Thursday 17 December 2009
RHSS would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas from all at RHSS Limited!
We are available throughout the Christmas Holidays and over the New
Year through our 24/7 on call service:
T: 0208 274 2926
E: info@rhssltd.co.uk
Monday 7 December 2009
London fire demonstrates need for Fire Risk Assessment
About 310 people were forced to leave their homes after a fire broke out in south London in the early hours on 26 November.
More than 150 fire fighters tackled the fire which engulfed a construction site in Carisbrooke Gardens in Peckham at about 0430 GMT. It spread to two blocks of maisonettes and a destroyed a pub. Ten people, including two police officers, have received hospital treatment for minor injuries. Police said four of the injured were taken for treatment by ambulance, while four others arrived at hospital asking for assistance. The two police officers were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.
A local resident, identified only as Elizabeth, was one of those who had to leave her home. She told BBC London 94.9FM: "We just woke up into this total blaze from the construction site across the road and we were told to leave.
"There was flying debris all over the place and there were cars ablaze and we were told to get out of the area."
John Osagie, 31, said he saw the fire when he came back from work in the early hours. He said: "I stood there and waited for the fire brigade to turn up. They tried to stop it but it was getting worse and worse. Then they evacuated everybody.
"I was scared and I had to take some of my stuff and come and stand out in the cold." He said he did not know whether his home had been damaged.
The fire, which began on a development where 39 flats were being built, has damaged property and buildings in Sumner Road and Rosemary Road.
Some 260 residents were being housed in temporary accommodation provided by Southwark Council and a rest centre has been opened at the Damilola Taylor Centre, East Surrey Grove.
It comes nearly five months after six people died when a fire destroyed the Lakanal House block of flats in nearby Camberwell.
These fires highlight that there is a greater need for improved fire risk assessment, not just within corporate companies, but residential properties as well. If you need need help with your fire risk assessments, call RHSS on 0208 274 2926.
More than 150 fire fighters tackled the fire which engulfed a construction site in Carisbrooke Gardens in Peckham at about 0430 GMT. It spread to two blocks of maisonettes and a destroyed a pub. Ten people, including two police officers, have received hospital treatment for minor injuries. Police said four of the injured were taken for treatment by ambulance, while four others arrived at hospital asking for assistance. The two police officers were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.
A local resident, identified only as Elizabeth, was one of those who had to leave her home. She told BBC London 94.9FM: "We just woke up into this total blaze from the construction site across the road and we were told to leave.
"There was flying debris all over the place and there were cars ablaze and we were told to get out of the area."
John Osagie, 31, said he saw the fire when he came back from work in the early hours. He said: "I stood there and waited for the fire brigade to turn up. They tried to stop it but it was getting worse and worse. Then they evacuated everybody.
"I was scared and I had to take some of my stuff and come and stand out in the cold." He said he did not know whether his home had been damaged.
The fire, which began on a development where 39 flats were being built, has damaged property and buildings in Sumner Road and Rosemary Road.
Some 260 residents were being housed in temporary accommodation provided by Southwark Council and a rest centre has been opened at the Damilola Taylor Centre, East Surrey Grove.
It comes nearly five months after six people died when a fire destroyed the Lakanal House block of flats in nearby Camberwell.
These fires highlight that there is a greater need for improved fire risk assessment, not just within corporate companies, but residential properties as well. If you need need help with your fire risk assessments, call RHSS on 0208 274 2926.
Friday 4 December 2009
RHSS Limited launches new website!
RHSS Limited have today launched a new website : www.rhssltd.co.uk
You can find a link to our on line safety shop for signage and basic safety equipment on our home page. (www.rhss-signs.co.uk)
You can also find information about us, our services and training.
We will soon be going live in our client area where you can find guidance, information and our newsletter as well as useful templates and discounts.
Please sign up to our blog www.rhssltd.blogspot.com so you can receive regular updates on legislation and prosecutions direct to your inbox.
You can find a link to our on line safety shop for signage and basic safety equipment on our home page. (www.rhss-signs.co.uk)
You can also find information about us, our services and training.
We will soon be going live in our client area where you can find guidance, information and our newsletter as well as useful templates and discounts.
Please sign up to our blog www.rhssltd.blogspot.com so you can receive regular updates on legislation and prosecutions direct to your inbox.
Wednesday 2 December 2009
Engineers lacked half a century of records
A structural engineering firm that had no record of maintaining electrical equipment over a fifty year period has been fined after a worker suffered a shock when he connected a portable welder to an extension cable.
Stewart Baxter, 24, sustained burns to his fingers at DA Green & Sons factory in Whapload, Linccolnshire. Other employers of DA Green & Sons said they too had suffered minor shocks from equipment at the factory over the years.
An HSE investigation revealed much of the electrical installation was in a very poor state. Some of the electrical equipment had been installed 50 years earlier adnd DA Green had no record of it ever being tested or maintained.
"DA Green & Sons Ltd employs 50 staff whose health and safety has been at risk over many years," said HSE inspector Jo Anderson. The company admitted breaching Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regualtions, by failing to maintain electrical systems. Spalding magistrated fined it £2750 plus £1950 costs.
Stewart Baxter, 24, sustained burns to his fingers at DA Green & Sons factory in Whapload, Linccolnshire. Other employers of DA Green & Sons said they too had suffered minor shocks from equipment at the factory over the years.
An HSE investigation revealed much of the electrical installation was in a very poor state. Some of the electrical equipment had been installed 50 years earlier adnd DA Green had no record of it ever being tested or maintained.
"DA Green & Sons Ltd employs 50 staff whose health and safety has been at risk over many years," said HSE inspector Jo Anderson. The company admitted breaching Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regualtions, by failing to maintain electrical systems. Spalding magistrated fined it £2750 plus £1950 costs.
“Management shortcomings” to blame for fatality
A waste-transfer station must pay £105,000 in fines and costs following the death of a worker at its depot in Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
Swindon Crown Court heard that Bert Reeves, 62, was working as a totter for Shanley and Sons Ltd, when he was run over by a reversing skip lorry, on 21 June 2007.
Mr Reeves was standing in the depot’s tipping yard, operating an industrial shredding machine, which is used to process skip waste. At the same time a vehicle was delivering waste products, and the driver was attempting to park in the yard, in order to tip out the load. The driver could not see Mr Reeves as he was stood in the vehicle’s blindspot. He was struck by the rear of the vehicle, and fell underneath its wheels. Mr Reeves suffered serious head and chest injuries and died in hospital two hours later.
The HSE visited the site and issued an Improvement Notice in July 2007 for the failure to separate vehicles and pedestrians.
Inspector Liam Osbourne said: “This was a truly horrific case of a man killed doing his work in a needless and entirely preventable incident.
“Large moving vehicles on waste and recycling sites are a major risk to people who have to work on foot. Safety laws were introduced in 1992 that require managers of these sites to organise them to reduce the risk of people being killed or injured in this way.
Shanley and Sons appeared in court on 25 September and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974, and reg.17 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, for failing to segregate vehicles and pedestrians. It was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,000.
The firm mitigated that it had no previous convictions for health and safety offences, and had complied with the Improvement Notice. It has subsequently installed a one-way system, pedestrian-only areas, and signage to separate vehicles and pedestrians. It has also stationed a traffic coordinator in the yard to guide lorries into the tipping area.
After delivering his sentence Judge Hart revealed that it was his belief that Mr Reeves’ death was caused by “management shortcomings”. He said: “This case makes disturbing reading and there was a substantial gap between reasonable practice for risk management and what was actually in place.
“Failure to put in place pedestrian segregation was a direct cause of the accident. There was also a lack of management strategy and a blatant inadequacy of risk-assessment training and a safe system of work.”
Swindon Crown Court heard that Bert Reeves, 62, was working as a totter for Shanley and Sons Ltd, when he was run over by a reversing skip lorry, on 21 June 2007.
Mr Reeves was standing in the depot’s tipping yard, operating an industrial shredding machine, which is used to process skip waste. At the same time a vehicle was delivering waste products, and the driver was attempting to park in the yard, in order to tip out the load. The driver could not see Mr Reeves as he was stood in the vehicle’s blindspot. He was struck by the rear of the vehicle, and fell underneath its wheels. Mr Reeves suffered serious head and chest injuries and died in hospital two hours later.
The HSE visited the site and issued an Improvement Notice in July 2007 for the failure to separate vehicles and pedestrians.
Inspector Liam Osbourne said: “This was a truly horrific case of a man killed doing his work in a needless and entirely preventable incident.
“Large moving vehicles on waste and recycling sites are a major risk to people who have to work on foot. Safety laws were introduced in 1992 that require managers of these sites to organise them to reduce the risk of people being killed or injured in this way.
Shanley and Sons appeared in court on 25 September and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974, and reg.17 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, for failing to segregate vehicles and pedestrians. It was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,000.
The firm mitigated that it had no previous convictions for health and safety offences, and had complied with the Improvement Notice. It has subsequently installed a one-way system, pedestrian-only areas, and signage to separate vehicles and pedestrians. It has also stationed a traffic coordinator in the yard to guide lorries into the tipping area.
After delivering his sentence Judge Hart revealed that it was his belief that Mr Reeves’ death was caused by “management shortcomings”. He said: “This case makes disturbing reading and there was a substantial gap between reasonable practice for risk management and what was actually in place.
“Failure to put in place pedestrian segregation was a direct cause of the accident. There was also a lack of management strategy and a blatant inadequacy of risk-assessment training and a safe system of work.”
Will a tower crane register improve safety in the construction industry?
Question: Will a tower crane register improve safety in the construction industry?
72% = Yes
21% = No
7% = Don't know
More than two thirds believe it will.
In January this year, the HSE board that a national register of tower cranes should be established. the decision came in response to a number of high profile incidents involving tower cranes in recent years - which have resulted in eight deaths since 2000 - and a recommendation from the Work and Pension Select Committee that such a register is needed. The proposed Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations would require employers who use conventional tower cranes (those assembled on site) to give certain information to the HSE, which the executive would then make publicly available. The creation of a statutory tower crane registration scheme to improve tower crane safety and public confidence in their safety is likely to be in place by April 2010.
72% = Yes
21% = No
7% = Don't know
More than two thirds believe it will.
In January this year, the HSE board that a national register of tower cranes should be established. the decision came in response to a number of high profile incidents involving tower cranes in recent years - which have resulted in eight deaths since 2000 - and a recommendation from the Work and Pension Select Committee that such a register is needed. The proposed Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations would require employers who use conventional tower cranes (those assembled on site) to give certain information to the HSE, which the executive would then make publicly available. The creation of a statutory tower crane registration scheme to improve tower crane safety and public confidence in their safety is likely to be in place by April 2010.
Report reveals true cost of muscle and back pain
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for almost half of all sick leave, both in the UK and across Europe, a study has found. No less than 49 per cent of all sickness absence is caused by MSDs, said the Fit for Work Europe report by the Work Foundation business consultancy group.
It estimates that this costs the UK economy £7 billion each year, rising to 240 billion euros across Europe.
Responding to the report, Brendon Barber, General Secretary for the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said it highlights what trade unions have been demanding for many years - access to early rehabilitation for those with muscle and back problems.
"In the UK, just 2% of workers have access to comprehensive occupational health services through their employer and most people have to rely on a referal from their GP", he said. "This can take many months, by which time the problem may be chronic".
Barber added that Britain needs a national occupational health service which identifies and treats these conditions at the earliest oppurtunity. "Workers with muscle and back conditions also need more help to return to work once they feel able to". He called for new and clear regulations, backed up by strong enforcement against those employers that are causing many of these injuries.
It estimates that this costs the UK economy £7 billion each year, rising to 240 billion euros across Europe.
Responding to the report, Brendon Barber, General Secretary for the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said it highlights what trade unions have been demanding for many years - access to early rehabilitation for those with muscle and back problems.
"In the UK, just 2% of workers have access to comprehensive occupational health services through their employer and most people have to rely on a referal from their GP", he said. "This can take many months, by which time the problem may be chronic".
Barber added that Britain needs a national occupational health service which identifies and treats these conditions at the earliest oppurtunity. "Workers with muscle and back conditions also need more help to return to work once they feel able to". He called for new and clear regulations, backed up by strong enforcement against those employers that are causing many of these injuries.
Ladder Accidents
On average 12 people a year die at work falling from ladders and over 1200 suffer major injuries. Ladders remain the most common agent involved and account for more than a quarter of all falls from height.
HSE’s key message is that that ladders should only be used for low-risk, short-duration work.
BLOW TO HEAD KILLS WORKER
A maintenance fitter lost his footing on the second rung of a ladder. His feet slipped through the rungs and he was killed when his head hit the floor as he fell backwards.
LADDER NOT SUITABLE FOR JOB
A farm worker sustained serious leg injuries when he fell from a ladder. Under supervision, the 16 -year-old trainee was trying to fix a door runner about 4.5 m from the ground. A risk assessment had shown that a fork-lift cage or a tower scaffold should be used. However, the supervisor decided to use the ladder for the short job. The young worker overreached, slipped and fell.
SUPERVISOR SETS BAD EXAMPLE
The supervisor of a team of shop fitters was concerned that the target date for completion of a project would be missed. On arriving on site to assess progress he became involved in helping to finish the job on time. He fell 2 m from an unsecured ladder after overreaching while trying to pull cabling through ductwork. He broke an ankle and a wrist in four places. The project was not completed to deadline.
CONTRACTOR FRACTURES SKULL
During refurbishment of a warehouse a contractor placed a ladder between two stands of a pallet racking so that the bottom of the ladder was resting against one rack - so that it would not slip - and the top was leaning on the other. The ladder, which was wooden, was at an angle of about 45 degrees. It broke under his weight and he fractured his skull.
INSTALLER NOW UNEMPLOYED AND NEEDING CRUTCHES
A self-employed installer fitting cavity wall insulation was working off a ladder using a heavy diamond tube drill. The ladder was not tied and was in poor condition with loose and bent rungs. He overreached and the ladder fell causing the installer to fall 3 m on to the concrete floor below. He broke his right heel and various other bones in that foot. He has subsequently undergone several bouts of major surgery but is still unable to walk without crutches and he has not worked since the accident.
LADDER SLIPPED ON WET, SLOPING GRASS
An employee of a construction and building services company was replacing house windows. He was carrying some silicon sealant up the ladder for a new window and had reached a height of about 3 m when the bottom of the ladder slipped out and the employee fell, badly fracturing his leg. The accident investigation found that the ladder had been resting on grass that sloped gently away from the building. It had been raining. The ladder was not footed as the injured man's colleague had been inside the building at the time and the ladder was not tied or secured by any other means.
HSE’s key message is that that ladders should only be used for low-risk, short-duration work.
BLOW TO HEAD KILLS WORKER
A maintenance fitter lost his footing on the second rung of a ladder. His feet slipped through the rungs and he was killed when his head hit the floor as he fell backwards.
LADDER NOT SUITABLE FOR JOB
A farm worker sustained serious leg injuries when he fell from a ladder. Under supervision, the 16 -year-old trainee was trying to fix a door runner about 4.5 m from the ground. A risk assessment had shown that a fork-lift cage or a tower scaffold should be used. However, the supervisor decided to use the ladder for the short job. The young worker overreached, slipped and fell.
SUPERVISOR SETS BAD EXAMPLE
The supervisor of a team of shop fitters was concerned that the target date for completion of a project would be missed. On arriving on site to assess progress he became involved in helping to finish the job on time. He fell 2 m from an unsecured ladder after overreaching while trying to pull cabling through ductwork. He broke an ankle and a wrist in four places. The project was not completed to deadline.
CONTRACTOR FRACTURES SKULL
During refurbishment of a warehouse a contractor placed a ladder between two stands of a pallet racking so that the bottom of the ladder was resting against one rack - so that it would not slip - and the top was leaning on the other. The ladder, which was wooden, was at an angle of about 45 degrees. It broke under his weight and he fractured his skull.
INSTALLER NOW UNEMPLOYED AND NEEDING CRUTCHES
A self-employed installer fitting cavity wall insulation was working off a ladder using a heavy diamond tube drill. The ladder was not tied and was in poor condition with loose and bent rungs. He overreached and the ladder fell causing the installer to fall 3 m on to the concrete floor below. He broke his right heel and various other bones in that foot. He has subsequently undergone several bouts of major surgery but is still unable to walk without crutches and he has not worked since the accident.
LADDER SLIPPED ON WET, SLOPING GRASS
An employee of a construction and building services company was replacing house windows. He was carrying some silicon sealant up the ladder for a new window and had reached a height of about 3 m when the bottom of the ladder slipped out and the employee fell, badly fracturing his leg. The accident investigation found that the ladder had been resting on grass that sloped gently away from the building. It had been raining. The ladder was not footed as the injured man's colleague had been inside the building at the time and the ladder was not tied or secured by any other means.
Construction firms warned not to put lives in danger after builder is left paralysed
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reminding construction companies of their duties to employees after a worker was paralysed in a fall.
Harold Roach fell ten feet through roof joists at a refurbishment site on Gertrude Street in Birkenhead while he was working for Property People (NW) Ltd.
The company, which is based at Stanhope House, Mark Rake, Bromborough, Wirral, was fined £92,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £11,404 at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 20 July after pleading guilty to two health and safety offences.
Property People admitted contravening Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of its employees. It also pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 by failing to report the injury to HSE.
The court heard that the incident happened on 23 April 2005 while joists were being removed from the ceiling of an archway, and that Property People had failed to provide a safe platform for its employees to use. Mr Roach suffered serious injuries to his back from the fall, resulting in permanent paralysis.
HSE Inspector Ian Betley said:
“The injuries Mr Roach sustained were extremely serious and he will need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
“Working at height remains the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury. It should be managed by implementing and enforcing suitable and sufficient control measures.
“Companies are required by health and safety legislation to take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of employees and others that may be affected by their work. In this case, a suitable platform should have been used to remove the joints from
below, rather than from above. Had such steps been taken, this incident could have been avoided.
“The tragic outcome of this incident, and the subsequent fine, must act as a reminder that the results can be serious for businesses that fail to comply with the legislation.” More information about working safely at height is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/
Harold Roach fell ten feet through roof joists at a refurbishment site on Gertrude Street in Birkenhead while he was working for Property People (NW) Ltd.
The company, which is based at Stanhope House, Mark Rake, Bromborough, Wirral, was fined £92,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £11,404 at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 20 July after pleading guilty to two health and safety offences.
Property People admitted contravening Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of its employees. It also pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 by failing to report the injury to HSE.
The court heard that the incident happened on 23 April 2005 while joists were being removed from the ceiling of an archway, and that Property People had failed to provide a safe platform for its employees to use. Mr Roach suffered serious injuries to his back from the fall, resulting in permanent paralysis.
HSE Inspector Ian Betley said:
“The injuries Mr Roach sustained were extremely serious and he will need to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
“Working at height remains the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury. It should be managed by implementing and enforcing suitable and sufficient control measures.
“Companies are required by health and safety legislation to take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of employees and others that may be affected by their work. In this case, a suitable platform should have been used to remove the joints from
below, rather than from above. Had such steps been taken, this incident could have been avoided.
“The tragic outcome of this incident, and the subsequent fine, must act as a reminder that the results can be serious for businesses that fail to comply with the legislation.” More information about working safely at height is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/
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