Recycling company fined after worker injury
A West Yorkshire recycling company has been fined after batteries weighing at least 300kg fell onto an employee.
On 22 March 2019, the man was working with two colleagues at the site in Halifax when he was struck by batteries being recycled. The three workers had been restacking the batteries that were stored in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) after a stack had toppled over. The FIBCs started to rip in front of them, leading to the batteries falling onto one of the workers.
The worker suffered a double compound fracture to his lower right leg, a fracture to the left tibia, a fractured right collar bone, some bruising to his ribs and a cut on his forehead.
An HSE investigation found that Wastecare Limited had failed to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of its employees at work. The site was overstocked, bags of batteries had been stacked in an unsafe manner and there were no specific documented risk assessments or safe systems of work for the correct stacking and storage of batteries. This was not an isolated incident.
HSE guidance states that FIBCs must not be stacked, unless the FIBC is designed to be stacked and only then this should the FIBCs be stacked in either a pyramid form or against two walls.
Breach
Wastecare Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974:
Penalty
Wastecare Limited was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £4,937.39 in costs.
Bedding manufacturer fined after employees suffer serious injuries
A bedding manufacturer has been fined after two employees were seriously injured during separate incidents at its site. Both incidents saw both workers undergo amputations.
The first incident took place on 29 March 2020 and was on the first day the employee was working on the line. The worker had been instructed to clean the measuring wheel on a cutting machine. He climbed onto the conveyer belt, but the cutting machine had not been properly isolated from all sources of power and the machine’s clamp came down. The clamp trapped the employee’s left hand and caused the circular saw to move.
The circular saw was brought to a stop by another employee who pressed the emergency stop button. Unfortunately, this was not in time and resulted in the worker having three fingers amputated from his left hand.
On 22 October 2021, a second employee was involved in an incident while operating a quilting machine. The worker had noticed a fallen casing and attempted to place it onto the back of the machine while it was being operated. However, his gloves became tangled in the machine, causing his right hand to be dragged in. This caused lacerations and crush injuries to his right hand and resulted in the tips of two of his fingers being amputated.
HSE investigations in 2020 and 2021 found that Sartex Quilts and Textiles Limited had not guarded the machinery and had not implemented suitable and sufficient procedures to isolate machinery from power.
HSE guidance says machines should be properly switched off, isolated or locked off before taking any action to remove blockages, clean or make adjustments. Machines should also be fitted with fixed guards to enclose dangerous parts, whenever practical.
Breach
Sartex Quilts and Textiles Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998:
Penalty
Sartex Quilts and Textiles Limited was fined £251,250 and ordered to pay £6,862.63 in costs.
Farming company sentenced following worker fatality
A company involved in fruit and vegetable production has been fined after a man was killed at a site in Burscough.
On 3 January 2020, the man suffered severe, fatal head injuries when he fell from a skip at a farm operated by M.A.Forshaw Limited.
The man had been working at the site, tipping food waste into a skip from a container attached to a forklift truck. The container could not be securely attached to the forklift truck, which was known to detach from the vehicle during the procedure. As the man attempted to manually assist in the operation, he was standing on top of the skip when the container slipped from the forklift truck causing him to fall to the ground.
An HSE investigation found that M.A.Forshaw Limited had not fully assessed the risks involved in this daily task. Had they done so, the dangers would have been identified. They also failed to maintain equipment in safe working order and to properly instruct staff in safe working practices.
Companies that use work equipment must manage the risks associated with its use. Detailed guidance on the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 is available. Guidance for those using lifting equipment for work is also available.
Breach
M.A.Forshaw Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Penalty
M.A.Forshaw Limited was fined £320,000 and were ordered to pay £4,574 in costs.
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