Atherton roofer fined after putting lives at risk

HSE Article:

An Atherton roofer has appeared in court after being spotted working on roofs with no safety equipment to prevent him and his staff falling off.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-nw-51markmckernan.htm


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she.ltd.uk

“Consistently devious” boss avoids jail over trainee’s injuries

SHP Article:

The owner of a fireworks company has been given a 36-week suspended prison sentence after a trainee was blinded when a mortar exploded in his face.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://www.shponline.co.uk/incourt-content/full/consistently-devious-boss-avoids-jail-over-trainee-s-injuries

For advice on issues of Safety, Health, and Environment please visit us at:
she.ltd.uk

Construction giant sentenced for death at Premier League club

SHP Article:

Construction firm Kier North West has been fined £160,000 after a labourer fell to his death during the construction of Everton FC’s new training academy.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://www.shponline.co.uk/incourt-content/full/construction-giant-sentenced-for-death-at-premier-league-club

For advice on issues of Safety, Health, and Environment please visit us at:
she.ltd.uk

Textile company fined after worker’s arm crushed in roll of fabric

HSE Article:

A fabric manufacturer has been fined after a worker's arm was so badly crushed he had to have metal plates inserted to help support his broken bones.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-e-30.htm

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she.ltd.uk

Britain: Hidden toll highlights need for safety laws

TUC Article:

More than 20,000 people in the UK are killed prematurely by their work every year, highlighting the need for strong, strongly enforced health and safety regulation, according to a TUC report. ‘The case for health and safety’ smashes the myth that Britain is one of the safest places to work, says TUC.

For more information on the following story please follow the link bellow:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-18416-f0.cfm

For advice on your health and safety needs please follow the link bellow:
she.ltd.uk

New Zealand extreme sports review warns of safety risk

BBC Article:
Safety standards in New Zealand's adventure tourism industry must improve, a report has concluded after a woman from Worcestershire drowned.


For more information on the following story please follow the link bellow:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-11094272

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she.ltd.uk

Director and company in the dock over waterfront fall

SHP Article

The quick actions of the crew of a ship coming into port saved a night watchman who had fallen into the water between the quayside and the vessel.

For more information on the following story please follow the link bellow:
http://www.shponline.co.uk/incourt-content/full/director-and-company-in-the-dock-over-waterfront-fall

For advice on your health and safety needs please follow the link bellow:
she.ltd.uk

£30k fines after Salford worker killed by digger bucket

HSE Article

Fines totalling £30,000 have been issued following the death of a Salford worker, who was struck by the excavator bucket on a digger.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-nw-020windmill.htm


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she.ltd.uk

Builder fined after hand is disfigured

HSE Article

A Haringey building firm was in court after a worker’s hand was seriously injured in a machine at a workshop in Willesden, Brent.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://news.hse.gov.uk/2010/09/03/builder-fined-after-hand-is-disfigured/?eban=rss-press-release

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she.ltd.uk

Worker dies during demolition at boarding school

HSE Article

A Shropshire boarding school has today been fined £25,000 after a worker was killed while demolishing a building on the site.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Moor Park Charitable Trust Ltd which runs Moor Park School, after it arranged for a team of inexperienced building workers to demolish a large wooden classroom on 14 August 2007.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-wm-20110.htm

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she.ltd.uk

Company heads prosecuted over hydraulic press injury

HSE Article

Two Leeds-based company directors have been prosecuted after an employee had his fingers crushed in a hydraulic press.

For the whole story, please follow the link below:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-yh-20710.htm

For advice on issues of Safety, Health, and Environment please visit us at:
she.ltd.uk

Offshore industry warned over major-accident potential

SHP Article

A steep rise in the number of major and significant hydrocarbon releases – regarded as potential precursors to a major incident – has sparked the HSE to issue a warning to bosses in the offshore oil and gas industry.

For more information, see the following link:
http://www.shponline.co.uk/news-content/full/offshore-industry-warned-over-major-accident-potential

For advice on Safety, Health, and Environmental needs see the following address:
she.ltd.uk

Accident Investigation

Persons who should investigate the accident include the middle management; health and safety officers; line manager/ supervisor; safety representatives (if in place); and any specialists.

Actions that need to be followed in order to collect evidence for an investigation of an accident include:

Steps in investigation

• Respond to the injury promptly and positively. First aid and emergency reactions.
• Put into place temporary controls to prevent it happening again.
• Collect information on the accident.
• Analyse significant immediate causes.
• Analyse significant underlying causes.
• Develop remedial long term controls.
• Implement long term controls.
• Brief all involved and employees who could have a stake in what is happening.
• Review findings and recommendations. Discuss at the health and safety committee.
• Follow through the actions.

Take control. Keep the scene of the accident intact prior to investigation.

Take pictures. Sketch and map.

Examine the equipment. Look at the tools and equipment. If they don't look right then ask for help from an expert. Take pictures.

The collation of statements from the person who suffered the injury, any witnesses, and the manager of the area. It would also be useful to have a statement from an "expert witness".

Information on previous risk assessments, controls, procedures and method statements applicable to what happened needs to be gathered.

Maintenance checks need to be found including operator checks and statutory checks, preventative and any breakdown maintenance conducted.

Training records would be useful of those involved would also be required.

Re-enact the accident if possible (and safe to do so). Consider material failure analysis if the loss is high.

Establish an outline of causal factors. Analyse each immediate cause in turn to establish underlying/ basic causes and loss control further down the chain (remember latent failures).

Review the existing risk assessments and if necessary write new ones. Recommend controls.

Write the report. Ensure this is written in good time. Remember that the report could be used in claims cases. Use salient points to brief to others.

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Accidents and Loss Causation

An accident is defined as unplanned, uncontrolled event leading to loss or an undesired event that results in physical harm to a person or damage to property.

Accidents need to be investigated for humane, economic and legal reasons. Humane to prevent an injury occuring again. Economic to reduce costs; costs from higher insurance premiums; costs from the investigation itself; costs from replacing the employee and costs from loss of face or loss of credibility. Legal reasons; to comply with the law, i.e. RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurences); to reduce potential fines and in doing so potential claims.

Occupational safety is not the absence of accidents but the identification of accident causes and implementing measures to control these potential accidents.

Accident investigation is a tool to help prevent the accident occuring again.

Loss causation and the domino theory

Accidents are a result of failings in the health and safety management system. Accidents are rarely the result of a single event. The cause of the accident can split into active and latent failings. Active failures are the actions of the individuals involved in the accident. Latent failures are remote failings of the management system that could have been in place for long periods of time before the active failings resulted. Latent failures are often refered to as pathonogenic failings.

The model:

Lack of Control/ Basic Causes/ Immediate Causes/ Incident/ Loss

Loss includes injuries to people, property and processes

Incident is the result of contact with energy or substance

Immediate Causes includes sub-standard acts and sub-standard conditions

Basic Causes include Personal factors and Job factors

Lack of control is the result of inadequate standards, compliance to standards and inadequate programmes for safety.

Sub-standard acts and conditions are immediate causes of the accident. This is often the only thing that is investigated. For a truely in-depth investigation to occur a more thorough examination of underlying causes needs to be conducted. Substandard acts and conditions are often referred to as the symptoms of the accident.

The basic causes are the real causes behind the symptoms. Basic causes are the reasons that unsafe acts and sub-standard conditions occur. Job Factors include poor supervision, leadership, purchasing, engineering, maintenance, equipment, tools, materails and work standards. Personal factors include inadequate capabilities, lack of knowledge and competence to carry out the task, lack of skill, stress (physiological and psychological) and improper motivation i.e. cutting corners.

Lack of control includes inadequate policies, management systems, and control systems. Inadequate standards include poor rules and a lack of compliance to rules. Loss of management control.

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