Call for common sense approach to Health and Safety

Speaking at the annual Swansea and South Wales Health and Safety Group seminar, Health and Safety Commssioner, Sandy Blair explained that it is not realistic to eliminate risk altogether and that the health and safety of workers must be protected by correctly identifying risks and managing them sensibly and proportionately.

He said: "According to some stories, health and safety is an albatross around the neck of Britain, concentrating on trivial risks and petty bureaucracy, to the detriment of citizens. If you believe everything you read, it bans simple things from doormats to Christmas decorations, whilst making trapeze artists wear hard hats and children enjoying a game of conkers wear goggles but many of these stories are complete myths" He added, "The truth of the matter is that the work of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and their partner regulators in local government, has saved the lives of thousands of workers while preventing ill health and injury in many more besides." He continued, "HSE is about saving, lives not stopping them."

Mr Blair also praised the Welsh Assembly Government's "Welsh Backs" campaign, which is being run jointly with the Health and Safety Executive, and aims to encourage those suffering from back pain to continue with normal day to day activities as a more effective way of managing the problem than going to bed.

"Public awareness of the need to stay active and self manage back pain has increased by 25%. Workshops and awareness raising events have so far attracted more than 500 delegates."

Construction firms reminded to assess risk from electricity

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned construction companies of the tragic consequences that can result in the failure to carry out proper risk assessments especially where there are overhead power lines close to work activities.

The warning follows the electrocution of 19-year-old Miall Roberts who died in May 2004 after the concrete pump he was working on came into contact with an 11kV overhead power line at a site in Bala. Another worker on the site, Darren Gittins received an electric shock but was uninjured.

Permanent Flooring Ltd of Bagillt, Flintshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) for failing to ensure Mr Roberts’ safety and to a charge under Section 2(1) of the HSW Act for putting Mr Gittins at risk. They were fined £6,000 and ordered to pay a contribution towards costs of £12,000.

R.L. Davies and Son Ltd of Llysfaen, Conwy pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the HSW Act in relation to the death of Mr Roberts and were fined £25,000. They were also ordered to pay costs of £15,814.54.

Both companies were operating at the site in Bala Industrial Park when the incident happened.

HSE Inspector Chris Wilcox said: "Each year there are around 1000 incidents involving electric shock at work, and about 30 of these have resulted in fatalities.

"In Wales alone, there have been several cases whereby construction workers and others have been severely injured or killed after coming into contact with high voltage electricity, so it is imperative that employers ensure their staff and contractors are protected by carrying out a full risk assessment of the site before work starts.

"Household voltages are enough to kill, but in this case the voltage involved was nearly 50 times greater. Overhead power lines can be switched off if the operators are given sufficient notice, but if this isn't possible, they should be consulted on safe systems of work."

Enforcement action against Select Plant Hire Company

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has served a Prohibition Notice on Select Plant Hire Company Ltd of Dartford, Kent. The Notice required them, with immediate effect, to cease all climbing (e.g. lowering or raising) of tower cranes by use of climbing frame systems unless the work is conducted by people who have adequate training specific to the type of frame in use. HSE has taken this action following the collapse of a tower crane in Croydon, London on Saturday 2 June 2007. HSE’s investigation has established that the top section of the crane had not been connected to the climbing frame. HSE continues to investigate this incident.

The Notice covers all of Select’s tower cranes and stops them from climbing tower cranes using inadequately trained staff. The notice will not stop Select from operating their fleet of tower cranes or from carrying out climbing operations. However they can only use fully trained and experienced teams to do this.

Cranes can be erected and operated safely provided they are properly erected according to manufacturers’ instructions and by appropriately trained staff. They must also be used by people who are appropriately trained and familiar with the equipment. There is an ongoing responsibility for operators to properly maintain their equipment and to have cranes regularly examined. A sense of proportion when it comes to risk

"Ignore the trivia and headline-grabbing bans, and keep a sense of proportion when it comes to risk" said HSC Chairman Bill Callaghan speaking to members of the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) in Yorkshire and Humber.

"The truth of the matter is that it is not desirable to eliminate risk altogether - rather risks need to be managed sensibly and responsibly. We must concentrate on practical steps to control the risks that cause real harm and suffering, and not on bureaucratic back-covering. Let us be clear - health and safety is about saving lives not stopping living."

"Deaths in Great Britain have fallen from around 1000 each year at the end of the 1960s to 212 in 2005/06. It concerns me greatly that the image of health and safety as petty bureaucracy will damage our ability to make a practical difference on the real risks."

21 of the workplace fatalities in 2005/6 occurred in Yorkshire & Humber. With almost 2.4 million people economically active in the region, protecting the health and safety of employees remains paramount in maintaining what is a dynamic and vital part of the UK economy.

Mr. Callaghan went on to encourage IOSH members to recognise and embrace the new challenges they face in protecting workers health and safety and warned, "Failure to prevent ill health, especially that arising from work activities, is expensive. As I'm sure you appreciate there are other costs to be factored in, including those to the individual and society, if we do not achieve our goal of employee well-being and healthy, safe workplaces." "Our statistics show that 1 million people take sick leave every week. Problems such as stress and back pain are having an enormous affect on workers, their families and the economy and clearly demonstrate that we still have an important role in protecting the health and well-being of workers."

Bill Callaghan emphasized that HSE's initiative last year on Sensible Risk had won the broadest possible support from its partners including organisations representing public and private sector employers, workers, insurers, lawyers, volunteers, health and safety professionals and many others. IOSH members themselves, he confirmed, have a key role in raising the profile of health and safety in their workplaces and in their wider contacts.

Bill Callaghan also paid tribute to the work of Sheffield Occupational Health Advisory Service (SOHAS) over many years in preventing and alleviating the effects of occupational diseases and injury, saying that its success reflected the value of network of stakeholders it had built to tackle work-related disease and injury." On a closing note Mr Callaghan emphasized, that much more needs to be done to achieve targets on reducing injury, ill-health and days lost in the workplace. He said:

"Whilst the evidence shows that improvements are being made in some areas, such as the on-going reduction in days lost, we must not lose sight of the task ahead in preventing fatalities and major injuries."

Warning on transport of acetylene cylinders

On Saturday 26 May 2007, an explosion occurred in a van travelling along Front Street, Wolsingham, County Durham which resulted in the death of the driver, 33 year old Andrew Herd. The lead for the investigation has now transferred from Durham Constabulary to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The initial investigation has established that the incident is most likely to have been caused by an explosion of acetylene gas from oxy-acetylene cutting equipment being carried in the vehicle. HSE has served a Prohibition Notice on the driver’s employer, Ward Bros Plant Hire Ltd of Langley Moor, Durham, preventing the carriage of acetylene cylinders in closed vehicles until a number of specific precautions have been taken. HSE's investigation into the underlying issues leading to the explosion is ongoing. In the meantime, all users of oxy-acetylene equipment are being asked to urgently review their safety precautions.

Pam Waldron, HSE’s Head of Operations in the North East, said: "Whilst the investigation continues, it is important that all users of oxy-acetylene equipment review their cylinder transport arrangements. Instruction and training of employees in safe operation, including regular checks of equipment condition and functioning, are needed to prevent any releases. In addition such gases are best transported properly secured in an open vehicle; if an enclosed vehicle is used, it should have adequate ventilation Employers warned over dangers of forklift trucks."

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reminded businesses that use forklift trucks of the steps they must take to safeguard against the dangers posed by these vehicles.

The warning comes after Silvery Tweed Cereals Ltd was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,397 at Berwick upon Tweed Magistrates’ Cour The company was fined after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (£16,000 fine) and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. (£4,000 fine) HSE Inspector Martin Baillie said:

"Forklift trucks were responsible for just under 2,000 reportable incidents last year, including seven deaths. They are a potential danger to their operators and to other people in the vicinity if not operated with great care. Risks include being struck by a moving truck, crushed by an overturning vehicle, becoming trapped between a truck and an object or, as in this case being crushed by a falling load."

"Employers must ensure they assess the risks involved in any use of these vehicles and take appropriate steps to counter those risks. They must also provide adequate health and safety training for any employees operating forklift trucks."

"In this case Silvery Tweed Cereals Ltd did not ensure the load was adequately secured, nor did they make a suitable risk assessment and they did not ensure that all of their operators received adequate forklift truck training."

"The tragic result was that one of the employees, Steven Rogers aged 29 of Berwick, sustained injuries which have left him permanently paralysed after a downgrade bin which he was attempting to empty fell from the forks of a forklift truck and pinned him to the ground."

The incident occurred at the company’s premises on Tweedside Trading Estate, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed, on 29 June 2006.

HSE to remove 4000 'dodgy' ladders through a 'ladder exchange'

Every month nearly 100 people fall off a ladder at work and suffer serious injuries costing the economy £60 million each year. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will promote ladder safety messages through a ‘ladder exchange’ which aims to remove 4000 'dodgy' ladders from workplaces in Great Britain.

Over the next few weeks, small businesses will get the chance to get their ladders checked and where necessary, trade them in for new ones at a discounted price. HSE is working in close association with Local Authorities, ladder manufacturers and retailers to address the safety issues around access equipment with employers and ladder users.

Dr Elizabeth Gibby, HSE’s Head of Injuries Reduction Programme said "We want anyone working at height to use the right ladder for the job and to use it safely. Ladder Exchange is 'the' opportunity for small trade businesses to assess the risks involved in ladder use and adopt sensible health and safety measures."

"In 2005/06 a total of 46 workers died and a further 3351 employees suffered major injuries as a result of a fall from height in the workplace. There is still a lot of poor standard equipment out there and we will do everything it takes to educate people and get rid of ‘dodgy’ ladders from workplaces. Simple precautions can save lives and help prevent injuries." When it comes to increasing ladder safety, always ask yourself three simple questions:

Do you need a ladder or should you use something different?
Is it the right ladder?
Are you using the ladder safely?

More information can be obtained on the HSE 'Ladder exchange' website. HSE has received industry wide support to tackle this issue. The Ladder Association (LA) together with companies such as HSS Hire, SGB Taskmaster, Speedy Hire and Ladderstore.com are all promoting HSE’s message around ladder safety.

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