HSADD

Nazareth Care Charitable Trust, a registered charity, was today fined after an elderly resident of one of its care homes was fatally injured when she fell down a set of stairs.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that on 16 May 2017, Sheila Whitehead, an 87-year-old resident at Nazareth House, Hill Head, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, a care home operated by Nazareth Care Charitable Trust, fell down a stairwell. She suffered a fractured skull and subdural haemorrhage, which ultimately resulted in her death.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Nazareth Care Charitable Trust failed to identify and implement adequate measures required to control the risk of care home residents falling down the stairs. The stairwell involved in the incident consisted of a flight of six steps, which descended from the main corridor on the ground floor down to the entrance of the boiler room. It was found to lack an effective physical barrier that prevented access to the stairwell, in an environment where many residents, due to their conditions and ailments, were at an increased risk of suffering a fall.

Nazareth Care Charitable Trust of East End Road, East Finchley, London pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £40,000.

Speaking after the hearing, Nikki Jack of HSE said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures.

“Organisations should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.

HSADD SAYS: Another preventable death, with a simple solution to prevent, guess the cost per floor of less than £100.00. This needs people to think about the possible risks for the groups concerned, in this case, elderly and infirmed people who have less balance than normal.

I have spoken to both residential care establishments and Child daycare centres when advising on safety and all too often a risk shows itself and they wonder why didn’t I think of that? The short answer is that ‘Yes, you should have’!

Sourse https://press.hse.gov.uk/2019/11/05/registered-charity-fined-after-resident-of-care-home-fell-down-a-set-of-stairs-and-was-fatally-injured/

Whether you are organising a one-off event or a yearly outside even you still need to be fully compliant with all Health & Safety regulations, employee training, Risk Assessments and everything that is needed for a permanent venue – most times even more.

HSADD staff have a wealth of experience of outside events from the preparation and planning to liaise with Local Authority, fire service, Police, we have software systems that will smoothly and effortlessly record staff training and we will retain all records for four years in the event of any claims.

HSADD has industry-leading contacts that can provide a vast knowledge base and access to specialist event insurance to ensure that your event proceeds successfully.

Is this one of the sentences that always greets you when you are trying ‘improve’ your workplace systems and protect the business?

That is why we improve and continuously develop, otherwise we would still be working ‘like this’ and never improve

The University of Edinburgh has been fined for its failings which led to animal research workers, who were already sensitised to laboratory animal allergens (LAA), being at risk of suffering from adverse health effects as a result of exposure to LAA.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how the researchers both began work at the University of Edinburgh in 2003. Both declared that they were already allergic to rodents around the time of taking up these positions. Over the years both continued to work with rats and were exposed to various levels of LAA, a respiratory sensitiser and a substance hazardous to health.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that The University of Edinburgh failed to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments of the exposure to LAA, particularly when it was known that the research workers were already sensitised to LAA. They failed to ensure suitable health surveillance was carried out at regular intervals (not more than 12 months apart) and that sufficient information, instruction, supervision and training was provided to the research workers.

The University of Edinburgh of Chambers Street, Edinburgh pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2 and Section 33 (1) (a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 and was fined £10,000.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Susan Donnelly said: “This was a case of the University completely failing to grasp the importance of risk-based health surveillance.

“If the University had implemented a system of risk-based health surveillance, it would have ensured that an Occupational Health Management system was in place which would monitor worker’s fitness for work. Such systems can prevent an employee’s health condition becoming severe and life-altering.’’

HSADD SAYS: When I see cases like this one, I also think of what other industries could this issue also effect, in this case, not just animal research but NHS Labs and to a degree other trades that need LEV (Local exhaust ventilation), spray booths, welding etc. The long period sensitisation is a big problem as it can be sneaky in it’s approach, but with health monitoring, in place, it can be avoided.

Source https://press.hse.gov.uk/2019/11/01/university-fined-after-research-workers-exposed-to-risk-of-suffering-adverse-health-effects/

Follow the link to see how we view this dilemma.

Checklists are the only way you can prove that something that you say you have done has been done, so on that basis the very best system is surely the best system for your business?

An electromagnetic brake manufacturing company was sentenced today after a worker suffered serious injuries to her arm and hand when she became entangled in a spindle drilling machine.

Peterlee Magistrates’ Court heard that on 28 September 2018, Amy Howe, an employee of Stephenson Gobin Limited, was working at the company’s Bishop Auckland site. She was working on an adapted three spindle drill, used to manufacture parts for brake motors, when her gloved hand became entangled in the unguarded rotating spindle. Amy suffered serious injuries to her arm and hand including multiple fractures and the amputation of a finger. More than a year on from the incident the mother of two young children is still unable to return to work. She faces further surgery to both her hand and arm.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had carried out a risk assessment on the drill and had identified that there was a risk of entanglement on the rotating parts. However, it failed to provide guarding to the area and instead relied on employees to keep their hands away from the danger area. In addition, employees were not warned about the increased dangers of entanglement when wearing heavy-duty gloves of the type being worn at the time of the incident.

Stephenson Gobin Limited, South Church Enterprise Park, Bishop Auckland, County Durham pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £5,334 with £1,369.60 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Shuna Rank: “Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards. In this incident, a worker suffered and continues to suffer from serious, life-changing injuries which could have easily been prevented.”

HSADD SAYS; It’s a great shame that when a clear risk is actually found via the safety officer that changes are not made to implement protection

A waste recycling company has been fined after an employee lost part of his arm in a conveyor belt.

Lincoln Crown Court heard on 26 April 2015 that the employee of Mid-UK Recycling Ltd was working as a line operator in the building known as Unit 4 MRF (Material Recovery Facility). On the morning of the incident, blockages had occurred on this line and waste had become wrapped around the axle stopping a lower conveyor. It was whilst removing waste from this axle that the employee’s glove got dragged into the in-running nip between the belt and the powered roller of the conveyor. This resulted in his left arm being amputated above the elbow.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive revealed that the company had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of the conveyor. The castell key system had essentially been bypassed allowing the system to be operated in automatic mode with persons still inside the enclosure.

Mid UK Recycling Limited (now known as MUKR Limited) of Summit House, Quarrington, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8RS pleaded guilty to a breach of section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974) and was fined £1.275 million and ordered to pay costs of £45,065.59

Speaking after the hearing, HM inspector Scott Wynne said, “This incident could so easily have been avoided had the company ensured that the system designed to keep people away from dangerous machinery was properly maintained. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

HSADD SAYS – I have lost count of the number of really bad accidents in recycling plants, almost all of them stem from 1. Cost savings, 2. Lack of training, 3. Lack of understanding and the bypassing of safety systems, for which money-saving will come into it!

The fine was large in this case, although the turnover and profit are not known. The sooner Companies start to take into account the health and wellbeing of their employees the better, but I doubt this will be the last case of this nature

A ferry operator has been prosecuted after an employee sustained serious injuries when he was struck by a van being reversed out of a docked vessel.

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard that on 17 September 2017 George Ball, a pontoon traffic marshall working for Stena Line Limited was struck by a 3.5 tonne delivery van at the company’s port terminal in Birkenhead, Wirral. The van was being reversed off the Stena Lagan vessel onto the pontoon area by a port service operative.

The vehicle reversed over Mr Ball’s head and body after the initial collision had knocked him down. Mr Ball suffered multiple injuries that included numerous fractures to his skull, ribs and other bones, loss of sight in one eye. He has been left with double vision in the other eye and ongoing mental health problems.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no consideration of physical segregation of pedestrian operatives from moving vehicles when vessels were being unloaded. Stena Line Limited had failed to adequately assess the risks to pedestrians from moving vehicles and consequently put in place effective control measures leading to a safe system of work.

Stena Line Limited of Station Road, Ashford, Kent, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6576.15.

HSE inspector Rohan Lye said after the hearing, “The injuries sustained by Mr Ball, which affect him to this day, were easily preventable. The risks to pedestrians from moving vehicles is an obvious one which should have been identified and controlled.

“Had Stena Line Limited employed suitable control measures the life-changing physical and emotional injuries which continue to impact Mr Ball and his family would have been avoided.”

HSADD SAYS: You cannot disagree with HSE on this case, totally avoided and to actually prevent this would have cost them a couple of thousand pounds at most and the H&S person to just take a view on the risk.

A Health and Safety Executive prosecution is being brought following the death of an 11-year-old girl at Drayton Manor theme park.

On 9 May 2017, Evha Jannath died after falling from the park’s Splash Canyon water ride.

Drayton Manor Park Ltd of Drayton Manor Drive, Tamworth, Staffordshire will face a charge under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.

The criminal proceedings have not yet commenced, because an inquest into Evha’s death, due to be heard in November, needs to take place first.

HSADD SAY’S – there cannot be anything worse in the world than taking your child to a theme park and then not being able to take them home, it is truly heartbreaking.

From a legal perspective, the theme park will be expected to produce lots of documents and checklists to ensure that the staff have been trained and that they have complied with the equipment checks on a daily basis they will have pages and pages of A4 checklists to get together.

With www.isitchecked.com these records are not only easier to complete, faster to complete and half the costs, but they are also more thorough and cannot be lost. In addition, the Management is notified when an important check has NOT been made.

Any organisation which has children present for events or children’s clubs, childminders, have to take into account that they must keep the records until the children they are looking after are over 21 years of age, whereas a business catering for over 18’s would only be restricted to 3-4 years, in these cases a Company could be storing paper – and lots of it for 20 years plus.

https://press.hse.gov.uk/2019/10/17/drayton-manor-to-be-prosecuted-following-death-of-schoolgirl/