Welcome to HSE prosecutions in brief. An overview of this weeks prosecutions by the HSE.
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Suffolk firm prosecuted over injury to trapped worker
A Suffolk truck dealership has been fined after an incident in which a technician was trapped when the cab of a lorry fell on him, causing him to be off work for six weeks.
Trevor Muffett, 60, from Akenham, near Ipswich, was carrying out a routine vehicle check when an inbuilt strut holding up the cab gave way. He suffered two broken ribs and was trapped underneath the lorry for ten minutes.
Orwell Trucks, trading as Orwell Truck and Van, of Betts Avenue in Martlesham, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court today to breaching section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The company was fined £4,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,726.
Read full story here.
Prosecutions over asbestos exposure
A Norfolk company and a contractor from Manchester have been fined after failing to manage asbestos removal work at a renovation site in Great Yarmouth.
Mohammed Zahid was employed in May 2009 by Azam Bros Ltd of Hunstanton to clear damage caused by a fire at two commercial units they owned in Regent Street, Great Yarmouth.
Complaints were received by Great Yarmouth Borough Council that a skip outside the premises had no cover to prevent dust contaminating surrounding work units or being exposed to the general public.
Mohammed Zahid, 33, from Wilbraham Road in Manchester, was fined a total of £1,000 after being found guilty of breaching regulations 4, 5, 8(2) and 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and ordered to pay costs of £500.
Azam Bros Ltd admitted breaching Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,500.
Read full story here.
Two companies and contractor fined for releasing asbestos at Birmingham office
Two Worcestershire companies and a contractor from Hall Green have been prosecuted for releasing asbestos fibres during an office refurbishment project in Birmingham city centre.
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uncovered a series of failings during the refurbishment of 114-116 Colmore Row, work that included upgrading a lift containing asbestos insulating board.
Evanacre Colmore Row Ltd, of Cottonfields New Road, Cutnall Green, Droitwich, pleaded guilty today to breaching Regulations 11(1)(a) and 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs.
Marchment Consulting Ltd, of Kidderminster Road, Droitwich, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 11(1)(a) and 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs.
Roland Morewood, of Mapleton Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 8(1) and 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £823 costs.
Read full story here.
Sweet manufacturer sentenced over severed finger
A leading sweet manufacturer has been sentenced after part of a worker’s finger was cut off at a Blackpool factory.
The employee at Tangerine Confectionery Ltd was trying to remove a blockage in one of the sweet-making machines when his left hand was pulled in, severing his index finger to the top knuckle.
Tangerine Confectionery, which has seven factories around the country, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 after it failed to make sure the machine stopped operating when the guard was not in place.
The company, of Vicarage Lane in Blackpool, was fined £3,400 and ordered to pay £4,568 in prosecution costs on 10 August 2011 following the incident at its Clifton Road site in Marton.
Read full story here.
UK’s largest pork producer fined after worker severs fingers
The UK’s biggest producer of pork products has been fined after a worker severed two fingers in an unguarded mixing machine.
The 60-year-old, from Branston, Lincolnshire, lost the index and middle fingers on his right hand and damaged his ring finger in the incident at Tulip Ltd’s factory in Ruskington on 10 December 2009. The incident happened as he reached into the mixing bowl to remove a piece of blue plastic that he had spotted as he was adding seasoning to the mixture.
Tulip Ltd, of Warwick Technology Park, Gallows Hill, Warwick, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,076.
Read full story here.
Burnley handyman survives fall through leaking roof
A Burnley handyman had a lucky escape when he fell through a fragile roof at a factory in the town, a court has heard.
The 67-year-old, who has asked not to be named, was fixing a leak on the roof when he lost his balance, stepped backwards and fell through one of the roof panels. He escaped injury after landing on a machine cover more than four metres below.
Lupton and Place Ltd admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of workers. The company, which produces parts for the automotive, defence and electronics industries, was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £6,250 in prosecution costs on 11 August 2011.
Read full story here.
Satellite firm sentenced after fatal roof fall
Satellite TV installation firm Foxtel Ltd, has been prosecuted following the death of a worker who fell while carrying out work on a roof.
Engineer Noel Corbin, 29, from New Addington, Croydon, suffered fatal head injuries after falling 13.5 metres from a four-storey house onto a side patio in Belsize Park, London on 3 February 2008.
Foxtel Ltd, based in Wates Way, Brentwood, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Today, the firm is no longer trading and was shown to have no assets. The court fined the company £1.
Read full story here.
