Company fined £70K following exposure to Carbon Monoxide
A construction company was fined £70,000 after a security guard died from carbon monoxide poisoning on a construction site in Scotland.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that in February 2008, the security guard was overcome with fumes from a petrol generator used inside the site office.
The Company pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (duty to ensure persons not in your employment are not exposed to risks)
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, poisonous gas produced by incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, including gas, oil, wood and coal.. It is only when the fuel does not burn properly that excess CO is produced, which is poisonous. When CO enters the body, it prevents the blood from bringing oxygen to cells, tissues, and organs.
You can’t see it, taste it or smell it but CO can kill quickly without warning. According to statistics around 20 people die from CO poisoning and levels that do not kill can cause serious harm to health if breathed in over a long period. In extreme cases paralysis and brain damage can be caused as a result of prolonged exposure to CO.
Increasing public understanding of the risks of CO poisoning and taking sensible precautions could dramatically reduce this risk.
