Risk, Health and Safety Information

What are the health risks from Asbestos?

Asbestos is responsible for over 4000 deaths every year. Younger people, if routinely exposed to asbestos fibres over time, are at greater risk of developing asbestos-related disease than older workers. This is due to the time it takes for the body to develop symptoms after exposure to asbestos (latency).

 Exposure to asbestos can cause four main diseases:

·     mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lungs _ it is always fatal and is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos);

 

·    asbestos-related lung cancer (which is almost always fatal);

·    asbestosis (a scarring of the lungs which is not always fatal but can be a very debilitating disease, greatly affecting quality of life);

·     diffuse pleural thickening (a thickening of the membrane surrounding the lungs which can restrict lung expansion leading to breathlessness).

It can take anywhere between 15 to 60 years for any symptoms to develop after exposure, so these diseases will not affect you immediately but may do later in life. You need to start protecting yourself against any exposure to asbestos now because the effect is cumulative.

Asbestos was a widely used material within commercial buildings, homes and machinery until 1999, when it was banned. This means that asbestos is common in the general environment.

However, working directly with asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) can give personal exposures to airborne asbestos that are much higher than normal environmental levels. Repeated occupational exposures can give rise to a substantial cumulative exposure over time. This will increase the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease in the future.

The majority of the current fatal cases from asbestos exposure are associated with very high exposures from past industrial processes and installation of asbestos products.

Hampshire firm in court after worker falls through church roof

A Southampton worker suffered life-changing injuries after he plunged five metres through a hole in a church roof in South East London while it was being repaired, a court has been told.

Father of three Allen Smith, 58, of Southampton, sustained a collapsed lung, smashed pelvis and head injuries in the fall at Anerley Methodist Church in Penge,  SE London, on 25 October 2011.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and prosecuted Nationwide Roofing and Cladding Ltd. for serious safety failings at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

The court was told Mr Smith was part of a four-strong team, including the firm’s director, which was replacing the church roof owing to a series of leaks. The team was three-quarters of its way through the job when the incident happened.

Mr Smith was standing on a lightweight staging board while grinding off bolts, working from the roof ridge down toward the gutter and sliding the asbestos cement sheets down to labourers to lift onto a forklift truck.

As the work went on, one of the labourers heard a loud bang and turned to see Mr Smith had fallen through the roof opening to the hall floor below. A length of the staging board was also on the floor.

Mr Smith was in hospital for two months, has had a subsequent operation on his lungs, will need a hip replacement and is likely to suffer long-term arthritis. He is unlikely to ever work again.

HSE told the court it served an enforcement notice on Nationwide Roofing and Cladding immediately after the incident preventing any further work until suitable safety measures were in place to prevent falls.

Its investigation showed the firm had failed to install sufficient safeguards to protect workers from falling or to mitigate the impact of a fall if one happened. These could have included scaffolding around the elevations and underneath the working area, and a safe working platform able to support the weight of workers fitted with guard rails.

Nationwide Roofing and Cladding Ltd of Lake Farm House, Allington Lane, Fair Oak, Eastleigh, Hampshire, was fined £8,600 and ordered to pay £11,280 in costs after admitting a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

After the case, HSE Inspector Wendy Garnett said:

“Mr Smith suffered life-threatening injuries in this fall and will have to live with the disabling consequences. However, his fall could have been avoided had Nationwide Roofing followed standard industry practice.

“Work at height is a major cause of workplace deaths and serious injury. The firm should have been fully aware of its duties and responsibilities to the labourers before starting the roof replacement works. But Nationwide neglected to put in place sufficient protective measures to guard against falls.

“This is not acceptable when you consider the devastating effects that a fall has on the lives of workers and their families. Firms of all sizes need to be aware of their duties to identify the risks of working at height and to take action to manage those risks.”

Scaffolding firm fined after worker fell from ladder

A Birmingham firm has been fined after a worker suffered life-changing injuries in a two-metre fall from a ladder while constructing scaffolding for the set of a television programme.

Craig Shakespeare, 49, of Birmingham, sustained serious foot injuries in the incident at The Bond on Fazeley Street, Birmingham, on 25 March 2013. He is now reliant on a wheelchair and has been unable to work since.

Mr Shakespeare was working for Solihull-based Swan Scaffolding Contractors Limited, which was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to ensure sufficient measures were in place to prevent or mitigate the fall.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard the company was building the supporting scaffold to hold a theatrical set in place.

Mr Shakespeare was working from a ladder to attach supporting scaffold to the back of the wooden set. As he pulled a fixture on the set towards the scaffold the fixture came away and he lost his balance.

He realised he was about to fall and jumped from the ladder, but landed heavily on his feet, badly breaking both heels.

HSE established a tower scaffold or elevated work platform should have been used instead of a ladder, as readily-available guidance clearly states. The court was told that had more suitable access equipment been used, the incident could have been avoided.

Swan Scaffolding Contractors Limited, of Knowle, Solihull, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £535 in costs and a £500 victim surcharge.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Edward Fryer said:

“The danger of using ladders should not be underestimated.  This is another example of serious injuries being sustained where other access equipment could have been used instead. 

“A tower scaffold was available and should have been used. As a scaffolding company, Swan Scaffolding should be experts in access and working at height. They know it is a high-risk activity, and they should know what measures to put in place to keep workers safe.”

Firm in court for failing to communicate known asbestos risk

A Battersea building firm has been fined for failing to highlight the known presence of asbestos insulating board (AIB) at a Berkshire warehouse – exposing a foreman and others to potential harm when it was ripped out during refurbishment work.

Redwood Contractors Ltd was in possession of a detailed asbestos survey that clearly identified the location of the asbestos wall panels inside the building at Molly Millars Close in Wokingham.

However, the survey wasn’t shared with the team on the ground. So when a foreman mistook the AIB for asbestos cement – a lower risk material – it was removed without adequate control measures and protective equipment.

The communication breakdown was identified by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which prosecuted Redwood Contractors Ltd after investigating the contamination of the warehouse with asbestos in December 2011.

Reading Magistrates’ Court heard that AIB should only be removed by a licensed asbestos contractor because of the risk of exposure to the dangerous fibres contained within it.

HSE established that the site foreman wasn’t provided with any documentation or other information about the panels. This was despite an asbestos survey being completed just two months prior to the work starting.

Because the foreman was unaware that the panels were made from AIB, the wrong kind of control measures were in place when he removed them. He and others could therefore have unwittingly inhaled asbestos fibres, which can cause terminal health conditions.

Redwood Contractors Ltd, of Battersea Rise, London, SW11, was fined a total of £10,000 and ordered to pay £2,857 in costs after pleading guilty to two separate breaches of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Karen Morris commented:

“It is disappointing that the foreman and others were needlessly put at risk simply because the asbestos survey for the warehouse wasn’t supplied to the team on the ground, or the location of the AIB relayed.

“What is the point of having a suitable survey in hand if you aren’t going to act on it and share vital information with those who need to know? Sadly, breakdowns in communication of this kind are all too common, but that doesn’t excuse Redwood Contractors from failing to do more.

“The company is guilty of a clear oversight that may have compromised the future health and wellbeing of its workers. Everyone knows that asbestos is a potential killer, and the onus is on duty holders to implement proper control measures at all times when dealing with asbestos.”

Dock company in court after worker’s life-changing injuries

An Essex dock company has been fined for safety failings after a dock worker suffered severe leg injuries when an operation to unload a cargo container went wrong.

Andrew Gotts, 26, of Felixstowe, Suffolk, suffered multiple fractures and destruction of soft tissue on his lower right leg when it was trapped and crushed as a jammed container suddenly freed itself.

The agency dock worker has needed extensive reconstruction surgery and it is not yet known when or if he will be fit for work.

The incident, on 4 October 2012, was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which prosecuted Harwich Dock Company for serious safety breaches.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard that Mr Gotts was helping to unload containers from a ship using the ship’s crane and chains on one of the dock company’s two berths within the Port of Harwich.

He had been standing on an access platform on the deck of the ship while colleagues tried to free a jammed container during a crane manoeuvre. The container moved suddenly towards him, trapping him against the handrail of the platform and crushing his leg.

HSE found that the company did not have a safe procedure in place for freeing jammed containers. There was no clear instruction as to who should be in charge of the operation, ensuring the area was kept clear and controlling the crane movement. As a result, nobody asked Mr Gotts to leave the danger zone as the container was freed.

HSE also found workers were being exposed to the risk of falls during the off-loading operations as dock workers would walk across the top of containers to attach chains, with nothing to prevent falls. Although Harwich Dock Company had a policy that harnesses should be worn, this was not enforced by supervisors present.

Harwich Dock Company Ltd, of Kings Quay Street, Harwich, pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £14,761 in costs.

During sentencing, HHJ Goldstaub QC said:

“It is essential in any lifting operation that there is a clear chain of command and it is normal to have a designated banksman, slingers and crane driver. Provided all know their function, lifts can be managed safely. If not, dangers arise as demonstrated here.”

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Toni Drury said:

“This incident was entirely preventable. Mr Gotts was injured by a jammed container when it suddenly freed and he sustained horrific and life-changing injuries.

“The risk of containers jamming is well-known in the port industry. There should have been a clear procedure known to the workers, including keeping people clear of the jammed container and having one individual designated to manage operations.

“If Harwich Dock company had properly assessed and managed the risks to all dock workers during the unloading of containers, and particularly to agency workers who are less familiar with tasks and settings, an alternative method of working would have been used and risks reduced. As it was, they were exposed to significant dangers exacerbated by failings in the company’s 

County Durham firm in court after worker’s hand severely injured

A County Durham firm has been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries to his hand when it was caught in the rollers of a glue machine with a broken safety guard.

The 59-year-old employee of Elite Composite Products Ltd was attempting to clean the rollers of a glue rolling machine at its premises in Trimdon Grange when the incident happened on 3 September 2012.

The worker, who does not wish to be named, lifted a hinged guard to gain access to the rollers but as he started cleaning them his right hand was drawn into the rollers. Some of skin from his hand was stripped by the moving machinery and he also sustained damage to the carpal tunnel in his wrist and muscle damage to his thumb.

The man, from Trimdon Grange, was in hospital for four days and required treatment and physiotherapy for five months. He began a phased return to work seven months after the incident.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Elite Composite Products Ltd at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court for serious safety failings after an investigation into the incident.

The court heard that the guard covering the rollers was connected to an interlocking safety device designed to stop the rollers turning when the guard was raised. But the device was broken, so the rollers did not stop.

HSE found that Elite Composite Products Ltd did not have proper maintenance and safety check systems in place that would have identified the broken safety device. As a result, it failed to provide effective measures to prevent any contact with dangerous moving parts of machinery.

Elite Composite Products Ltd, of Trimdon Grange Industrial Estate, Trimdon Grange, was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £3,188.50 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Cain Mitchell, said:

“This incident could have been easily prevented if Elite Composite Products Ltd had systems in place to identify faults on the machinery and its safety systems.

“Had this been the case, the broken safety device would have been spotted and the company could have repaired it to ensure that workers did not come into contact with the dangerous moving machine parts.

“Instead, the firm’s failures mean a worker has suffered severe, life-changing injuries.”

Worker’s crush injury lands company in court

A Goole firm has been prosecuted for safety breaches after a worker’s arm was pulled into an unguarded conveyor belt and crushed at its factory in White Rose Park.

The 27-year-old employee of Createscape Ltd, which makes rubber playground surfaces, was trying to clean a build-up of shredded rubber from a conveyor at the back of the shredding machines on 2 October 2012 when the incident happened. His arm was pulled in between the belt and a roller, and he suffered a fractured arm.

Beverley Magistrates heard that the worker, who does not wish to be named, was inside a fenced enclosure. There was an interlock system on the gates, designed to protect employees from the moving machinery inside.

However, an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the conveyor had not been connected to the interlock system, which meant it could still be running while a person was inside the enclosure.

The court was told that the cleaning of shreds from inside the enclosure and around the conveyor belt was a regular activity but Createscape had not properly assessed the risks to the staff carrying out the task.

Createscape Ltd, of White Rose Park, Larsen Road, Goole, was fined a total of £3,500 with £761 in costs after admitting breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, and a separate breach of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Dr Nicholas Tosney said:

“Createscape failed to take effective steps to prevent workers from accessing dangerous parts of the rubber shred conveyor or stop the movement of the machinery before a worker got into the danger zone.

“Fixed guarding or connecting the conveyor to the interlock system would have prevented the incident, and the worker’s injury, from happening.

“The dangers of conveyor belts are well recognised in industry so there is little excuse for companies of whatever size to expose their employees to unnecessary dangers.”

Forklift operator in court after dangerous lift causes serious injury

A forklift truck operator has been prosecuted for safety failings after a teenager was seriously injured by a falling heater unit weighing almost half-a-tonne during a dangerous lifting operation in Kent.

The 18-year-old worker, who does not want to be named, required reconstructive surgery after sustaining multiple fractures of his right shoulder, left shin bone and left ankle in the incident at a manufacturing company in Maidstone on 25 June 2013.

He was crushed by a large unit weighing some 493kg after being asked to hold it in place on the forks of a truck driven by Stephen Bellingham.

Mr Bellingham, 49, from Larkfield, appeared in court yesterday (8 May) after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found he had taken it upon himself to move the heater in an inherently unsafe manner.

Maidstone magistrates heard the unit had been removed from a factory building and placed next to a skip that he wanted to access, as his role included sorting and loading waste into skips using a forklift.

He managed to manoeuvre the unit onto the forks of the truck, but noted it was unstable and asked a passing colleague to help steady the load. The co-worker held it in place as best he could, but as it was lifted it slid off and fell, landing on top of him because he unable to move away.

HSE established that Mr Bellingham was acting entirely independently in opting to move the unit in this way. He was an experienced forklift operator, but he failed to assess the risks and possible consequences.

The court was told that had the lift been properly planned and managed, an alternative, safer method could have been found.

Stephen Bellingham, of Brooklands Road, Larkfield, was fined a nominal £270 after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The low penalty reflects the fact he was summarily dismissed for gross misconduct as a result of the incident, and is struggling financially because he has been unable to find alternative employment or claim any benefits since. Magistrates said a higher fine would not compensate for the suffering he has already endured because of a momentary lapse of judgement.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Kevin Golding commented:

“This incident demonstrates all too clearly that a single poor decision – on this occasion asking an inexperienced colleague to stand in a dangerous position to steady a large, heavy and unstable load – can have devastating consequences.

“The young worker is fortunate to have regained full mobility, but he was unable to work for a considerable period. His ordeal should serve as a powerful reminder to all employees, particularly those in control of potentially dangerous machinery, to fully consider the consequences of their actions. Stephen Bellingham failed to do this.

“All lifting operations should be properly planned and assessed, and where a load appears to be unstable the operation must be stopped immediately to consider appropriate restraints or alternative methods.”