Cheshire Construction Company guilty of Bricklayer’s Death
A Cheshire construction company has been prosecuted following a fatal accident in 2011 at a site in Wimslow.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Edgemere Projects Ltd of Tarporley, Cheshire, was the main contractor at a construction site in Wilmslow when on 7 January 2011, Andrew Dytiche aged 23, sustained fatal crush injuries when a pack of bricks fell on him.
An HSE investigation found that the storage of materials was poorly organised and pallets used to store and move bricks around the site were also in poor condition.
Edgemere Projects Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) & 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £97,500 with £300,000 costs.
To Read the Full Article on the HSE Website, click HERE
Risk profiling is here and it means business
Do you get confused with all that terminology that’s bandied about? I certainly do. In the modern world with the internet being a dumping ground for everyone’s thoughts (including mine, I admit, writing this) over the expanse of time, over the planet (well, mostly just the western nations because the East is far too sensible), over all the industries and disciplines you can’t blame a chap for being presented with subtle variations of something you thought you understood. Thus it is with risk profiling and risk assessment.
To my simple mind, I had always assumed they were different, because I’ve met profiling in more of a business context. And profiling to me has always meant a higher level description, so you get the essential features. But it turns out in many documents I’ve read (including HSG65) that where they just used to say ‘risk assessment’ they now say ‘risk profiling’. Are these the same or different?
To Read the Full Article on the SHPonline Website, click HERE
Tougher health and safety sentencing guidelines come into force
Tough new sentencing guidelines that could see much higher fines imposed for breaching health and safety law have come into force.
The guidelines from the Sentencing Council introduce three key factors in determining fines: the degree of harm caused, the culpability of the offender and the turnover of the offending organisation. Courts will consider aggravating factors, such as cost-cutting at the expense of safety, as well as mitigating factors, such as a previously good health and safety record.
It is the first time that crown courts and magistrates courts in England and Wales have been required to follow comprehensive sentencing guidelines for health and safety, corporate manslaughter and food safety and hygiene offences.
Neal Stone, policy and standards director at the British Safety Council, said the change is “long overdue”.
To Read the Full Article on the Builder and Engineer Website, click HERE
Fine after dangerous work over West End street
A company which manufactures and installs windows has been fined £36,000 after carrying out unsafe work in the West End of London . A member of the public alerted the HSE after it became clear that there were no measures to prevent workers falling eight metres and after part of a window was dropped onto the public area below.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard Ideal Glazing (Euro) Ltd carried out window installation work at Aldford House, Park Street, London, between 19 and 20 January 2015 that put their workers and members of the public at risk of suffering serious injuries or a fatality.
The HSE carried out an investigation into the work after a member of the public provided photos of workers leaning out of window openings eight metres above the ground. They also provided a video showing the workers dropping part of a window which fell to the ground and missed a nearby pedestrian.
To Read the Full Article on the SHPonline Website, click HERE
Firm fined after fatality at waste recycling site
A scrap metal recycling company based in Sheffield has been fined for safety failings after a worker was killed when he was hit in the head by an exploding gas cylinder.
Sheffield Crown Court heard how Tony Johnson, aged 55, was working at the Walter Heselwood recycling site on 16 June 2009 when a pressurised gas cylinder was put through a shearing machine causing it to explode. A large section of the cylinder hit Mr Johnson in the head causing fatal injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found a number of safety failures by Walter Heselwood Limited. They had no effective health and safety management system in place and failed to adequately assess the risks involved with processing different types of scrap material. The company also failed to put in place a range of measures to reduce the risks, for example by providing a blast wall.
To Read the Full Article on the HSE Website, click HERE
Star Wars prosecuted over Harrison Ford injury
The production company behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens is being prosecuted over the incident in which Harrison Ford broke his leg.
The actor was struck by a hydraulic metal door on the Pinewood set of the Millennium Falcon in June 2014.
The Health And Safety Executive has brought four criminal charges against Foodles Production (UK) Ltd – a subsidiary of Disney.
Foodles Production said it was “disappointed” by the HSE’s decision.
Following the incident, Ford was airlifted to hospital for surgery.
To Read the Full Article on the BBC Website, click HERE