New publications this month:
ECHA
Guidance in a nutshell: Data Sharing
This guidance document was updated during February 2017. Guidance is provided on sharing information between joint registrants of chemicals under REACH.
HSENI
Lift truck safety
This guidance document provides a checklist to ensure all reasonable steps have been taken to prevent accidents involving forklift trucks.
Essential health and safety toolkit for the smaller construction contractor
This guidance document provides a health and safety checklist for small construction sites.
Agency worker traps hand in machine
An Agency worker at Total Polyfilm Ltd’s Brighouse plant broke the little finger on his right hand while operating machinery in March 2014
The company failed to adequately manage the risk of workers being injured when operating machinery. Also it was found the workers failed to operate in the correct way of working when using this equipment.
Breach
Total Polyfilm Ltd of Walton Summit Estate in Preston, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This section states that It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure that persons not in his employment are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.
Penalty
Total Polyfilm Ltd was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £697.
Recycling company fined after worker crushed
Recresco Limited has been fined after one of their employees was injured when a door’s roller barrel fell on him due to a failure of a roller shutter door. Consequently, the employee cracked three ribs and damaged his spleen, causing him to miss eight weeks of work.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that none of the electronically operated roller shutter doors at the company’s site had been adequately maintained to keep the equipment safe.
Recresco Limited of Springvale Industrial Estate, Cwmbran pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This section states that it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
Recresco Limited was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9,944.
Building Contractor fined after workers fatal fall
A Manchester building contractor has been jailed following the death of a casual labourer who fell nearly seven metres through a fragile roof.
Saleem Hussain had been engaged by the warehouse owner, who believed him to be a competent building contractor, to carry out repair and maintenance work on the warehouse roof. He then hired two people to do the work.
The HSE found that both workers were not qualified to carry out work at height. No safety precautions were in place to protect the two men from the danger of falling through the fragile roof.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Mr Hussain failed to assess the risks or put a safe working method in place. No suitable training or equipment to work on the roof had been provided.
Saleem Hussain of Birchfields Road, Manchester pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Saleem Hussain was sentenced to 8 months immediate imprisonment.
