A chemical firm has been handed a hefty fine after a worker suffered a nasty injury following a fall off a ladder.
The incident occurred at the company’s site in Workington when the employee was attempting to inspect a steam leak at height.
While scaling a ladder to do so, the ladder failed, resulting in the worker falling two metres to the ground below, incurring a serious elbow injury in the process.
The incident resulted in the firm, Vertellus Specialties UK Ltd, being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.
Following their inquiry, the HSE soon concluded that the company had failed to ensure that the job was adequately planned and managed.
Meanwhile, the HSE also surmised that Vertellus had failed to inspect the equipment and ensure it was fit for use.
While the incident took place back in June 2018, the verdict was only reached this past week.
The hearing saw company representatives plead guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The results left Vertellus Specialties UK Ltd with a lofty fine of £120k with over £5k in costs.
Such an incident could have been avoided if the appropriate cautionary steps had been taken in advance.
At SLG, we have a variety of ladder safety equipment to help prevent such instances from occurring and minimise the risks of injury, ranging from removable wall anchors to fall protection kits.
Meanwhile, we also offer permanent structural solutions in the form of our Rung Mounted Permanent Vertical Fall Arrest System, compatible with a demountable mobile anchorage device for additional safety and enhanced freedom of movement.
With so many options available in terms of ladder safety equipment, there’s really no excuse for placing workers at risk. Keep your employees safe when working at height and protect your business at the same time with ladder safety equipment from SLG.
For more information on precautions for working at height or ladder safety equipment, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0117 9381 600 or get in touch online by clicking the link below.
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Both Metcalfe Roofing & Building Services Ltd and PDR Construction Ltd have been fined following an incident that saw a worker fall three metres through a mesh roof while working at height.
The incident in question took place on 21 July 2016 at a job in Coulby Newham, resulting in painful injuries to the fallen worker, notably including multiple back fractures.
While moving materials during a routine roof installation at a new KFC Drive Thru, the worker unwittingly stepped onto a fragile mesh roof that was not fit to withstand a substantial load.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive determined that the contractors, Metcalfe Roofing & Building Ltd, had failed to prevent access to the exposed area, ultimately resulting in the accident.
Further investigation by the HSE also discovered that Metcalfe Roofing had failed to plan and conduct the work in a safe and fitting manner.
Crucially, principle contractors, PDR Construction, were also found to have failed in their attempts to plan, manage and monitor the construction phase appropriately.
The accusation of negligence led PDR Construction to plead guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, resulting in a £225k fine with £8k costs.
Meanwhile, Metcalfe Roofing was saddled with a lesser £2k fine after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2015.
The incident once again highlights the importance of on-site worker safety, particularly when it comes to those working at height.
At SafetyLiftinGear.com, we supply a wide variety of precautionary height safety equipment that would have been ideal for this kind of job.
Had such precautions been taken, it’s highly unlikely that such an incident would have occurred. Keep your workforce safe by providing them with appropriate safety equipment from SLG.
For more advice on working at height and the appropriate safety measures you can take to avoid needless falls, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0117 9381 600 or click the button below to get in touch online.
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At SafetyLiftinGear.com, we don’t just strive to offer you the best lifting gear and accessories available, we also go the extra mile to ensure your lifting job goes off without a hitch.
Take this recent delivery job in Bridgewater for proof of just that!
A customer got in touch ahead of a moving job with an unusual query involving glass moving.
The task involved transporting a fully-constructed, six-metre-long window across uneven ground for fitting.
The window itself was part of a sliding patio door frame that weighed in at over 600kg, making manoeuvrability difficult yet stability a must.
Luckily, our expert staff were on hand and coffee-fuelled, ready to get on the case with a solution for this tricky transport quandary.
One of our trusty team members came up with the ingenious idea of using two of our all-terrain pallet trucks, placing one on each end of the frame, to provide instant mobility with constant stability along the way.
With glass doors secured in place, the windows were able to be safely moved from A to B without endangering the glass in the slightest.
The heavy-duty tyres were more than capable of taking the load, while they also provided ample grip for a firm footing on the difficult terrain.
Meanwhile, the simple steering and guiding axis kept the journey steady and turned an impossible task into a job well done.
If you have a lifting job that’s a real head-scratcher and causing you haulage headaches, why not drop us a line? No job is too big for SafetyLiftinGear.com, so get in touch today on 0117 9381 600 or drop us an email using the link below.
The dangers of working at height have hit the headlines once again this week after two companies were heavily fined for putting their workers' safety at risk.
According to industry watchdog, Safety & Health Practitioner, an incident in April 2016 saw pipe repair workers in Bilston exposed to significant risk during a job at a warehouse owned by James Durrans & Sons Ltd.
The contractors, working for Kingswinford Engineering Co Ltd, were hired to fix pipework on the roof of the warehouse; however, the conditions provided were shockingly reckless, posing a variety of dangers for those working on the job.
The nature of the task required workers to be hoisted to the roof in a forklift man-cage; however, the forklift fell short of the roof, leaving a three-foot gap.
The roof was then only accessible by climbing from the cage to the roof. Worse still, the roof itself was said to be slippery and wet with no protective barrier in place to prevent a fall.
An investigation by the HSE concluded that neither the warehouse owners or the repair company had conducted a proper risk assessment and no safety system had implemented for the job.
The HSE findings highlighted that both James Durrans & Sons Ltd and Kingswinford Engineering Co Ltd had assumed the other had the safety procedures covered.
This gross negligence led both parties to plead guilty to breaching sections of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The result saw Kingswinford Engineering fined to the tune of £18k with costs of £9k, while Durrans & Sons were fined an even heftier £100k with costs of £20k.
The news story highlights the importance of worker/contractor safety on site and the financial ramifications associated with such an oversight.
Despite the lofty fines levied against both companies involved, the price could have been far steeper should an accident have occurred.
If you or your company are involved in working at height, suitable and appropriate fall protection measures are a must – it could save a life.
For more information on fall arrest and fall protection, call now on 0117 9381 600 or get in touch online using the button below.
A full body harness is a harness designed to hold the wearer upright in the event of a fall from height. If worn correctly, a full body harness will distribute the energy generated during free-fall across the wearers' body evenly, reducing the potential for serious injury.
Full-body harnesses should be the first choice when it comes to working at height because they offer:
When looking at how full body harnesses are designed, there are a few common features that you can expect to see on any full body harness:
Before you carry out any work at height, you should always assess the potential risks. Unfortunately, falling from height is a common cause of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. It's important that you know when a full body harness is, or isn't required. Your employee should carry out a full risk assessment before you carry out any work at height, notifying you if a full body harness is required while you complete your tasks.
In situations where a fall from height is a serious risk, you don't want to be putting on any old harness and making your ascent. Choosing a full body harness that suits your weight and job requirements is paramount for your safety. Your full body harness should always:
All of our full body harnesses can be found in our height safety range. We stock a variety of full body harnesses, including hi-viz full body harnesses, full body rescue harnesses and harnesses and lanyard rated to 140kgs.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our friendly team by clicking the link below!
A Doncaster based construction firm has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £803 in legal costs after one of their young workers suffered a serious fall.
The unnamed 18-year-old employee was working on the first floor of a house being built in West Butterwick, Scunthorpe. The worker was using a trowel to remove mortar from some breeze blocks when he stepped backwards and accidentally fell through an unguarded stairway. The injuries he sustained from the fall include; two fractured ribs and contusions.
The HSE investigated the incident and concluded that Trumax Building Ltd had not put the required safety precautions in place. Neither a proprietary guardrail system or traditional scaffold guardrails were used to prevent people from falling through the opening.
Trumax Building Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The HSE Inspector who handled this case said:
'This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out the correct control measures and safe working practices, particularly to protect young and inexperienced workers. In this case, someone suffered serious injuries that could have been avoided by installing guardrails around the stairway opening to prevent workers from falling from height.'
Here at SafetyLiftinGear, we work tirelessly to provide the PPE and equipment required to keep workers safe while working at height. Our Height Safety category features a range of products that can ensure safety whether your line of work is construction, tree surgery, or any other profession.
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We recently received the good news that SafetyLiftinGear's parent company, Tacklestore Ltd, has achieved the Achilles BuildingConfidence Standard!
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The Achilles BuildingConfidence Standard is a standard specifically designed for the construction industry.
The certification is a mark of credibility, and companies who have achieved this standard can be relied upon to deliver a highly compliant service.
We hope that this standard will help SafetyLiftinGear's construction industry customers to feel confident when buying and hiring our products!
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