Risk, Health and Safety Information

Health and Safety in the news this week

British man dies working on Qatar World Cup stadium

A British man has died after falling off a suspended platform while working on a World Cup stadium in Qatar.  Construction conditions have come under sharp scrutiny since the country was awarded the 2022 football tournament.

The man, 40, reportedly fell when the platform, used to manage sound and lighting, collapsed at the Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday last week, its construction firm contractor said. The man’s safety harness was said to have been cut during the fall.

The project to renovate the stadium, which is described by organisers as “Qatar’s most historic stadium,” is being supervised by Belgian Company Besix in partnership with local company Midmac Contracting.

A statement from construction firm Midmac-Six Construct said that a lever hoist supporting the platform failed “for unknown reasons”, adding that it was working with the local authorities to investigate.

“All of the partners involved in this project are devastated by such a tragic loss of life and we extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends and colleagues,” the statement said.

Rights group Amnesty International says it is the second death reported by the organisers related to a workplace incident at a Qatar stadium in the last three months.

Labour’s shadow sports minister Rosena Allin-Khan said:

“FIFA and the Qatari authorities are putting profit before safety.  My thoughts go out to the friends and family of the person who tragically died working on a construction site in Qatar.  It is unacceptable that basic health and safety precautions are not being followed. FIFA and the Qatari authorities should not be putting profit before safety.  FIFA President Gianni Infantino needs to show where his priorities lie, launch an urgent investigation and ensure everything is done to protect workers.”

Source: www.newsnow.com

HSE prosecution round up:

Crisp Company fined for safety failings

A Northamptonshire company who manufacture crisps and snacks has been fined after an agency worker lost the tops of three fingers.

Northampton Crown Court heard how an agency worker, working at Tayto Group Limited was clearing a blockage of material from a machine on the production line.

The worker’s hand came into contact with shears and three fingers on his right hand were severed below the first knuckle.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred in August 2015, found that the guard on the machine was not secured at the time of the incident. The Company had not implemented a formal monitoring system on this machine to ensure that all guards were in place and secure, before the machine was started.

Tayto Group Limited, of Princewood Road, Earlstrees Industrial Estate, Corby, Northamptonshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), and was fined £330,000 and ordered to pay costs of £11,752.23.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Michelle Morrison said:

‘This man suffered a life-changing injury in what was an entirely preventable incident. Employers must have adequate and robust systems to ensure that guards used to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery are in place and secure before machinery is put into use.’

Jaguar Land Rover fined £900,000 after worker injured

National car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has been fined after a worker lost their leg following a car accident.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that on Sunday 8 February 2015 at Jaguar’s Lode Lane plant in Solihull, a Range Rover Sport vehicle was driven toward the start of the production line, an event that normally happens 48 times an hour. On this occasion the delivery driver lost control of the car and collided with the rear of another vehicle he had just delivered, causing a 4 car shunt.

At the same time a worker was crossing the production line and became trapped between the second and third cars. His injuries resulted in amputation of his right leg above the knee.  Two other employees also suffered minor injuries.

The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the company had failed to ensure that the driver of the Range Rover, who was covering the shift, was familiar with procedures. They had also failed to properly separate the workers on the production line from the moving vehicles.

Jaguar Land Rover, were found guilty of breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and fined £900,000 and ordered to pay costs of £49,800.

HSE inspector John Glynn said:

“A worker has been left with life changing injuries that were completely avoidable, it was only good fortune that prevented this from being a fatal accident. Jaguar Land Rover knew the risks of driving vehicles onto production lines and the possibility of shunt accidents, but failed to protect their workers.”

Asbestos Analyst fined for falsifying documents

An asbestos analyst has been fined after he falsified an asbestos air clearance certificate, following licensed asbestos removal in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Manchester and Salford Court House, heard how, on 19^th November 2015, Mr Barrie Lyons, a well-trained asbestos analyst with 29 years of experience, was contracted to carry out the final inspection and air testing, following asbestos removal at a construction site in central Manchester.

Mr Lyons’ task included a thorough examination of the area where asbestos had been removed from, within the defined enclosure itself and the areas surrounding it. He also had a series of air samples to collect and evaluate, to ensure that the air was substantially free of asbestos.

The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that Mr Lyons had failed to carry out a suitable inspection of the site and had not carried out the correct amount of air sampling, despite his report to his employer and the client indicating that he had. In effect, Mr Lyons had deliberately falsified his report and so his published results could no longer be relied upon. The asbestos removal contractor had no option but to have a second clearance test carried out which incurred significant delays and additional expense.

HSE inspector Matthew Greenly said after the hearing:

“Asbestos analysts play a vital role in ensuring that areas are safe to enter after asbestos is removed. Mr Lyons sadly chose on this occasion to falsify his records which was a massive abuse of the trust placed in him by the client.

This deliberate act increased the risk of numerous people potentially being exposed to asbestos, a risk Mr Lyons would be very well aware of from his experience, all to save a little time and finish the job early.

It is hoped that the industry uses this case as a reminder that anyone involved in asbestos removal must do everything reasonable to protect people from a material which causes around 4000 deaths per year in the UK.”

Mr Barrie Lyons, of Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £2000 and ordered to pay costs of £3905.73

Source: www.hse.gov.uk