November 2010

E-newsletter

NEWS ARTICLES:

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FINED £1 FOR FALL AT HEIGHT FATALITY

A construction company has been fined just £1 following the death of a contractor at a site in Lancashire. The incident took place during the construction of three new office buildings at the Altham Industrial Estate, near Altrincham. Glenmill Group (Developments) Ltd was the principal contractor at the site and had sub-contracted Howorth Scaffolding Services Ltd to erect scaffolding during the construction of the building.

Peter Walton was working as a sub-contractor on the final building. He was fixing wall-plates to the building's steel framework so that trusses could be installed to hold the roof in place. While he was working he stepped on an unsecured scaffolding board and fell five metres to the ground. He struck his head during the fall and died in hospital five weeks later.

The HSE attended the scene on the day of the incident and discovered that the scaffolding had numerous safety failings. Inspectors found that the board that gave way under Mr Walton had not been properly tightened. There was also a lack of adequate edge protection across the scaffold, and it had unsafe foundations. A Prohibition Notice was issued immediately, which required the scaffold to be made safe before work could resume. HSE inspector Ian Connor said: “Both these companies contributed to Peter Walton's death by failing to follow the proper safety procedures for putting up scaffolding. “Howorth Scaffolding should have made sure that it constructed the scaffolding properly. And, as the principal contractor for the site, Glenmill Group should have ensured it was safe before allowing construction workers on to it. This is an extremely sad case, which, once again, shows how important it is to follow health and safety regulations. It's vital that construction companies do more to prevent deaths and injuries in the future.” Howorth Scaffolding was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £13,793 in costs. Glenmill Group was fined £1 and was also ordered to pay £13,793 towards costs. The judge said the fines had to take into account the companies' current financial means. The court had been told that any significant fine imposed on the Glenmill Group would cause it to go out of business. Mr Walton's widow Christine said: “I know this prosecution won't bring him back but it will help to give me some sort of closure, and to bring this type of incident to the forefront. Sadly, Peter's death is just one of many needless deaths that occur in the construction industry due to slack adherence to health and safety regulations. Hopefully, what happened to Peter, and is still happening on construction sites, will make people realise that health and safety laws are there to protect us and are not to be scorned and scoffed at.” However, Mrs Walton has also been quoted in the national press as saying the £1 fine is “outrageous” and an “appalling joke”. Pressure group Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) agreed saying it wouldn't deter other companies from making the same mistakes. A statement said: “Insulting fines are not rare and won't deter other employers, or make them comply with the law to stop killing, injuring, or making workers ill in what are totally preventable incidents and occurrences.” The British Safety Council also criticised the court's decision. Head of policy and public affairs, Neal Stone, said: “The fine of £1 sends out all of the wrong messages. Thousands of workers are still being injured or made ill by work - the 2009/10 statistics are evidence that Peter Walton's preventable death was not an exception but sadly an all too frequent occurrence in a society that has still to grasp the harm and loss that poorly managed health and safety brings. A £1 fine is an insult to Peter Walton's

family.”

PIZZA FACTORY IGNORED ORDER TO PROTECT WORKERS

A pizza manufacturer has appeared in front of magistrates after it ignored an Improvement Notice, which required it to install edge protection around an open first floor doorway. On 29 July 2009, the HSE made an unannounced visit to Capri Foods Ltd’s factory on the Worton Hall Industrial Estate in Isleworth, Middlesex. The inspector noticed an unguarded doorway, which led from a storage room on the first floor to the outside of the building. The doorway was used to load and unload goods from a forklift, which was operating from the yard four

metres below. At the time of the visit, the forklift was not being used and the doorway had been left open with nothing to prevent workers from falling out of the building. The firm was issued with an Improvement Notice, which required edge protection to be installed by 1 November 2009. The inspector returned to the facility on 9 December and found that no attempt had been made to comply with the notice. Capri Foods was fined £7500 for each offence and ordered to pay £2607 in costs. After the hearing, HSE inspector Steve Kirton commented: “Falls from height remain one of the biggest dangers in the workplace, accounting for a fifth of all deaths and scores of serious injuries in the food-manufacturing sector alone, according to our latest official figures. So it’s incredibly frustrating to see a company like Capri Foods blatantly ignoring calls to protect employees when such a clear and obvious risk has been identified. Fortunately, no one was hurt on this occasion, but the consequences of falling through that door could have been horrific.”

INJURED APPRENTICE WAS STARTLED BY MACHINE EXPLOSION

A young worker at tyre manufacturing giant Goodyear Dunlop suffered a fractured skull during maintenance work on a faulty machine at the firm’s factory in Wolverhampton. Karl Illidge, 17, was working as an apprentice engineer at the site in Bushbury, when the incident took place on 11 September 2009. He was working with two other maintenance engineers to repair a tyre press, which had failed to open at the end of its cycle. The maintenance team attempted to manually override the machine’s control panel but this had no effect, so they decided to call for an electrician, who was working in another part of the factory. When he arrived he disconnected an electrical coil from the controls and pressed the machine’s back press. This made the machine’s internal bladder re-energize and burst, which caused the lid to blow off the press with great force and a loud bang. Mr Ilidge was startled by the noise and leapt backwards in shock, but in doing so he struck his head on an adjacent tyre-spreading machine. He was unable to return to work for two months owning to his injuries. The HSE’s investigation found that the maintenance workers were new to the company and had not received training on how to repair the machine. They had only been given an instruction manual for it, but this was written in Italian. HSE inspector Amarjit Kalay said: “This incident was entirely preventable had there been a safe system in place to ensure that services to the press had been isolated prior to the start of the maintenance work. It is also clear that the maintenance team were insufficiently trained to carry out the necessary diagnostic work on this piece of machinery.” Goodyear Dunlop was fined £18,250 and ordered to pay £4807 in costs. In mitigation, the firm said it immediately took the press out of commission until the maintenance team had received training on how to safely make repairs. Once the machine was returned to service, staff were informed that no repairs should be made unless the machine was isolated. In August 2008, the company was fined £13,500 for failing to ensure the safety of its employees at the same factory. This was in relation to an incident in June 2007, when a worker was hit by an unsecured stack of steel pallets, which fell off a forklift truck.

CHECK YOUR ARRANGEMENTS FOR:- MANAGING STRESS AT WORK

1ST NOVEMBER IS STRESS AWARENESS WEEK – SO WHAT IS STRESS?

The first thing to say is that, unlike pressure, stress is never good for you and never a positive thing. Stress creates unhealthy biological reactions, and prolonged stress can lead to both a physical and mental health breakdown. The HSE define stress as "The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them." Those pressures may come from many differing sources and when their combined effect is overwhelming, stress occurs. This means that stress is not good for you. Stress is an unhealthy state of body or mind or both.

For many years, people have referred to the Flight or Fight response as the stress response but Flight/Fight is a one off reaction to a perceived challenge or pressure and is not necessarily bad for the individual. It is good to be alerted to possible threats and to prepare to take avoidance action.

However, CONTINUALLY being in this state means that the body`s chemicals associated with Flight/Fight are then constantly being stimulated and the result is ill health of one type or another. This is stress.

AS AN EMPLOYER DO I REALLY NEED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE?

Yes - taking effective action to manage it, and where possible prevent it, is a legal requirement NOT an option.

SIGNS TO BE AWARE OF:-

These are some of the symptoms that are indicators of too much pressure that can come from yourself, work, home, any combination of, or maybe even all three.

Psychological changes

Inability to concentrate or make simple decisions

Memory lapses

Becoming rather vague

Easily distracted

Less intuitive & creative

Worrying

Negative thinking

Depression & anxiety

Emotional signs

Tearful

Irritable

Mood swings

Extra sensitive to criticism

Defensive

Lack of motivation

Angry

Frustrated

Lack of confidence

Lack of self-esteem

STRESS STATISTICS

- Stress and chronic ill health in the workplace costs £100bn - An estimated 442,000 individuals in Britain, who worked in 2007/08 believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill - Estimates indicate that self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 13.5 million lost working days in Britain in 2007/08 - Direct cost of sickness absence estimated as £635 per person per year. - Indirect costs of sickness absence have been measured as twice the direct costs i.e. £1,270, making a total of £1,905 per employee per year – typically around 9% of payroll costs - In 2008 - for every 80p spent on health promotion and intervention programmes, £4 can be saved due to reduced absenteeism, temporary staff, presenteeism and improved motivation - The 2007 Psychosocial Working Conditions (PWC) survey indicated that around 13.6% of all working individuals thought their job was very or extremely stressful. - The annual incidence of work-related mental health problems in Britain in 2007 was approximately 5,750 new cases per year. However, this almost certainly underestimates the true incidence of these conditions in the British workforce. - According to self-reports, estimated 237 000 people, who worked in 2008, first became aware of work-related stress, depression or anxiety giving an annual incidence rate of 780 cases per 100 000 worker.

STRESS POLICY

Every employer should have a stress policy in place which highlights responsibilites of the employer and employee in identifying,

controlling, managing and monitoring stress at work. Your policy should clearly state how procedures will prevent stress in your

workers and ways in which symptoms of stress can be recognised early on. Arrangements should also be in place for health

surveillance which should effectively monitor stress in the workplace and ways in which appropriate action can be taken to

ensure the health of your workers.

WE OFFER:- PROCEDURES AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR PREVENTION OF STRESS AT WORK

All your arrangements and procedures need to be up to date and relevant to your workplace. We can review and compile arrangements and procedures to prevent stress at work as part of your health surveillance procedures, to ensure that your company is compliant with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This is available as a separate service or can be incorporated into your Risk Management Package as part of your policy review.

NRMS also provide stress awareness and refresher training, health screening and prevention of stress workshops– please call 01604 651091 for further details.

UP DATE: - CHANGES IN FISRT AID - THE RESUSCITATION GUIDANCE

In October 2010 the Resuscitation Council (UK) updated the resuscitation guidance notes which is now just been made available. In these guidelines there are changes to procedures covering the following in first aid training for:

Resuscitation

Choking

Recovery positioning

Therefore be aware that when booking your First Aid at Work or Emergency First Aid at Work courses that the trainer must incorporate the changes as outlined by the Resuscitation Council (UK). Ring us to book your First Aid training or for further details you can download the guidance notes from www.resus.org.uk

NRMS First Aid Training:

Fist Aid at Work Certificate – can be completed over 6 half days or evenings

over a two week period or as a full three day course.

The Emergency First Aid at Work Certificate – is a one day course.

Our First Aid trainer is a Registered General Nurse - First Aid Instructor

(HSE approved) CIEH / ENB 13 12 EPLS/GIC/ALS (Resuscitation Co.UK)

Ring us on 01604 651091 to book your first aid training or for further details.

TOOL BOX TALK OF THE MONTH: – WEILS DISEASE

Reason: Rowers are still reeling from the news of the death of Great Britain's double Olympic champion rower Andy Holmes MBE. Doctors suspect the 51-year-old athlete succumbed to an unusual, but severe form of an infection called Weil's disease or leptospirosis. It's likely that Mr Holmes, who had been involved in coaching over the past two years after returning to the sport, caught the disease from contact with dirty river water. Why: Weil’s disease can be fatal, don’t become a statistic. Outline: This talk will cover: the effects and symptoms of Weil’s disease, the measures you should take to avoid it, and who may be at risk. Weil’s Disease- What is it?

1. Weil’s disease, which is also known as Leptospirosis, is a kind of jaundice. 2. The disease enters the body through breaks in the skin, and through the lining of the mouth and nose. 3. It is caused by contact with water contaminated by the urine of rats and other small mammals such as mice and voles. 4. It starts as a mild illness, which can be easily cured if treated early enough. 5. If left untreated, it becomes more serious and can be fatal. 6. The problem is the symptoms are very similar to flu and it is possible that you could ignore these symptoms or be

treated for the wrong illness. What should you do if you become aware of an increasing rat population?

1. Don’t encourage the presence of vermin, carefully dispose of waste food especially on sites that are wet or adjacent to rivers and lakes etc.

2. Do not handle the carcasses of dead rats or other small mammals. 3. If you are at risk, cover up all cuts and abrasions with a waterproof dressing and wear appropriate protective clothing. 4. If you frequently work near water, carry a card or tag saying that you may be at risk of catching the disease. 5. Be aware that you can catch the disease if you get water in your mouth and nose after falling in. 6. See your doctor immediately if you think that you are infected.

How to best protect yourself from catching Weils Disease

Never drink water from a river or lake

Only drink from your own water bottle

Always shower after contact with the water

Wash hands thoroughly and shower if necessary before eating or drinking

Cover cuts and abrasions (including blisters) with waterproof dressings

Wear suitable footwear when launching or retrieving a boat

Avoid immersion in, or contact with, water, particularly if there is an algal scum or bloom

If contaminated water has been swallowed, consult a doctor

Hose down all equipment after outings to remove any potential contamination Who is at Risk?

1. All operatives who may come into contact with contaminate water. 2. Particularly the operatives who work regularly in or near water, such as those engaged in:

Work on sewers and other drainage systems

Work on canals and similar conservation projects

Work on tunnelling.

Date: Company Name:

Site: Completed by:

The undersigned have attended:

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MYTH OF THE MONTH:-

IF YOU RUN AN OFFICE-BASED BUSINESS YOU NEED A HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSULTANT

THE REALITY

You probably already deal with most business issues yourself and health and safety should be no different.

If you employ less than five employees and run a low-risk, office-based business then health and safety is something you can manage without needing to buy in expert help.

If you are an office based business DO however, consider whether you have adequate arrangements in place for asbestos management (if relevant) and a valid premises fire risk assessment, both of which are legal requirements regardless of how many you employ. If you do not have arrangements or procedures in place currently to do this internally, then outsourcing for these minor services maybe a practical way of compliance and should only be required annually.

HAVE YOU ARRANGED YOUR FREE HEALTH AND SAFETY ASSESSMENT YET?

We offer a FREE no obligation Health and Safety Assessment for local businesses (within Northants). During this assessment we

discuss with you any H&S concerns or issues you may have, we assess the risks in your workplace taking into account the size of

the premises, processes, plant and equipment in use, number of employees, type of industry, standards of procedures currently

in place and number of other sites or premises which forms part of your business - we will then develop a Risk Management

Package (RMP) which acts as a retainer support service for you. This will suit your workplace risks and budget, to best serve your

business. We will NOT sell a service that is not beneficial or necessary!

The idea of the FREE assessment is to assess the level of H&S support that YOU may need in the future. You may not require a RMP (if your internal H&S management systems are implemented and managed efficiently and are effective) but you may require ad-hoc, interim services as required or an annual review to ensure your systems meet compliance standards.

“DON`T LEARN SAFETY BY ACCIDENT”

CALL US NOW TO ARRANGE YOUR FREE H&S ASSESSMENT

Suite 5 Green Lodge Barn, Nobottle, Northants, NN7 4HD, T: 01604 651091, E: info@northants-rms.com, W: www.northants-rms.com