Health and Safety News

Health and Safety News: February 2009
Health and Safety News
powered by
work Chicago Tribune - Hospira to
cut 1450 jobs, 10% of work force
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."
http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (1 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]

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 comments
Labels: accident, fall from height, fine, head injuries, HSE,
management, risk assessments
Man dies in chain saw accident

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 comments
Labels: accident, chainsaw, fatality, tree, USA
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

employees exposed to unnecessary risk and contributed to this

unfortunate 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 comments
Labels: fine, hazard, OSHA, risk, risk assessments, USA
Government urged to act to support mesothelioma

victims
A range of events will take place throughout the UK
today (27 February) to mark Action Mesothelioma Day
2009 and raise awareness of the asbestos-related
cancer, which affects and kills thousands of people
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

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, 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 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 ‘Mesothelioma: Bob’s story’
Source.
Copyright 2004 UBM Information.

at 07:31 0 comments
Labels: asbestos, cancer, disease, ELIB, health, lung
cancer, SHP
One in three military deaths due to weak 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

Independent on Sunday, reveal that nearly 800 service personnel

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 to accidents, the vast majority of which were the result of
road-traffic incidents.
The figures will be a source of concern to the Ministry, given the

Corporate 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.

at 07:29 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, IOSH, management, MoD, risk
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 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,

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-management 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.

at 07:07 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, HSE, National Trust, tree
Physios warn of lack of 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, said the Society.
As a result, it is now calling on the Government to make it a statutory

duty for employers to provide occupational-health 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 services,
with a particular emphasis on the effectiveness of early intervention.
Pauline Cole, a CSP spokesperson and member of the Association of

Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics,
said: “There is a clear opportunity for employers to do more to provide
occupational-health services, both with regard to prevention of RSI
and 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, 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.

at 06:57 0 comments
Labels: health, HSE, injury, RSI
Thursday, 26 February 2009
HSE launches new Work-related stress website

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 http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/index.htm to find

out more.
at 09:23 0 comments
Labels: guidance, health and safety, HSE, stress
Teen dies after skateboarding 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 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, scateboarding, USA
Monday, 23 February 2009
Workers 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 comments
Labels: compensation, health and safety, HSE
“Compensation culture” in UK grossly

exaggerated, says new research
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, Hubbard Pegman & Whitney (HPW) 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 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 Hubbard Pegman &

Whitney, 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

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 comments
Labels: accident, compensation, injury
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 comments
Labels: China, explosion, fatality, injury, mine, mining
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
The cost of employee misunderstanding

Employees not fully understanding their role or
company policies can present a significant threat to a
company's compliance with Health and Safety law,
particularly in light of the recent introduction of the
Health and Safety Offences Act 2008.
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

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.
Preventing employee misunderstanding

Companies must make sure every individual within their organisation
complies with the health and safety requirements in order to fulfil their
rightful obligations as an employer and avoid the wrath of the courts.
However, health and safety is open to the risk of employee
misunderstanding, 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 misunderstanding 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 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 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."
Measuring confidence and competence

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 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.
Snapshots of compliance
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 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.

An added benefit of measuring staff understanding is the identification

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 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 employees.
An employee assessment program should be a vital part of risk

management and compliance 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 comments
Labels: fine, health and safety, HSE, legislation, risk
assessments, training
Key training issues for 2009

Neal Stone takes a look at the factors he believes will
influence training choices 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 British Safety Council 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 in-
house 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 BSC 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
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.
Flexible learning
To meet the increasing demand for flexible training, the BSC 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 British Safety
Council (BSC)
Source.
at 07:02 0 comments
Labels: British Safety Council, health and safety, training
Welder dies after explosion

BOARDMAN, Ore. -- A welder has died in an industrial accident at
ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston in Boardman, 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

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 unfortunate incident and extend our deepest
sympathies to the family."
Melanie Mesaros, spokeswoman for Oregon Occupational Health and
Safety 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 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, fatality, OSHA, USA, welding
Businesses warned 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
reputational damage.
"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 comments
Labels: health and safety, management, safety, training
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Harry Potter film set reopens after stuntman

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
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:
Harry Potter stuntman injured

Harry Potter set to remain closed
at 03:20 0 comments

Labels: accident, back injuries, HSE, investigation, stunt
Recent 'Harry Potter' accident offers a reminder of

when stunts go wrong
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.
Aris Comninos, fell into a coma after a car crash while filming the
opening scene of Quantum of Solace (2008)
Conway Wickliffe, died in a car crash on the set of The Dark

Knight (2008)
Harry O'Connor, died performing a rappelling stunt while filming

xXx (2002)
Marc Akerstream, 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)
Janet Wilder and four spectators were killed during a speedboat

accident while filming Gone Fishing (1995)
Art Scholl, killed in a plane crash while filming Top Gun (1986)
Paul Mantz, killed in a plane crash while filming The Flight of the
Phoenix (1965)
H.B. Halicki (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 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, injury, stunt
Three injured Friday in slag explosion at

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

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 by-
product 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 comments
Labels: burns, explosion, health and safety, injury, steel,
USA
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 oil/water separator tank, Olthof said.
The fire was brought under control within 20 to 25 minutes of the
firefighters' 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 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 — but

he said he was worried the fire would spread.
"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 © grandhaventribune.com.
at 01:23 0 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, fire, firefighters, gas, USA

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 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, fire, USA
Friday, 13 February 2009
Molten 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.
Read the molten metal explosions safety alert.

at 06:31 0 comments
Labels: accident, advice, alert, burns, explosion, fatality,
HSE
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 industry.
The music and entertainment industry, supported by HSE and
Environmental Health Officers have developed practical advice on
controlling noise at work in the music and entertainment sectors -
Sound Advice.
Visit the Sound Advice website.

at 06:29 0 comments
Labels: advice, campaign, environmental health, HSE,
noise, tinnitus
Food manufacture injury statistics

Latest statistics for 2007/8 - injury rate comparisons for
food manufacturing workplaces.
at 06:27 0 comments
Labels: accident, food, health and safety, HSE, injury
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.
View pocket card.

at 06:25 0 comments
Labels: farm, guidance, health, health and safety, HSE,
PPE, RPE

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 implementation’.
Find out more about the regulation.

at 05:29 0 comments
Labels: chemicals, EU, legislation
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

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.
Read full article from OHS Online.

at 01:48 0 comments
Labels: accident, EU, fatality, guidance, health and safety
PPE 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-approved 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 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 comments
Labels: accident, carbon monoxide, health and safety,
management, OSHA, safety
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 Construction Plant-hire

Association (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 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, fine, HSE, prosecution, risk
assessments
Site death co-workers had not read instruction

manual
By Sophie Griffiths
Inquest reveals scissor-grab machine that killed construction worker

was being used inappropriately
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 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, HSE, management, safe system
of work, training

New York to get new safety laws

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 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 and building officials to discuss the findings. The
recommendations 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 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'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, 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 comments
Labels: concrete, construction, crane, health and safety,

USA
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 comments
Labels: accident, construction, fatality, Scotland
Vigil planned outside inquest into 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

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.
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 comments
Labels: campaign, construction, fatality, health and
safety, HSE
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
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.
HSE has published two GA certificates, covering certain uses of x-ray

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 comments
Labels: guidance, HSE, ionising radiation, IRR99, x-ray
Campaign highlights 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 Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is launching the

second phase of its Shattered Lives 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 comments
Labels: accident, campaign, falls, health and safety, HSE,
slips, trips
Imperial Sugar CEO 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 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, fatality, injury, USA
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 Environmental 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.

at 04:03 0 comments
Labels: asbestos, Environment Agency, fine, landfill
Harry Potter 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.

at 02:31 0 comments
Labels: accident, back injuries, HSE, investigation
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Six injured in power 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

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 Columbia-
St. 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 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

Administration and likely other regulatory agencies like the Public

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 comments
Labels: accident, explosion, fire, injury, USA
Violent video games '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 Durham University 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 Fire Safety Journal, 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 straightforward.
"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.

at 03:34 0 comments
Labels: evacuation, fire, health and safety, safety,
simulation
Tuesday, 3 February 2009

HSE warn of dangers of using concrete diggers

after man suffers burns
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 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
electrical cables.
Source.
at 02:17 0 comments
Labels: burns, concrete, electricity, fine, HSE, safe system
of work
Flash-bang science back in the classroom

School science teachers are being urged to stop using a
fear of breaking health and safety rules to re-introduce
exciting and engaging practical classroom
demonstrations.
Judith Hackitt CBE, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
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 Institution of

Chemical Engineers (IChemE), 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.

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, Jim Knight 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 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, Kate Bellingham, 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 comments
Labels: campaign, HSE, safety, science
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.

A Cyprus Air plane was taxiing at the airport when its front wheel
"went on to the grass" said a BAA 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 BAA, which runs Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted,

Southampton and others, said: "Due to the current adverse weather
conditions all BAA 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."
Southampton Airport and Leeds Bradford International

closed their runways and Stansted and Gatwick reported delays
and cancellations.
Passengers are advised to check with their airline before setting off
from home.
Source.

at 02:12 0 comments
Labels: airport, Heathrow, safety, snow, weather
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.
Tameside Metropolitan Council 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.


at 02:10 0 comments
Labels: accident, fine, HSE, injury, Tameside Metropolitan
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 Health and Safety at Work Act, 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 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.

at 02:08 0 comments
Labels: accident, fatality, fine, HSE, HSWA, Liverpool, safe
system of work
March Home January

2009 2009
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Archive
● ▼ 2009 (119)
❍ ▼ Mar 2009 (30)
■ Teen loses arm in
laundry accident
■ Woman dies at
Northants paper
plant
■ Scaffolding
collapsed on to rail
tracks
■ Asbestos ‘increases
death risk’
■ Brain Injury
Awareness Month
■ Health and Safety
Case Law - Byrne v.

Boadle
■ Workers feel the
pressure in
recession
■ Recession won't
lead to safety
slipping down
busin...
■ Cause of hotel
accident unknown
Case Law -
Herrington v
British ...
■ Sleaford garage
prosecuted after
work experience s...
■ Safety data for
acridine
■ Man dies in
explosion at oil
offloading facility
■ Teen dies, six
injured, in school
accident
■ Safety data for
acetonitrile
■ Safety data for
acetamide
■ Safety data for
acetaldehyde
■ Safety data for
abietic acid
■ Safety data for
abamectin
■ Hazard Symbols
■ Safety Phrases
■ Risk Phrases

■ Right turn for risk

assessment
Case Law - Adsett v
K & L Steel ...
Case Law - Armour
v Skeen
■ Girl killed in farm
accident
■ Toddler killed in
farm tragedy
■ Housebuilder fined
£10k after site fall
■ Safety adviser fined
over assessment
error
■ Whistleblowing
❍ ► Feb 2009 (45)
❍ ► Jan 2009 (44)
● ► 2008 (276)
A to Z of H&S
● Accident
● Burns
● Case Law
● Drowning
● Explosion
● Fatality
● Gas
● HSE
● Injury
● Japan
● Knife
● Lorry
● Myth
● News
● Olympics
● Prosecution
● Quarry
● Risk Assessments
● Safety Data
● Training
● USA
● Vibration
● Work at Height
● X-Ray

● Yacht
● Zoo
● COSHH Essentials
● Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
● Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (IOSH)
● Make Free Donations
● National Examination Board of
Occupational Safety and Health
(NEBOSH)
● NEBOSH Revision
● Useful Books and DVDs

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
Adsett v K & L Steel Founders and
Engineers Ltd
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
Abietic acid
Acetamide
Additional Safety Data pages.
AddMe - Search Engine Optimization
Add Your URL Directory
Links to this site

● In search of severe weather
● GotSafety

Health and Safety News - February 2009

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Health and Safety News - February 2009

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Health and Safety News: February 2009

cut 1450 jobs, 10% of work force

Friday, 27 February 2009

Laing O'Rourke fined £90k after worker injured

HSE principal inspector Nic Rigby said Mr Taylor sustained multiple

Mr Rigby said: "This prosecution should act as a warning to all those

He added: "The accident occurred because the company failed to

He said: "Laing O'Rourke Construction has been and will continue to

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (1 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]

Copyright Emap 2009 - all rights reserved.

Man dies in chain saw accident

Paramedics who responded to the scene found Sugrue suspended

The incident remains under investigation.

Joe Koslik, who is married to one of Sugrue’s daughters, tells The

© Copyright 2009 Associated Press.

Bayer CropScience cited for alleged health and

Federal regulators have cited Bayer CropScience for alleged health

“Bayer CropScience’s failure to conduct the proper hazard analysis of

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

The citations carry a proposed $143,000 in fines — $73,000 for

Last year, a large explosion ripped through the Bayer CropScience

Employee Barry Withrow was killed in the explosion. His co-worker,

Nick Crosby, the company’s Institute site manager, said in a prepared

“We will be studying (the alleged violations) thoroughly and dealing

The company has 15 business days to inform OSHA whether it will

As a result, Gov. Joe Manchin has asked state lawmakers to pass

Copyright 2009 West Virginia Media. All rights reserved.

Government urged to act to support mesothelioma

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 union wants the Government to provide funding for a National

Industrial disease specialists Irwin Mitchell Solicitors is also urging the

He added: “With all mesothelioma claims, time is of the essence – it is

Cases of mesothelioma in the UK are expected to peak in 2015, with

For a moving account of how mesothelioma affected one man’s life,

Copyright 2004 UBM Information.

One in three military deaths due to weak safety

Minutes from a MoD board meeting last year, leaked to The

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (4 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]

According to figures seen by the newspaper, 201 military servicemen

The figures will be a source of concern to the Ministry, given the

He added: “We can do better in relation to industrial accidents, and it

Commenting on The Independent on Sunday’s report, an MoD

Copyright 2004 UBM Information.

No charges after boy crushed by tree

But the Executive has refused to comment on whether the prospect of

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (5 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]

Eight-year-old Timothy Sutton was killed on New Year’s Day 2005,

The regulator decided against a prosecution of the National Trust,

The Trust has now welcomed the Executive’s decision not to

Copyright 2004 UBM Information.

Physios warn of lack of progress on RSI

This is according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which

As a result, it is now calling on the Government to make it a statutory

http://handsnews.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html (6 of 39) [24/03/2009 14:23:51]

incentivise employers to provide such services through measures

Pauline Cole, a CSP spokesperson and member of the Association of

According to analysis by the Labour Research Department, on behalf

Copyright 2004 UBM Information.

Thursday, 26 February 2009

HSE launches new Work-related stress website

Please visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/index.htm to find