12 July 2017

Health and Safety at work

Mandy Robson Head of H&S in BPIF's SE and EA regions looks at a recent prosecution and how you can prevent the same happening within your business.

What happened...
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) recently reported an engineering company had been fined after a worker suffered a serious hand injury after a machinery incident.

The Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court heard how a worker was operating a manual metalworking lathe, when his hand become entangled with the rotating workpiece. The incident resulted in the worker requiring surgical amputation to part of his left index finger.

An investigation by the HSE found the machine operators were using an unsafe system of work, which the company failed to identify. The HSE also found the lathe had a faulty emergency footbrake, which had been reported to the company at an earlier date, but had not been taken out of service.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, and were fined £40,000 plus ordered to pay costs.

How you can prevent injury?
Within the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, companies have a duty of care to ensure employees carry out work in a safe way and the machinery they are using is in good working order.

Therefore companies have a responsibility to fully understand the hazards associated with the operation of machinery and equipment; to ensure the hazards and associated risks are communicated to employees; to ensure preventative and protective measures are documented and fully understood by all operatives; and to continually observe that operatives abide by the working procedures to ensure their personal safety.

Companies are also required to hold procedures to raise awareness where a machinery fault is identified; to take action to ensure the machine is taken out of service immediately to prevent unsafe operation; and to rectify any faults prior to any operative working the machinery again.

How the BPIF can support you?
Call on your regional Health & Safety Adviser to carry out a gap analysis of your company which will identify areas which may not be compliant within the required health & safety legislation. You'll receive a full report and action plan prioritising any improvement areas and we'll be available to support in any way with your improvement plan to achieve full compliance. We conduct hundreds of H&S health checks annually across the sector and offer practical and objective advice.