15Linc

safeWe have been made aware that FFI is on the increase.

Areas being targeted are:

• Traffi c Plans

• Supervision

• Plant Inspections

• Site Security

• Dangerous work at height

• Inadequate safety guards on machines

• Badly organised workplace transport

• Exposure to deadly asbestos fi bres

• Exposure to toxic paint vapours

• Creating clouds of silica dust

• Damage caused by vibrating power tools

• Unhygienic or nonexistent welfare facilities

Each year around 170 people are fatally injured at work and more than 100,000 serious injuries are reported to HSE. These incidents devastate lives, causing untold suffering and grief – not to mention millions of working days being lost as a result and a cost to society of billions of pounds every year. What makes matters worse is that many of these incidents are caused by the same basic health and safety mistakes that have been injuring and killing people for decades. Inspectors routinely spot these failures when visiting workplaces across Britain, and have captured some shocking examples on their camera

http://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/basic-safety-mistakes/index.htm

Poorly maintained or misused Ladders

Almost a fi fth of reportable falls from height in the workplace are from ladders. Whether poorly main-tained, incorrectly used or simply not fi t for purpose, it’s an issue HSE inspectors come across frequently. If a ladder is the right tool for the job, employers need to ensure it is in a safe condition to use. A ladder is not right for every job. After assessing the risk, it may be that other equipment is more suit-able. Ladders are best suited to low risk and short duration work - nobody expects scaffolding for domestic window cleaning.

Regular reviews by site management will prevent

un-necessary risk of costs.

SummerFee For Intervention (FFI) hots up this summer

2015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 01673876150

UPDATE

HSE PROSECUTIONSEvery month we try to highlight issues sourced from differentindustries, below are this months selection.....

2015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited

Trench Collapse.A company director was sentenced today (17 July) after a trench collapse which killed a young father on only his second day at work for his company.

Callum Osborne, 24, died when a trench he was digging in Bridge-fi eld Road, Whitstable collapsed in on him.

At the time of his death on the 7th April 2011, Mr Osborne, whose partner was eight months preg-nant, had been working for Coop-er Services Ltd and its director Wayne Cooper for just two days.

During the prosecution of Wayne Cooper, Canterbury Crown Court heard Coopers Services Ltd had been employed by a domestic client to connect new build bunga-lows to mains drainage, water and gas supplies.

Access to the site was along a narrow driveway and Wayne Cooper started the work on 29th March to dig a trench for gas and water which was back fi lled by 1st April.

Work was then started on the drainage – a few feet from the previously dug trench and by 4th April a manhole chamber was pre-pared at the entrance to the drive. This work was done by Coopers Services Ltd workers and over the next two days manholes and trenches were prepared around the bungalows.

On 7th April, Mr Osborne was acting as a banksman and taking measurements of trench depth while a colleague was digging the main trench down the centre of the driveway for the drainage pipes and banking soil either side of the trench.

During the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution the court heard that Wayne Cooper arrived on site late morning and took over operation of the digger.

At around 12.30pm there was a delivery of shingle, then shouting was heard and it became appar-ent Mr Osborne had been buried in the trench in front of the digger. Emergency services attempted to save Mr Osborne but he was pro-nounced dead at the scene.

The HSE investigation found that the drive was about three metres wide. The material excavated from the trench had been piled up alongside each side of the trench which had no means of support to prevent collapse and no barriers or edge protection to prevent falls into the trench.

Wayne Peter Cooper, 40, direc-tor of Coopers Services Limited (Coopers Services Ltd is now dis-solved) of Watchester Farm Cot-tages, Ramsgate, Kent pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 31 (1) (a, b and c) and 31 (2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also fi ned £75,000. If the fi ne is not paid within two years, Mr Cooper faces 18 months imprisonment. Prosecution costs of £25,000 were awarded against him.

HSE inspector, Melvyn Stancliffe said after the case: “HSE’s sym-pathies are extended to the family of Callum Osborne, a young man whose life lay ahead of him.

“This was a totally prevent-able accident. Mr Cooper was an experienced ground worker and knew the way he was allowing the work to proceed was unlawful and highly dangerous.

“This incident happened because of Mr Cooper’s failure to plan and manage the job properly. Had Mr Cooper taken measures to prevent a trench collapse at the planning stage or on the day of the inci-dent, Callum’s family would not have to endure the heartbreak of losing someone so dear to them.

“This was only Callum’s second day working for Mr Cooper. He would still be alive today had well established working practices been followed.”

Callum’s mother Karen Hodgson said: “How do you express the sudden loss of your son?

“My son was going to earn a day’s wage to support his family. Every person who goes to work has the right to come home to their fam-ily, but Callum never came home.

“I fi nd it diffi cult to understand, and still do, why this should have happened to Callum. There is not a day or night that goes by with-out me seeing my son laying on the mortuary table.” 1

g

1 http://press.hse.gov.uk/2015/director-sentenced-after-worker-dies-on-second-day-of-job/

A construction company has been fi ned for safety failings which led to a two-year-old boy wandering onto a building site.

360 Property Limited were the principal contrac-tor for a new build housing development at Oak Road, Blaina. An improvement notice was served on the site after site security issues were not addressed, despite a previous visit from a HSE inspector who highlighted concerns.

Newport Magistrates’ Court heard on 20 August how, between 22 January 2015 and 10 June 2015, the construction site was inadequately secured. On 21 May 2015, a two year old child had gained access to the site and was riding his bike when he fell into a drain, the cover of which had been removed. Fortunately, the child was shaken but not injured.

360 Property Limited, of Beaufort Street, Bryn-mawr, Ebbw Vale, was fi ned a total of £10,000, and ordered to pay £6,668 in costs after plead-ing guilty to two offences under Regulation 27 (2) of the Construction (Design and Manage-ment) Regulations 2007 and regulation 18 (2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

HSE Inspector David Kirkpatrick said: “It is ab-solutely imperative that construction companies adequately secure their construction sites to prevent unauthorised access. Construction sites can contain hazards that children and vulnerable people may not fully appreciate.”1

1 http://press.hse.gov.uk/2015/construction-company-fi ned-for-insecure-site/

2015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 01673876150

Construction Company fi ned for unsecure siteConstruction Company fi ned for unsecure site

A construction management company and a director of a construction company were fi ned for serious safety failings whilst working on a construction site at Kensington Church Street, London.

Work was carried out by three employees of construction fi rm Cowen Builders Limited, of Chelmsford exposed them to asbestos over sev-eral days after it was disturbed. It will be several years before it is know if the exposure will result in asbestos related disease causing ill health and death.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how, in May 2013, Cowen Builders Limited (CBL) had been contracted by Paragon Management UK Limited (Paragon) to carry out work at the premises. Prior to this work asbestos had been identifi ed in a survey by Paragon. Paragon failed to provide the details of the survey to CBL prior to the work starting. CBL failed to consider the possibility of asbestos being present and then continued the work without adequate measures in place after it was known the asbestos had been disturbed.

Paragon Management UK Limited, from Austin Friars, London, was fi ned a total of £20,000, and ordered to pay £2,373 in costs after pleading guilty to an offence under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were also ordered to pay compensation to each of the three workers.

Kenneth W Cowen, sole director of Cowen Build-ing Limited of South Woodham Ferrers, Chelms-ford, Essex, was fi ned £15,000, and ordered to pay £2,373 in costs after pleading guilty to of-fences under Section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. 1

1 http://press.hse.gov.uk/2015/two-companies-fi ned-for-serious-breaches-in-the-removal-of-asbestos/

Two companies fi ned for serious breaches in the removal of asbestos.

Lincsafe understands the industry is going through somewhat of a increase of workload with the economey improving and adapting to the new CDM2015 regulations.

We are here to help clients, and keen to keep them competitive and up to date, so please contact us if you feel you need more tailored training in releation to the CDM 2015 Regulations or any other training.

Our Open Training dates can be found below and also on our website where new dates are regularly updated monthly to suit demand http://lincsafe.co.uk/2014/11/2015-open-training-dates/.

Asbestos Awareness UKATA

£65.00 pp +VAT

November 30th

IOSH Directing Safely

9th October 2015 at Lincsafe H&S Ltd – Cost £140+VATpp

IOSH Managing Safely 4 day

14th,15th,24th,25th September 2015 £465+VATpp Inc Publications

CITB-ConstructionSkills Dates

SMSTS 5 DAY

New dates to be released soon – Cost £500+VAT

SMSTS REFRESHER 2 day

December 7th & 8th £290+VAT

SSSTS 2 day

16th & 17th September – Cost £290.00 pp +VAT inc Books+Certifi cation

SSSTS REF – one day

September 21st £150+VAT per person

All prices inc Books and Certifi cation; if you would like further information please do contact our offi ce on:-

01673 876 150 or info@lincsafe.co.uk

Whats new in 2015

Need to Knownews...

2015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 016738761502015 Lincsafe (Health & Safety) Limited www.lincsafe.co.uk 01673876150

Lincsafe inhouse news