Health
and Safety in the news this week
Myth
or Reality? - A council has launch a crackdown on hairy workers as part of new
health and safety regulations
Nuneaton and
Bedworth Borough Council has told some of it staff to make sure they
are clean shaven before going to work or risk disciplinary action.
Those affected are expected to wear special 'face fit' masks when dealing
with dusty situations with asbestos potentially present.
The team, which includes those in the repairs department such as carpenters
and plumbers, must wear the respiratory protective equipment (RPE) as what is
being billed as a 'control measure' or face action including loss of pay.
If a worker is not clean shaven council chiefs say it affects the seal of
the mask to the face, potentially creating leakages of airborne contaminants.
A council employee,
who did not wish to be named, said:
"They're saying it's like wearing toe protector boots as a duty of
care but the footwear doesn't impact on your appearance or personal preference
when it comes to shaving. We are
basically being penalised if we are not clean shaven as you can come into
contact with dust in a range of instances, some expected and some not."
Before the masks were given out, all affected workers had to undertake a
supervised face fit test.
In the letter given to the affected staff, housing and communities director
Dawn Dawson said:
"Once you have had your face fit test you should ensure that whenever
the task that you are doing requires the use of a close fitting mask you are
clean shaven so that the mask performs correctly. If you are found wearing a mask and are not
clean shaven you will be stopped from working until you have shaved. This may
result on loss of pay and further action being taken."
What do the council say?
A council spokesman said:
"Health and safety legislation requires that employers must protect
the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees, as far as is
reasonably practicable; it also states that employees have a duty to take care
of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their
actions at work. Employees must
co-operate with employers and co-workers and comply with reasonable requests
made by them, to help everyone meet their legal requirements.
Where RPE has been identified as a control measure, for any task, it is
important that the RPE is adequate and suitable. To ensure that the selected RPE provides
adequate protection for individual wearers, the Approved Codes of Practice
supporting the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations and the
Control of Asbestos Regulations stipulate that tight-fitting RPE must be 'fit
tested'. This helps to ensure that inadequately
fitting face pieces are not used. Ill-fitting
face pieces can create inward leakages of airborne contaminants. Individual face fit tests are required to
ensure that the appropriate RPE is available.
The tests require individuals to be clean shaven as this affects the
seal of the mask to the face and its ability to perform correctly. Once individuals have had their face fit
test, they must ensure that whenever the task that they are doing requires the
use of a close fitting mask, they are clean shaven so that the mask performs
correctly. If a member of staff is found
wearing a mask and is not clean shaven, for their own safety they will be
stopped from working until they have shaved.
In accordance with Health and Safety legislation and guidance, provision
has been made for those who for either religious or medical reasons are unable to
wear close fitting masks and we have even extended this to those people who
have had a substantial beard for a number of years. This is done by way of
powered hood respirators.
It is in all our interests to ensure that we comply with all relevant Health
and Safety Legislation and regulations."
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Construction worker killed on Queensferry crossing
A 60-year-old construction worker has died after an incident on
the Queensferry Crossing near Edinburgh in Scotland.
The man is understood to have been hit by a moving boom on a
Giraffe crane at about 12:20 on the deck of the north tower. It is reported that he suffered severe blood
loss and was unable to be resuscitated. Another
man is reported to have been injured.
Work on the bridge has stopped for investigations to take
place.
The £1.4bn Bridge was due to be completed by the end of the
year, and was ordered by ministers because of corrosion at the main suspension
cable on the Forth Road Bridge. Work
began in 2011 and this death is understood to be the first fatality at the
site.
A Forth Replacement Crossing spokesman said:
“We are deeply saddened to have to confirm there was an incident
just before noon on 28 April on the Queensferry Crossing’s north tower in which
a person has lost his life. One other
person has been taken to hospital. All
activity has been stopped at the north tower.”
Harry Frew, Ucatt Scottish regional secretary, told the BBC
Scotland news website:
“We were just on our way back from a Workers’ Memorial Day
ceremony in Glasgow Green to commemorate workers who have been killed at work
when we heard the news. I am very
saddened about this tragedy and our thoughts are with his family.”
The police are working to investigate the incident on the
crossing, and inquiries are ongoing.
Source: www.shponline.co.uk
HSE prosecution round up:
Equipment Safety - Major frozen
food manufacturer fined for safety failings
A major frozen food manufacturer based in Whittlesey, near Peterborough,
has been fined £800,000 for safety failings after an employee nearly lost
his arm.
Peterborough Crown Court heard how a 34-year-old employee
was attempting to check the condition of the head roller on a bypass conveyor. While doing this his arm became entangled in
the machinery and his arm was almost severed. Although his arm was saved, he now has limited
movement in his hand.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into
the incident, which occurred on the 21 August 2014, found that the conveyor did
not have the correct guards fitted. A
risk assessment of the machine by the company failed to recognise the danger.
McCain Foods (GB) Limited of Havers Hill, Eastfield Scarborough,
pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations 1998 and Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work
etc Act 1974, and was fined £800,000 with costs of £12,831.51.
Plastics manufacturer fined for
death of worker
A plastics manufacturer from Cambridgeshire has been fined and
given a suspended sentence after a worker died after she was crushed by
printing machinery.
Peterborough Crown Court heard how a 23-year-old agency worker
from Lithuania was working in a print room for Gordon Leach, who trades as RGE
Engineering Company.
On 27 April 2012, the worker entered the printing machine to
apply thinners to the ink when the machine started. Her head was crushed between the printing pads
and the printing table of the machine, fatally injuring her.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into
the incident found that there was no effective system of guarding to the machine
and the incident could have been prevented.
Gordon Leach (trading as RGE Engineering Company), of The
Avenue, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation
11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was given
a 15 month sentence, suspended for 24 months, was fined £7,500 and was ordered
to pay full costs of £45,000.
Crystal Company sentenced over
injury to worker
A Cumbrian lead crystal manufacturer has been fined after an
employee suffered a serious hand injury while using machinery.
Laura Ponsford, who was 21 at the time of the incident in
February last year, had the middle finger of her right hand torn off while
operating a drill to widen the neck of a glass bottle.
Preston Crown Court heard the investigation by the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident at Greatdale Ltd (trading as Cumbria
Crystal) found the firm had failed to prevent operatives from accessing
dangerous parts of machinery.
Mrs Ponsford, 21, had only been working at the defendant’s
premises at The Lakes Glass Centre, Ulverston, for one year and has since left
the company.
The court heard on the afternoon of 20 February 2015, she was
using a ‘pillar drill’ to widen (or ream) the neck of a glass bottle. The chuck
and reamer were unguarded. Mrs Ponsford was wearing latex gloves while
performing this task, however the glove on her right hand became entangled
within the rotating parts of the reamer resulting in the middle finger of her
hand being severed.
She underwent 10 hours of surgery to reattach the finger but
unfortunately she was later told the operation had not been successful and had
to undergo a further operation in March 2015 to have the finger surgically
amputated to below the second knuckle.
HSE told the court the incident could have been prevented if a
suitable and sufficient risk assessment had taken place with regard to the
drill and practicable control measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of
machinery had been in place.
Greatdale Limited (trading as Cumbria Crystal) of The Lakes
Glass Centre, Oubas Hill, Ulverston, Cumbria, pleaded guilty to breaching
Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
and was fined £15,000.
After the hearing HSE inspector Leona Cameron said: “This
incident could have been prevented simply by providing guarding to prevent
access to dangerous parts of the machine.
“The need to guard dangerous parts of machinery is well known
with established industry guidance available, and in this case, the result of
that guidance being ignored is a serious injury to a young woman.”
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