s t i t u t i o n o f C h e m i c a l E n g i n e e r s (I C h e m E ), performed ‘The Flaming Hands' science demonstrations, one of IChemE's safe, risk-assessed ‘Top 10 Flash Bang Demos' in a bid to encourage more engaging, hands-on science lessons in schools. http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (32 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


HSE's Chair, Judith Hackitt said: "I fully support IChemE's and Government's initiatives to bring science to life by integrating these sort of classroom demonstrations that make children excited about science - ‘flash-bang' makes it enjoyable and memorable. "This demonstrates to teachers that they can do more exciting classroom lessons without unduly worrying about health and safety. "Classroom demos can be spectacular and safe, and here are 10 of them that can be easily downloaded and put into lessons - as hundreds of other teachers have done because they've already been fully risk-assessed. So, no excuses!" By releasing methane into a bubble mix solution of soap solution, glycerol and distilled water, Hackitt and Brown were able to set alight the bubbles on their hands, safely displaying the scientific principles of combustion. The demo campaign was launched in October 2008 after Schools and Learning Minister, J i m K n i g ht h t called for ‘more flash-bang science in the classroom'. Since its launch, there have been more than 11,000 downloads of the demonstration videos and more than 8,000 downloads of the supporting instruction sheets. The demonstrations encourage science teachers to add greater practical focus to their lessons. David Brown says that better science lessons means better student uptake in further education: "The best way to learn science is to DO science. Practical demonstrations demonstratio ns are far more appealing and likely to stick in the mind than learning it from a textbook. "Ensuring school science lessons are interesting, memorable and fun will persuade more school children to stick with science and consider studying science or engineering subjects at university." The campaign has already gained support from former BBC Tomorrow's World presenter, K a t e B e l l i ng n g h a m , who now works as a National STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Careers Coordinator: "I am really impressed with the videos. I will show them to schools' science staff who ask what they can do to inspire their students." IChemE's whynotchemeng initiative launched in 2001 to tackle a growing shortage of students opting to study chemical engineering at UK universities. Since the campaign's launch, applications to study the subject have risen by over 70% and student intake has doubled. Source . at 02:14 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: c a m p a i g n , H SE , s a f e t y , s c i e n c e

Plane slides on to grass at Heathrow An aircraft slid on to the grass at Heathrow after heavy snow affected many of the country's airports. http://handsnews.blogspot.c http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_0 om/2009_02_01_archive.h 2_01_archive.html tml (33 of 39) [24/03/2009 [24/03/2009 14:23:51]


A Cyprus Air plane was taxiing at the airport when its front wheel "went on to the grass" said a B A A spokeswoman. Passengers were on board, but no one was injured in the incident, she added. There were more than 250 cancellations after Heathrow temporarily closed both its runways and other flights were delayed. A spokesman for B A A , which runs Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton Southampto n and others, said: "Due to the current adverse weather conditions all B A A airports in the South East are experiencing significant delays and cancellations. "With bus and rail services affected and difficult road conditions across the country, please take extra care and time if you do intend travelling to the airport." S o u t h a m p t o n A i r p o r t and L e e d s B r a d f o r d I n t e r n a t i o n a l closed their runways and S t a n s t e d and G a t w i c k reported delays

and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before setting off from home. Source .

Copyright © Press Association 2009 at 02:12 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a i r p o r t , H e a t h r o w , s a f e t y , s n o w , w e a t h e r

Council fined over impaled child A child's injuries caused when he was impaled on a tree branch after falling down a culvert has led to a council and nursery being fined for safety offences. The child, a four-year-old boy on a Nursery Holiday Club outing, slipped 24 metres down the unprotected water channel in Stamford Park, Ashton under Lyne, and sustained serious internal injuries. T a m e s i d e M e t r o p o l i t a n C o u n c i l admitted two safety charges at

Manchester Crown Court, and was fined £25,000 with £23,565 costs. Trafford magistrates had previously fined Clockwork Day Nursery, of Ashton under Lyne, £21,000 with £6,779.10 costs. Health and Safety Executive inspector Catherine Willars said: "These cases are not about stopping children having fun. Thousands of similar trips take place up and down the country safely every year. Outings can be important for children's development - it keeps them fit, helps them learn social skills and a sense of responsibility. "However, there is an obligation to protect vulnerable people from dangers. This was a serious incident that could have easily been avoided had simple, sensible precautions been taken by the nursery and the Council." Source .



Copyright © Press Association 2009 at 02:10 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f i n e , H SE , i n j u r y , T a m e s i d e M e t r o p o l i t a n Council

Firm fined £150k over driver's death A Liverpool shipping firm has been fined £150,000 over the death of one of its drivers, who was crushed when a load of steel he was transporting shifted and punched through the back of his cab. Coastal Container Line, which had earlier pleaded guilty to breaches of the H e a l t h a n d S af a f e t y a t W o r k A c t , was also ordered to pay costs of £26,732 at Liverpool Crown Court. The accident happened on 14 September 2006 at Seaforth docks in Bootle, when Lawrence Allen, 37, was driving an HGV and trailer loaded with about 25 tonnes of sheet steel. Mr Allen was moving the steel between Gladstone Steel Terminal and the quayside, using roads within the dock complex. As he slowed his vehicle on approach to a roundabout the load shifted and the sheet steel slid forwards and punched through the back of the cab, pinning him between his seat and the steering wheel. Mr Allen suffered crush injuries and died at the scene. Health and Safety Executive Inspector Kevin Jones, speaking after the court hearing, commented: "The investigation identified a number of failings including a lack of planning and inadequate training for drivers. A key factor was the practice not to secure s ecure the steel but to rely upon the weight of the steel and friction to hold the load in place while the vehicle was moving." Source .

Copyright © Press Association 2009 at 02:08 0 c o m m e n t s Labels: a c c i d e n t , f a t a l i t y , f i n e , H SE , HSWA , L i v e r p o o l , s a f e system of work

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Health and Safety Case Law Health and Safety News is building a list of references to case law which has influenced to current legal position regarding Health and Safety matters. Armour v Skeen A d s e t t v K & L St St e e l F o u n d e r s a n d En g i n e e r s L t d Byrne v Boadle More case law .

Safety Data Health and Safety News is compiling a collection of chemical safety data - these pages contain key safety information for each chemical. If you intend to use the chemical, it is strongly suggested that you obtain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from your supplier to supplement the data given here, before starting work but these pages will give you a brief introduction to the risks and precautions related to the chemical. Abamectin A b i et et i c a c i d Acetamide Additional Safety Data pages. A d d M e - S e a r c h E n g i n e Op Op t i m i z a t i o n A d d Y o u r U R L Di Di r e c t o r y

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