A Bristol joinery and staircase specialist has been fined £3,750 for taking insufficient action to improve a ventilation unit used to control exposure to wood dust.
Overview:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that on 9 February 2011, a visit by an inspector to Blackstone Developments (South West) Ltd, found that an Improvement Notice issued on 7 October 2010 had been insufficiently complied with.
The company, an architectural and traditional joiners who use hard and soft wood, had been given until 13 January 2011 to make the necessary improvements after the initial visit in October.
The inspector had found that the Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) plant, used to control exposure to wood dust was not working in an efficient state and maintained in good repair.
LEV is a ventilation system takes harmful substances, such as dust and fumes, out of the air so that they can’t be breathed in. But it must be properly designed and maintained in order to do this effectively.
The inspector visited company again in early February to find that action had not been taken to comply with the Improvement Notice.
Outcome:
The HSE prosecuted Blackstone Developments (South West) Ltd of The Old Schoolhouse, 75a Jacobs Wells Road, Bristol. The company pleaded guilty to contravening the requirements of an Improvement Notice served under Section 21 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which is an offence under Section 33 (1) (g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £3,750 and ordered to pay £836.50 in costs.
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Source: Health & Safety Executive
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