Posts Tagged ‘Health & Safety Yorkshire’
09/09/2011
‘Fast prosecutions’ for work deaths
Speeded-up prosecutions over the deaths of workers are on the cards. The forthcoming Work Related Deaths Protocol has had a number of changes proposed, the major one meaning that charges over health and safety could proceed in some cases before a coroner’s inquest is held. No charges can currently be brought until the inquest has [...]
04/09/2011
Illegal dumping of Asbestos costs £50k
A Cornwall haulage and skip hire boss has been handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years, for illegally tipping asbestos waste in an area of “outstanding natural beauty”. In an Environment Agency (EA) prosecution at Truro Crown Court, the Director of the Company (which has gone into liquidation) – was also ordered to pay £50,000 under [...]
02/09/2011
New woodworking info sheets
The WWI Sheets are a great source of free help for safeguarding and dust control of woodworking equipment. HSE have updated fiour of the sheets; they are: Safe Collection of Wood Waste: Prevention of fire and explosion – http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis32.pdf Safe use of manually operated cross-cut sawing machines http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis36.pdf Horizontal beam and vertical panel saws http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis3.pdf [...]
25/08/2011
Asbestos dumped near children’s play area
Residents were horrified when they spotted the corrugated metal covered in asbestos – a material proven to cause serious illness like lung cancer – abandoned in Newland Road, Hornsey, at the back of Campsbourne Primary School, on Wednesday, August 17. The fly tippers, branded “irresponsible” by neighbours who feared children would not know [...]
22/08/2011
Prosecutions in Great Britain in June 2011
In June 2011, 35 companies or individuals were found guilty and fined as a result of being prosecuted by HSE. Four of these prosecutions, which involved six companies, were related to maintenance work. #1 A worker cleaning a large baling machine was crushed to death when it re-activated. He had received no proper training in [...]
15/08/2011
Two companies and contractor fined for releasing asbestos
Two Worcestershire companies and a contractor from have been prosecuted for releasing asbestos fibres during an office refurbishment project in Birmingham city centre. Inspectors from the HSE uncovered a series of failings during the refurbishment work that included upgrading a lift containing asbestos insulating board. Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how the building owners and the [...]
12/08/2011
Friday Funnies
A Japanese train company which forced its drivers to clean toilets as a punishment is paying out almost £50,000 in fines. The West Japan Railway is paying compensation to 61 of its drivers after adopting the controversial punishment practices, according to Japan’s Jiji news agency. A court in Osaka heard that employees were forced to [...]
12/08/2011
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) – the FACTS
COPD is a major cause of disability and death; it is the fourth leading cause of death throughout the world. What are the symptoms of COPD? Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a long-term illness that makes breathing difficult. The lungs and breathing tubes are damaged making it difficult to get air in and [...]
09/08/2011
Wall-collapse director to face manslaughter charge
A director of a construction firm has been accused of causing, through gross negligence, the death of a child who was killed when a wall he designed collapsed on her. Three-year-old Meg Burgess was killed when a wall designed by the director and constructed by his company collapsed on to a public footpath where she [...]
05/08/2011
Are you managing your drivers?
The road safety charity Brake has published new research which indicates that one in eight (12%)drivers had nodded off at the wheel in the past year, warning that it takes only seconds of sleep behind the wheel to cause a fatal crash. “Head-nodding” occurs when someone nods off to sleep for between 2 and 30 [...]
