£90,000 fine for Royal Mail following employee death – 11 March 2010

A Royal Mail employee was crushed by a reversing HGV in September 2006 leading to a £90,000 fine.

Fine after builder put lives at risk – 11 March 2010

A Health and Safety Executive Inspector spotted men working on a roof without safety equipment leading to a £1,500 fine.

Unsafe scaffolding puts workers at risk – 11 March 2010

Beverley Magistrates Court heard how a routine Health and Safety Executive inspection found an employee working on unsafe scaffolding at a house extension in Molescroft, Beverley on 7 September 2009.

Worker crushed by more than two tonnes of metal – 9 March 2010

Manchester Crown Court prosecuted S Cartwright and Sons (Coachbuilders) Ltd on 5 March 2010 following an incident near Altrincham in 2008 when a worker was crushed by more than two tonnes of metal.

Building firm fined after worker trapped in trench – 9 March 2010

A construction worker was working in a trench when the wall collapsed and left him injured.

Agency worker seriously injures arm – 5 March 2010

An agency worker seriously injured his arm after it became trapped by a rotating drill.

Firm fined £5000 after employee struck by moving machinery – 2 March 2010

Teesside Magistrates Court heard how a Corus UK Limited – trading as Corus Special Profiles – employee was injured while clearing a jam in the production line.

Employee suffers injuries in near fatal crush – 1 March 2010

An employee of Northumbrian Water was crushed between the loading bucket and cab of a construction vehicle, leading to him spending three days in intensive care.

Employee killed by reversing truck – 1 March 2010

The Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted Rotherham Council and contractor Brocklebank & Company (Demolition) Limited after an employee was killed by a reversing truck during a council road surfacing operation.

Young boy crushed to death by electrically powered gates – 26 February 2010

Faulkner Gates Limited has been fined £80,000 after a young boy was crushed to death by electrically powered gates.

More news at http://www.safetymedia.co.uk/news/

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Health and safety training is a core requirement for every business.  By providing health and safety training companies will protect workers, reduce absence and sick leave, reduce insurance premiums and legal costs and help retain staff.

Safety Media produce health and safety training products on a number of formats including DVD, Booklets, Posters, CD Rom and SME E-Learning.  A combination of training products can help develop a comprehensive training session for your workers. 

During March 2010, every order* placed worth £594 (exc. VAT) or more with Safety Media will receive an Asus EEE PC when the order has been paid for.  If your order is £1499 (exc. VAT) or more you will receive a Dell Mini10 Netbook when payment for your order has been received.

This is a fantastic opportunity to purchase Safety Media training products, increase or refresh your training resources and receive a free Netbook.

Find out more by visiting Safety Media’s website at www.safetymedia.co.uk or calling 0845 345 1703.

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Worker falls through fragile roof – 26 February 2010

A Health and Safety Executive investigation found that Eastern Hardware Ltd of Lowestoft breached four occurrences of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Scaffolding collapse crushes several cars – 25 February 2010

The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted a Greater Manchester company after scaffolding collapsed crushing several cars during the construction of a new gym in Hyde.

Near-miss hand injury leads to fine – 25 February 2010

An employee of Richard Burbridge Ltd almost lost a finger after his hand came into contact with a wood plane.

Site failings lead to property developer fine – 25 February 2010

A property developer has pleaded guilty to six safety failing at a project in Hull.

Roofer fined after putting employees at risk – 25 February 2010

The Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted a roofer after he put himself and two of his employees at risk of falling more than seven metres from a building.

Employee hand crushed in machinery – 23 February 2010

A Bakkavor Foods Ltd employee had his hand crushed by machinery at a factory in Bourne.

Worker found dead at construction site after suspected fall from height – 23 February 2010

The Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey) has fined a property developer and a contractor a total of £25,000 following the death of a worker at a construction site in Essex.

Worker fined for reversing a tractor over his employer – 18 February 2010

A Derbyshire farm worker who reversed a tractor over his employer has been fined by Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court.

Worker suffers injuries from 4ft fall – 18 February 2010

A company whose employee fell more than four feet has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive.

Labourer killed by falling steel prop – 15 February 2010

A labourer was killed when he was hit by a falling steel prop causing fatal internal injuries leading to two demolition companies to be fined a total of £115,000.

Death leads to £130,000 fine – 15 February 2010

An employee of Veolia ES (UK) Ltd (formally Onyx UK Ltd) was killed when a 1,100-litre recycling bin fell on his head.

Worker run over by reversing truck suffers life-threatening injuries – 15 February 2010

Carillion JM Ltd has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive following an incident at the Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale on 11 November 2008.

More news at http://www.safetymedia.co.uk/news/

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An established organisation in the NVQ arena, Plato Training was looking for a way to diversify their core offering.  The company was looking for a solution they could offer to existing clients as well as an extra benefit when acquiring new clients. 

The company selected Safety Media as their E-Learning partner due to their expertise and credibility in the health and safety market.  Safety Media’s competitive pricing and client driven service were also factors in Plato Training’s decision. 

Catrin Jones, Managing Director of Plato Training (UK) Ltd commented: “My existing clients and associates have spoken very highly about Safety Media in terms of service and product.  I have found the content of the courses are of a high quality and will provide added value for my clients.  I hope to offer an alternative training solution with increased flexibility and reduced training costs while also meeting legislative requirements.”

Julian Roberts, Managing Director of Safety Media commented: “I’m delighted to be working with Plato Training (UK) Ltd.  I’m confident we will forge a long and beneficial partnership that will continue for many years to come.”

Find out more about how an E-Learning could benefit your company by visiting www.safetylearning.co.uk or call 0845 345 1703.

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South West Water employs 1200 workers and provides drinking water and waste water services throughout Devon and Cornwall together with parts of Dorset and Somerset. 

The company was impressed with what Safety Media’s E-Learning system had to offer in particular the comprehensive collection of health and safety training modules available.  The E-Learning system offers flexibility in terms of providing training to employees who are not office based or visit the office infrequently, meaning reduced training expenses and reduced time taken out of the working day for training.

Julian Roberts, Managing Director of Safety Media commented:  “I’m delighted that South West Water has chosen Safety Media as their E-Learning provider.  The system offers a great variety of training courses and a full audit trail on all user training and I’m confident South West Water will begin seeing the benefits of the system instantly.”    

Find out more about how an E-Learning could benefit your company by visiting www.safetylearning.co.uk or call 0845 345 1703.

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This development is a huge leap forward for health and safety training, using modern technology to bring health and safety guidance to a new platform - a first for the health and safety industry. 

The Fire Safety App features the popular Safety Talks characters.  The App features colourful illustrations and clear and concise content.  Available in English, Polish, Spanish and Chinese, this App is a great tool for your employees to have a permanent training course available at their fingertips.

This is one of the very first apps to be developed for the iPhone using Adobe’s new Flash CS5 platform and shows the exciting possibilities that flash can bring to the iPhone. It is also one of the first to utilise multi lingual capabilities allowing the user to switch between languages.

Safety Media Managing Director Julian Roberts said:  “We’re delighted to be working with Speech Bubble on this revolutionary product.  The Fire Safety iPhone App is an exciting development in the health and safety industry, and I hope that we can utilise the technology to develop further health and safety applications in the future. I am proud to be involved in one of the first apps ever built for the iPhone using Flash technology.”

The Fire Safety App will be available to download on to your iPhone for FREE!  That’s right you can have the fire safety awareness application from Safety Media and Speech Bubble on your iPhone for nothing.  Search for Fire Safety in the App Store and you will find the Safety Media app, or take a look here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fire-safety/id356427920?mt=8 for more information.

To find out more about Safety Media’s Fire Safety iPhone application, please call 0845 345 1703 or visit www.safetymedia.co.uk.

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Six-and-a-half metre fall causes fractured vertebrae – 11 February 2010

Failure to appoint a construction, design and management co-ordinator and a principal contractor led to a worker falling six-and-a-half metres through asbestos cement sheeting onto a concrete floor.

Mercury exposure causes company and director to be prosecuted – 10 February 2010

A recycling company and its director have been fined after several workers reported ill health following exposure to toxic mercury fumes.

Fine following crane failure – 10 February 2010

A crane manufacturer and supplier has been fined £10,000 after a near miss involving an electric overhead crane.

Two workers suffer long-term lung damage from silica exposure – 10 February 2010

A company has been fined £30,000 after two of its workers were left with potentially life-shortening lung diseases.

Council worker killed by driver – 10 February 2010

A well-liked professional manager employed by Dudley Metropolitan Council was killed in an accident at Dudley MBC’s Lister Road Depot on 27 October 2006.

Falling MDF severely injures worker – 10 February 2010

A worker suffered multiple fractures after being hit by large falling MDF boards.

Company fined after worker’s legs set on fire – 10 February 2010

A worker received severe burns to his legs when a can of paint thinner ignited causing an explosion.

Director who neglected legionella risk is fined – 8 February 2010

A managing director who failed to control legionella at his company site, has been fined.

No risk assessment before worker two metre fall – 4 February 2010

A worker sustained multiple injuries at a bottle manufacturer in Leeds when he plunged two metres onto a concrete floor.

Worker injured when mobile elevating work platform overturned – 4 February 2010

A construction company has been fined £20,000 after a worker was injured and the public put at risk, when one of its mobile elevating work platforms overturned.

Builder falls to death from unstable ladder – 3 February 2010

A Bolton house-building company failed to ensure employee safety when a worker was allowed to use an unsecured ladder and fell to his death.

2,520 Welsh workers injured by slips, trips or falls – 3 February 2010

Recently released figures from the Health & Safety Executive show an alarming number of slip, trip and fall incidents in Wales.  It found that 2,520 workers in Wales suffered major injuries or injuries requiring more than three days off work.

More news at http://www.safetymedia.co.uk/news/

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Fire inspectors now police the new order and have the authority to enter your premises and inspect it without warning, but while they can advise on fire safety they cannot carry out a risk assessment for you.  Inspectors have the power to insist on improvements and if necessary, prosecute.  And where there has been a failure to implement appropriate measures or to maintain them and someone is injured in a fire as a result, the mechanism exists for the responsible person to be prosecuted.

As the manager, employer and occupier of the premises, you have responsibility for administering the act, from the provision of appropriate fire fighting equipment to the completion of the risk assessment and emergency plan.  Rarely, the landlord may have responsibility for fire safety, but it is more likely to lie with those occupying the premises.

The act swept aside almost 100 pieces of regulation, the mainstay of which were the Fire Precautions Act 1971, which imposed the regime of inspection and certification, and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, which made employers responsible for the risk of fire and for taking precautions to prevent it.  A consolidation was overdue, and when it came it moved the focus away from certification, and onto risk assessments conducted by those who knew the work, the people and the premises better than anyone.

Except for single domestic premises, they apply to all sites and buildings where people have access, and give the occupiers responsibility for their own fire safety.  Central to the regulations is the requirement for employers to conduct fire risk assessments and use the findings to eliminate or reduce risk of fire.  If the business employs five or more people the regulations require that the risk is documented.

A fire risk assessment must focus on the safety of all relevant persons in the case of fire, and pay attention to those at special risk such as disabled people or those with particular needs.  The assessment must identify risks that can be removed or reduced and help you to decide if additional fire precautions are needed.

The exercise is simply an organised and methodical review of the premises, what activities are carried out there and the likelihood that a fire could start.  It will identify hazards and put forward suggestions to reduce the risk and review what physical fire precautions and management arrangements are needed to ensure the safety of people should a fire start.  It should look at sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen, and consider means of escape, especially for people with special needs.  The assessment will also look at fire detection and warning systems, fire fighting equipment and emergency planning.

The assessment and resulting document need not be complicated and much of the information will come from the knowledge your employees, colleagues and representatives have of the premises and from information given to you by people occupying or with responsibility for other parts of the building.  A tour of the premises will probably be needed to confirm, amend or add detail to your initial findings.

It is important that you carry out the assessment in a practical and systematic way, allocating enough time to do a proper job.  It must take in the whole of your premises including outdoor locations and any rooms and areas that are rarely used.  If your site is small you may be able to assess this as a whole, but in larger premises you may find it helpful to divide them into rooms or a series of assessment areas.  Health and safety law requires you to carry out a risk assessment in respect of any work processes, and if your health and safety risk assessment revealed that any process has a risk of fire, you will need to take this into account.

Conducting a fire risk assessment will involve five steps:

1. Identify the hazards, including the source of possible ignition, fuel and oxygen
2. Identify the people at risk in the event of a fire.  Who are they, how can they be warned and how can they escape?
3. Evaluate the risk of fire, how might it occur and what risks might be reduced or eliminated.  Consider and review fire detection and warning systems, fire fighting equipment and facilities, escape routes, emergency lighting and signage as well as the instillation, testing and maintenance of equipment
4. Record the findings and actions to be taken in order to reduce risk.  If five or more people occupy the site then the assessment must be documented, and it must be accompanied by an emergency plan
5. Keep the assessment under regular review, particularly if any significant aspect of the situation should change.

The emergency plan is to ensure that everyone knows what to do if there is a fire.  In a small business this may simply be instructions on the fire action notice, but a larger site will require a detailed document.  The plan should describe what actions employees must take, and how people will be warned.  It should also cover evacuation arrangements especially for people identified as being at risk such as the disabled, or people unfamiliar with the premises such as contractors or members of the public.

Key escape routes should be detailed in the plan with assembly points, as well as the location and use of fire fighting equipment.  The specific responsibilities of nominated fire marshals should be documented here, as well as instructions on the shut down of machines, processes and power.  The plan should also include information about training.

Plans for larger sites might include structural features and layouts including the location of stairways, fire-resisting structures and self closing fire doors.  Automatic equipment and sprinklers, emergency lighting and signage and the location of gas, oil and water shut off valves would also be included.  The emergency plan would take account of plans for other areas of the building occupied by other tenants.  Above all, it is the blueprint of escape and prevention, and must be available for everyone to see.

Every year 40,000 fires are reported in commercial premises or public buildings, and despite the legislation and technology protecting our homes and places of work, fire continues to cause 600 deaths and 17,000 serious injuries in the UK.  When all the assessments and plans are in place, it will still be the training given to staff that determines how they react when the bell sounds.

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Landlord fined for asbestos exposure – 29 January 2010

A Bristol-based company has been fined for putting its workers at risk of asbestos-related diseases while working on a property in the city.

Company fined £90,000 after man dies at Heathrow Airport – 29 January 2010

A major airport services company has been fined £90,000 after a man was crushed to death under a vehicle at Heathrow Airport in 2008.

£100,000 fine after disabled teenager fatally scalded – 29 January 2010

A care home provider has been fined £100,000 after a disabled teenager was lowered into a bath of scalding water and died from her injuries.

Aviation company fined £2,400 after painter fall – 26 January 2010

A Southend-based company has been prosecuted after an aircraft painter was severely injured in a fall – leaving him unable to work for more than two years.

Company fined £80,000 following death – 18 January 2010

A Welsh construction company has been fined after one of its employees had his head crushed at a site in Gloucestershire.

More news at http://www.safetymedia.co.uk/news/

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