newsletter · on sentencing mr justice john saunders said: “it seems the defendant had no idea of...

August 2016

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newsletter

1

Search efforts have resumed to find the bodies of

three men, who died when part of Didcot power station

collapsed in February this year.

The search was halted in May when contractors

reached a 50m (164ft) exclusion zone, beyond which it

was considered too dangerous to continue.

Yesterday morning (Sunday 17 July) a remote

demolition brought down the decommissioned site in a

unique operation using remote-controlled robots. An

inspection will now take place to confirm the area and

debris pile is safe, and the recovery operation will

resume.

RWE Npower, which owns the site, said the demolition

had “gone as planned” and all of the structure was

brought down.

A spokesman said: “Now the building has been

brought down, an inspection has confirmed the area

and debris pile are safe and our contractors have

resumed the recovery operation.

“We will continue working seven days a week, 12

hours a day to help return these families’ loved ones to

them as soon as possible.”

On the 23 February the boiler house at Didcot A power

station partially collapsed and a major incident was

declared. Ken Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, and

Chris Huxtable, 34, were trapped under rubble. The

body of Michael Collings, 53, of Teesside, was

recovered.

A statement on Thames Valley Police’s website,

following the controlled explosion said: “The controlled

explosive demolition of the remaining structure took

place this morning with all of the remaining structure

being brought down successfully.

“An inspection will now take place to confirm the area

is safe, and the recovery operation will resume.

“As part of the recovery operation, the site owners

RWE, Brown & Mason and Alford Technologies were

responsible for the remaining structure being brought

down safely.

“Specialist officers are continuing to support the

families of the missing men; Christopher Huxtable,

Ken Cresswell and John Shaw, as well as the family of

Michael Collings, whose body has already been

recovered from the site.

“The absolute priority of our multi-agency response

remains the recovery of the missing men so they can

be returned to their families and to understand what

caused this tragic incident”

Search resumes at Didcot

http://www.hsqe.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]


August 20162

newsletter


• The provisional figure for the number of workers fatally injured in 2015/16 is

144, and corresponds to a rate of fatal injury of 0.46 deaths per 100,000

workers.

• The figure of 144 worker deaths in 2015/16 is 7% lower than the average for

the past five years (155). The latest rate of fatal injury of 0.46 compares to the

five-year average rate of 0.52.

• The finalised figure for 2014/15 is 142 worker fatalities, and corresponds to a

rate of 0.46 deaths per 100,000 workers.

• Over the latest 20-year time period there has been a downward trend in the

rate of fatal injury, although in recent years this shows signs of levelling off.

• There were 67 members of the public fatally injured in accidents connected to

work in 2015/16 (excluding incidents relating to railways, and those enforced by

the Care Quality Commission).

More information is available from the HSE, including a spreadsheet that

categorises each fatal accident. Go to: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm

HSE release accident statistics for 2015/16

Number and rate of fatal injuries to workers 1996/97 to 2015/16 (provisional)

Everyone should consider taking vitamin D supplements in autumn and winter,

public health advice for the UK recommends. The advice comes as a government-

commissioned report sets the recommended levels at 10 micrograms of the

vitamin a day.

Limited amounts of the vitamin are found in foods such as oily fish, eggs and

fortified cereals. But, for most people, the bulk of their vitamin D is made from the

action of sunlight on their skin.

Vitamin D supplements advised for everyone

An official estimate suggest one in five

adults and one in six children in

England may have low levels.

The review of the evidence, was

carried out by the Scientific Advisory

Committee on Nutrition (SACN).

Public health officials say, in winter

months, people should consider getting

this from 10 microgram supplements, if

their diet is unlikely to provide it.

Vitamin D’s main function is to regulate

the amount of calcium and phosphate

in the body, which are vital for the

growth and maintenance of healthy

bones, teeth and muscles. In extreme

cases, low levels can lead to rickets in

children - where the bones become

soft and weak and misshapen as they

continue to grow. In adults, vitamin D

deficiency can lead to osteomalacia -

causing severe bone pain and muscle

aches.




http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/fatals.htm

August 20163

newsletter


General Motors UK Ltd was prosecuted by the HSE

after work being undertaken at its North Road,

Ellesmere Port site in 2014 exposed contractors to

risks associated with asbestos.

An investigation by the HSE found that during work to

replace high pressure hot water boilers with gas

burners in the company’s paint unit, suspected

asbestos insulating boards (AIB) were discovered

beneath external cladding on the stores building.

Contractors carrying out the refurbishment had

submitted a risk assessment and method statement for

the work which was originally due to traverse a roof.

When the location of the new pipework was changed to

the side of the building no review of the risk

assessment for the job, specifically in relation to

asbestos was undertaken. Subsequent sampling

confirmed the presence of asbestos.

On the day the suspected boards were discovered the

asbestos register was not fully available to the

contractor to allow them to check whether the boards

contained asbestos. No direct instruction was given by

General Motors to the contractor to stop the work to

prevent any AIB being disturbed. The work, including

the removal and cutting of holes in AIB board,

continued without suitable precautions.

Liverpool Crown Court heard no assessment of the risk

was undertaken by General Motors to determine if the

work was notifiable or licensed asbestos work.

On completion of the work licensed contractors were

employed to conduct a clean-up and decontamination

programme of the roof and in the stores.

General Motors UK Ltd, of Osborne Road, Luton,

Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to a single breach of

Section 3 (1) the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act

1974 and was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay

£11,779 in prosecution costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jane Carroll

said: “Asbestos kills around 5,000 workers each year;

this is more than the number killed on UK roads.

“Asbestos can be present within any premises built or

refurbished before the year 2000.

“Whenever asbestos containing materials are found to

be present, companies have a legal duty to document

and implement an Asbestos Management Plan which

includes measures to adequately control the risk of

exposure to asbestos fibres.”

A London borough council has been fined after a road

worker suffered serious injury whilst cutting trees.

Southwark Crown Court heard how an employee of

London Borough of Havering sustained a serious cut

injury just above his left knee after a Sthil cut-off saw

he was using was fitted with an inappropriate blade and

used to cut tree roots and branches with.

The blade became stuck and on pulling it free the blade

ran across the top of his left knee.

He suffered a deep cut above the left knee damaging

ligaments and cartiledge requiring sixty stiches.

An investigation by the HSE into the incident which

occurred on 2 March 2015 found that the wrong

equipment was being used for the task.

No risk assessment was conducted for the use of the

saw and blade.

A safe system of work should have been in place that

identified suitable and compatible machinery for certain

tasks.

London Borough of Havering, Town Hall, Main Road,

Romford, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 4(2)

and 4(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment

Regulations 1998, and was fined £500,000 and ordered

to pay costs of £8,240.

Motor Manufacturer Fined over Asbestos Contamination London borough fined




August 20164

newsletter


A building site manager who had a “total disregard of

health and safety” has been convicted of gross

negligence manslaughter following the death of a 40-

year-old worker who died when he fell through a

skylight. Site manager Faruk Patel “continued to put

workers’ lives at risk even after a fatal accident on the

site” the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

The court heard how during the afternoon of Saturday

24 January 2015 Tasadaq Ur-Rehman was working on

a site in Leicester, when he fell through a skylight

aperture in a first floor roof and sustained serious head

injuries. He was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary

but later transferred to the Queen’s Medical Centre in

Nottingham where he subsequently died.

Following Mr Ur-Rehman’s death a joint investigation

between Leicestershire Police and the HSE was

launched. The investigation discovered that Mr Patel

was the manager on the building site and had asked Mr

Tasadaq to fit windows on the first floor. Mr Ur-

Rehman, an experienced window fitter, agreed to fit

doors and windows on the site over the weekend.

However, shortly after arriving on site he fell three

metres through an open skylight on a first floor flat roof.

On 26 January, HSE inspectors issued a prohibition

notice on Mr Patel, ordering a halt to any work at

height. But on two subsequent visits, one after Mr Ur-

Rehman’s death, they found evidence that work had

continued. When police attended they found the order

had been breached, Mr Patel was arrested and

charged with manslaughter by gross negligence.

Investigations revealed that:

• there was no scaffolding provided in the area

where the windows were to be fitted;

• there was no safe method of transferring the

windows to the first floor, where access was only

by way of a broken, untethered ladder;

• ladders were not secured properly and one was

found balancing in a pile of sand;

• nobody on site was wearing any personal

protective equipment;

• there was no qualified first aider on site;

• openings in the ceilings on the first and second

floors were not guarded;

• there were no signs warning of hazards; and

• scaffolding was not properly secured on the site.

Faruk Patel, 40 was found guilty of manslaughter by

gross negligence after a trial at Birmingham Crown

Court. A jury convicted Patel after less than three

hours of deliberation.

Mr Patel also pleaded guilty in December 2015 to three

health and safety offences. He was sentenced to 2 ½

years in prison for manslaughter by gross negligence

and eight months in prison for the health and safety

offences, to run concurrently.

On sentencing Mr Justice John Saunders said: “It

seems the defendant had no idea of the responsibilities

he had for maintaining the safety of the site. The

defendant paid no regard to health and safety

requirements whatsoever.”

Health and Safety Executive inspector Sarah Hill said:

“We identified several areas around the St Saviours Hill

site where falls could occur, and where workers were at

risk of being seriously injured or killed as a result. No

health and safety precautions had been taken in

relation to health and safety on this site. Faruk Patel

continued to put workers’ lives at risk even after a fatal

accident on the site.

During the sentencing hearing, a victim impact

statement from Mr Ur-Rehman’s family was read out in

court. It said: “The loss of Tasadaq Ur-Rehman has

had a devastating impact on our lives.

“We’ve lost a loving dad, husband and one of the most

wonderful people we’ve known. His family meant

everything to him.

“He was taken away from us in his prime.

“Every day little things remind us of him but we know

he is not coming back.”

Deanna Heer, prosecuting, told the jury: “[Patel] said

[safety] was everyone’s responsibility and that the

tradesmen knew the dangers of working on a building

site.

“He said if they did not work safely, well, that was their

fault; everyone took care of themselves.

“He said if the deceased needed help he should have

asked for it and, since he chose to work alone, the

deceased only had himself to blame for his

misfortune. As far as he was concerned, the site was

safe.”

Building site manager convicted of gross negligence manslaughter




August 20165

newsletter


A Gateshead contractor has been fined £120,000 after

a worker sprained his ankles when he fell down a

service riser shaft.

Newcastle upon Tyne Magistrates’ Court heard how

Meldrum Construction Services Limited (MCS) was

principal contractor for refurbishment work at premises

in Percy Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

MCS failed to plan for the requirement for temporary

platforms to be installed in the service riser to provide a

safe work area.

Subsequently, temporary floors were installed to

specifications they had not been designed for.

A worker stepped onto the temporary wooden floor on

the first floor riser which collapsed and he fell 4.5

metres to the floor below, spraining both ankles.

An HSE investigation into the incident which occurred

on 6 July 2015 found that MCS failed to plan and

manage the construction phase of the project in that

they failed to plan and manage the temporary works

within the service riser.

Meldrum Construction Services Limited of Dunston,

Gateshead, pleaded guilty to breaching the

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations

and was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of

£1969.

Pokemon Go is a reality smartphone game which

encourages players to catch Pokemon characters

by exploring their surroundings using their phones.

Using the phone's GPS facility players walk around the

'real' world in order to catch virtual Pokemon characters

at various landmarks and locations.

There have been reports of players attending railway

stations and level crossings to try and capture the

Pokemon characters they believe to be around.

Network Rail warn that players are often so absorbed in

the screens of their phones that they fail to appreciate

their surroundings and the inherent dangers around

them or whether access to an area is restricted.

The British Safety Council and the International

Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) have

written an open letter to the prime minister urging the

government to publish a schedule and structure for exit

negotiations following the EU referendum, in order to

assure the safety of the UK workforce.

In the letter they say: “We are concerned that the level

of uncertainty related to political restructuring and the

lack of any firm structure or schedule for withdrawal, is

already resulting in unintended consequences which

could adversely affect the safety, health and wellbeing

of workers in the UK.”

Philip Pearson, chief executive, IIRSM and Mike

Robinson, chief executive, British Safety Council,

explained that employers in the UK need a firm and

clear schedule for exit negotiations so that they are

able to develop plans to assure the safety, health and

wellbeing of workers in the short and medium turn,

while formal negotiations take place.

For over 40 years Britain has been working hard to

manage safety and reduce occupational diseases in the

workplace, becoming a recognised world leader. Since

the UK has voted to leave the EU, it is possible that

there will be calls for changes to the established

framework of legislation. “If this does occur, caution will

be required to maintain current standards and protect

the health and safety of workers in the UK,” urged the

British Safety Council and IIRSM.

Contractor fined £120,000 after

worker sprains his ankles

Network Rail issue safety

bulletin warning of pokemon go

BSC and IIRSM send letter to

PM concerning BREXIT




August 20166

newsletter


Penny Mordaunt MP has been appointed as Minister of

State for Disabled People, Health and Work with

responsibility for oversight of HSE, at the Department

for Work and Pensions.

This new title reflects the broader portfolio she is taking

on, which will include all areas related to supporting

disabled people and those with long-term health

conditions.

The appointment follows the announcement of the Rt

Hon Damian Green MP being appointed Secretary of

State for Work and Pensions.

Penny Mordaunt MP has been appointed as Minister of

State for Disabled People, Health and Work.

An Essex school has been fined after poorly-planned

and managed refurbishment and maintenance activities

exposed school staff and others to asbestos.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard that managers at The

Boswells School, Chelmsford, decided to convert an

old boiler room at the school into a cleaning store.

During the course of this work, asbestos residue on the

walls was disturbed and caretakers swept

contaminated debris from floors. Their exposure to risk

only came to light after a later asbestos survey was

completed in the area.

The HSE investigated this incident and learned that

asbestos containing materials (ACM’s) were also

present in other areas. School caretaking staff and

contractors disturbed the fabric of school buildings over

many years without being alerted to the presence of

ACM’s. Persons who entered potentially contaminated

areas were placed at risk of developing serious ill

health conditions arising from exposure to airborne

respirable asbestos fibres. The school also failed to

ensure that spread of asbestos was prevented or

reduced.

The Boswells Academy Trust, of Burnham Road,

Chelmsford, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching the

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – Sections

2(1) & 3(1). The trust was fined £26,000 and ordered

to pay costs of £20,000.

New minister for health and

safety

Essex school fined for asbestos

failings

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newsletter


July 20167

Key features:

• Meets the category A training requirements for

asbestos awareness in the Control of Asbestos

Regulations 2012

• For managers, supervisors and trades people

that could be exposed to asbestos, so that they

can avoid the risks it presents

• Independently audited and approved by the

IATP

• Works on PC or tablet

Prices:

• 1 to 4 students £15.00 +VAT per licence



• 50+ students £7.50 +VAT per licence

Asbestos awareness

(cat A) online course

Asbestos awareness for

designers online course

Key features:

• Meets the category A training requirements for

asbestos awareness in the Control of Asbestos

Regulations 2012

• For designers, architects and anyone that

needs a more in-depth understanding of the

risks associated with asbestos

• Independently audited and approved by the

IATP

• Works on PC or tablet

Prices:




• 50+ students £7.50 +VAT per licencew: www.hsqe.co.uk e: [email protected]

More info:




newsletter


July 20168

Key features:

• For anyone that uses ladders, or is responsible

for people that use ladders

• Explains the dangers associated with the range

of ladders and the practical steps that should be

taken to manage the risk they present

• Also covers ladder components, the key legal

requirements, risk assessment and basic ladder

inspection and maintenance

• Works on PC, tablet or mobile

Prices:





Ladder safety

online course

Working at height

online course

Key features:

• For anyone that works at height, or is

responsible for people that work at height

• Explains the dangers associated with heights

and the practical steps that should be taken to

manage the risk it presents

• Also covers key legal requirements, risk

assessment and the issues associated with

commonly used access equipment


Prices:




• 50+ students £7.50 +VAT per licencew: www.hsqe.co.uk e: [email protected]

More info:




newsletter


July 20169

Key features:

• For anyone that is a fire warden or is

responsible for managing fire wardens

• Covers: accidents involving fire, fire safety

legislation, basic components of fire, stages of a

fire, how fire spreads, fire classification, fire

prevention, fire extinguishers, risk assessment,

fire safety arrangements and the duties of fire

wardens


Prices:





Fire warden / marshal

online course

w: www.hsqe.co.uk e: [email protected]

More info:

Fire safety awareness

online course

Key features:

• For anyone that needs an awareness of the

dangers associated with fire and the practical

steps that should be taken to reduce the risk

• Covers: accidents involving fire, fire safety

legislation, basic components of fire, stages of a

fire, how fire spreads, fire classification, fire

prevention, fire extinguishers, risk assessment

and fire safety arrangements


Prices:








newsletter


July 201610

You will learn:

• The reasons for managing safely

• What risk is

• How to conduct risk assessments

• How to control risks effectively

• Basic legal responsibilities of managers and

supervisors

• How health and safety law works

• Key parts of a health and safety management

system

• Common hazards encountered in the workplace

and how to control the risks they present

• How to report and investigate incidents

• How to measure health and safety performance

• How to prevent pollution and waste

• The key parts of an environmental management

system

IOSH Managing safely online course

Key features:

• The industry-standard health and safety course

for managers and supervisors in the UK

• Meets the latest IOSH Managing safely syllabus

(version 4.0) – fully approved by IOSH

• Course is fully online, including the exam and

project, so no need to attend a training centre or

pay the associated overheads

• Interactive content will keep you engaged


Prices:

• 1 to 4 students £175 +VAT per licence



• 50+ students £125 +VAT per licencew: www.hsqe.co.uk e: [email protected]

More info:




August 201611

newsletter


This year was the hottest June ever recorded worldwide, and the

14th straight month that global heat records were broken, scientists say.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says

global sea temperatures were fractionally higher than for June last year while

land temperatures tied.

Its global temperature records date back 137 years, to 1880.

Most scientists attribute the increases to greenhouse gas emissions.

They also say climate change is at least partially to blame for a number of environmental

disasters around the world.

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for June was 0.9C above the

20th Century average of 15.5C, the NOAA said in its monthly report.

Last year was the hottest on record, beating 2014, which had previously held the title.

Hottest June worldwide




August 201612

newsletter


United Utilities Water Limited (UU) has been fined

£600,000 and its contractor, KMI+ £333,000 at Bolton

Crown Court after pleading guilty to polluting a brook.

Both companies were also ordered to pay a total of

£45,262 in costs (United Utilities £19,090 and KMI+

£26,172) following a prosecution by the Environment

Agency.

The court heard how KMI+ was contracted by UU to

carry out improvement works at Wayoh water treatment

works at Turton Bottoms. In December 2013, as part of

the works, KMI + emptied and removed a tank which

had been used to store sodium hypochlorite in 10%

solution. Sodium hypochlorite is used in the water

purification process and is also the principle ingredient

of household bleach. It is very corrosive and is highly

toxic to aquatic organisms.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy

Clayson, heard that by 4 December 2013 the majority

of the contents of the tank had been removed but up to

300 litres of the highly toxic chemical was left in the

bottom and needed to be emptied.

Counsel Richard Bradley, prosecuting on behalf of the

Environment Agency, told the Court that instead of

pumping or siphoning the remaining liquid out, a

decision was taken to put a hosepipe into the tank and

dilute the sodium hypochlorite with water, letting it

overflow into a bunded area and leave the hosepipe

running unattended overnight for 15 hours.

This was carried out without any risk assessment or

method statement and the companies were not in

agreement on what they understood had been agreed

prior to the removal taking place.

Neither company had surveyed the drainage

adequately and did not realise there were faults in the

drainage system which meant the diluted toxic

chemical entered the surface water drainage system

and discharged to Bradshaw Brook, a trout spawning

ground.

On December 6 2013, the Environment Agency was

alerted by a member of the public who had found dead

fish floating in the water.

A 1.7km stretch of the brook leading towards Jumbles

Reservoir was so badly polluted that virtually all aquatic

organisms, including fish, shrimp and earthworms were

killed.

Up to 900 dead fish were recovered, including Brown

Trout, Loaches and Bullheads, but the number killed is

likely to be much greater. At the end of June 2014 the

brook had recovered sufficiently for restocking to take

place and UU paid for the brook to be restocked with

native fish from the downstream section.

Both UU and KMI+ pleaded guilty at the first available

opportunity and cooperated with the prosecution.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy

Clayson said the incident had arisen through senior

management failings to ensure proper system and

procedures were in place.

Gordon Whitaker, Environment Manager of the

Environment Agency, said:

“This was a serious and avoidable pollution incident

caused by the negligence of both parties. It took

several months for Bradshaw Brook to return to a

healthy state and even then it was necessary to assist

this process by restocking fish in the affected stretch.

This case should bring home the message to all

company directors and shareholders that

environmental offences are taken seriously both by the

regulators and the courts.”

United Utilities Water Ltd and one of its contractors fined nearly £1m for pollution offence




newsletter · on sentencing mr justice john saunders said: “it seems the defendant had no idea of...

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