8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 1/14

ealth and Safety News: July 2008

Health and Safety News 

w o r k MLive.com - Wings' pract ice  

prescr ip t ion: w ork on defence and 

scor ing ba lance

Thursday, 31 July 2008

Fitter killed by exploding tyre A fitter died when a tyre he was putting on a 17-tonne tankerexploded while he was inflating it.

The accident happened at an industrial estate in Waldingfield Road,Sudbury, Suffolk, where he was changing a tyre.

The man, in his late 20s, was understood to be an employee of alocal fitting company.

An ambulance service spokeswoman told the BBC website that threevehicles and an air ambulance attended but the man died at thescene.

Industrial incident

An East of England Ambulance Service lay responder was first toreach the merchants' yard and applied first aid.

An ambulance arrived within four minutes of the emergency call andthe air ambulance 10 minutes later.

A spokesman for Chilton Grain said that the man had been on the sitechanging the tyre on the tanker lorry for about an hour.

"While he was inflating the tyre on the heavy lorry it failed andexploded. The force hit him in the head and he was knocked underthe trailer," he said.

"Ambulance crews spent about 20 minutes trying to revive him."

Suffolk Police are treating the death as an industrial incident.

The Health and Safety Executive have started an investigation.

Original BBC News a r t i c le .

at 05:42  1 com m en ts  Labels: acc iden t , explos ion , fa ta l i t y , HSE , news , t y re  

 Archive●  ▼ 2008 (216)

r  ▼ Nov 2008 (14)■  Man Burned In

Meth-Related  Explosion Die

■  Update: Arkomexplos ion hurwo rke r   

■  Apparent gas exp los ion a t cm ine hu r t s tw

■ 

Clock s go bacHSE issues adv ice for safwork in . . . 

■  Work resum esnew t w in span

■  Trade un ion c l a im s wo rk -dea th s ta t i s t i cfar hi ghe... 

■  Safe ty ac c idein China dow n20% in past 10mont. . . 

■  Stay at home you ' re s ick, sabosses 

■  Arkoma explos ion hurwo rke r   

■  Man caut ioneover bogus insurance c la

■  Safe ty s ta ts "reason no t to

back on sa fe t■  Pipel ine 

Explos ion ■  Adv ice on 

prevent ing anmanaging bacpain  

■  Excavat or dr ivf ined af ter   pedestr ian k i lnea... 

powered by

ttp://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html (1 of 14) [05/11/2008 13:32:02]

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 2/14

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 3/14

ealth and Safety News: July 2008

Sutton was freed by members of the Milton and Highland firedepartments and by employees of Erichsen's Auto Service ofHighland, police said. He then was taken by Mobile Life SupportServices to St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he waspronounced dead.

©Dai ly Freeman 2008  

at 01:47  1 com m en ts  Labels: excava t ion , fa ta l i t y , USA  

Three-year-old girl crushed by falling w all Meg Burgess was killed when a large breeze block wall collapsed onher at Ffordd Penrhwylfa, Prestatyn, north Wales.

The little girl had been walking with her mother close to their homewhen the accident happened.

She was rushed to nearby Glan Clwyd Hospital but was pronounceddead on arrival.

Her parents Peter and Lindsay Burgess yesterday visited the scene100 yards from their home, where relatives and friends have laidflowers and teddy bears.

Mrs Burgess, 28, a photographer, said Meg was "the most perfectdaughter in the world."

A statement read by Meg's uncle said the couple, who have a babyson called Wilson, were "horrified by this horrible, tragic event, thathas affected their's and so many other lives forever."

Thanking friends relatives and neighbours for their support, it added"Meg was a shining star to all who met her and will be sorely missed."

The wall, at least six feet tall, was on land adjoining a house which isbeing renovated.

One theory under investigation is that a digger bucket may havenudged the wall accidentally.

A man who lives close to the scene said : "I heard screaming thenthere was an ambulance and people were gathering round."

A spokeswoman for North Wales Police said: "A joint investigationinto the incident with the Health and Safety Executive is ongoing." It is

believed the incident is not being treated as suspicious.

Orig ina l BBC New s ar t ic le .

at 01:44  0 com m en ts  Labels: col lapse , fa ta l i t y , HSE  

Tuesday, 22 July 2008

●  Your back is in your hands: HSE g ives adv ice on prevent ing and  managing back pa in  

●  HSE publ ishes heal th and safet y s ta t is t ic s for 2007/08 

AddMe - Search Engine Opt imi zat

Links to this site●  In search of severe w eather   

●  GotSafety B log  

ttp://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html (3 of 14) [05/11/2008 13:32:02]

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 4/14

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 5/14

ealth and Safety News: July 2008

aid-training, said providing adequate safety advice would bewelcomed by employees.

"Ensuring that your employees learn first aid is so much more thanjust complying with your health and safety obligations. Encouragingpeople to learn a life skill shows your commitment to the employee,"she stated.

Under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, employersare required to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilitiesand personnel to enable first-aid to be given to staff at work.

Source .

St J ohn Ambulance give a detailed explanation on the f i rs t a id changes  here .

at 02:48  0 com m en ts  Labels: change , f i rs t a id , leg is la t ion , news  

Friday, 18 July 2008

Thirteen people killed in collision By Sinegugu Ndlovu

Thirteen people were killed when a minibus taxi in which they weretravelling was involved in a collision with two trucks and two cars nearLadysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday.

The collision happened on the R103 between Ladysmith and the N3highway at about 7.30am. Police Captain Charmaine Struwig said itwas believed that a truck travelling from Ladysmith had veered intooncoming traffic and had struck a taxi travelling towards Ladysmith. A

second truck and two vehicles travelling behind the taxi then crashedinto the wreckage.

"The taxi was completely ripped open and the majority of thepassengers were flung out on to the road. Some bodies were foundunder the truck.

"We are still reconstructing the accident so we can't, at this stage, sayhow many people were in each vehicle," Struwig said.

She said the accident was one of the most gruesome she had seen inher career. The road was closed to traffic for about seven hours whileauthorities cleared the wreckage and recovered the bodies.

Orig ina l ar t ic le c ont inues. .. at 08:16  0 com m en ts  Labels: acc iden t , fa ta l i t y , th row n f rom veh ic le  

Thursday, 17 July 2008

Cement firm fined £200,000 

ttp://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html (5 of 14) [05/11/2008 13:32:02]

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 6/14

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 7/14

ealth and Safety News: July 2008

(CAT) to safely detect electric current and avoid, the electricity supplyto the house.

Mr Richardson's workmate said they had been shown how to use aCAT during '20 or 30 minutes' as part of a training course in 1998, butthey had never achieved competence in its use.

HSE Inspector, Trevor Morrow, said:

"The CAT is a sophisticated piece of equipment. You won't learn touse it competently during 20 to 30 minutes on a training course, but

you will with regular use and experience.

"The CAT they were trained on was a different model to the one thatwas kept at Dacorum Borough Council, so they would have had to betrained again. If it had been available as part of their normalexcavation work and they had been competent in its use, then theCAT would have prevented this fatality.

"I hope this tragic incident makes it clear to employers that they needto take positive steps to risk assess the obvious hazards involved withunderground work, such as electricity and gas, and to manage them.They must ensure that staff are properly trained in the use ofdetection equipment, such as a CAT, and are aware of the potentialrisks involved in this type of work."

Notes

Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states "Itshall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonablypracticable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all hisemployees."

Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at WorkRegulations 1999 states "Every employer shall make a suitable andsufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of hisemployees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work.

Regulation 3(1) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 states

"Every work activity, including operation, use and maintenance of asystem and work near a system, shall be carried out in such amanner as not to give rise, so far as is reasonably practicable, todanger."

Original post 17 July 2008.

at 04:43  0 com m en ts  Labels: acc iden t , fa ta l i t y , f ine , heal th and safety , HSE ,news , prosecu t ion 

Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Track w orker killed on mainline A rail worker has been killed while working on the West CoastMainline.

The 41-year-old man, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, died nearRugby train station on Saturday morning, British Transport Police(BTP) said.

He was employed by contractor Leda Rail. Details of the accident

ttp://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html (7 of 14) [05/11/2008 13:32:03]

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 8/14

ealth and Safety News: July 2008

have not been released but Network Rail said it was investigating.

Network Rail is carrying out massive engineering works at Rugby in abid to upgrade the West Coast Mainline.

A statement released by Network Rail said: "A rail worker employedby Leda Rail was fatally injured early on Saturday 12 July just southof Rugby Station while carrying out track works.

"A full investigation has been launched into the incident.

"Network Rail's thoughts are with the family of the deceased."

In February, Network Rail was given a £14m fine relating mainly towork at Rugby in late December and January, which over-ran by fourdays.

Art ic le by BBC New s .

Other articles covering the same incident:

Rai l worker k i l l ed on t rack s . Stockpor t Express .

at 03:43  0 com m en ts  Labels: acc iden t , fa ta l i t y , t ra in  

Tuesday, 15 July 2008

Homes for Haringey Ltd prosecuted after worker injured in fall from loft  The Health and Safety Executive is warning employers to ensure theyhave safe systems for working at height in place after a worker wasseriously injured in a fall from a loft, while he was changing a water

tank at a flat.

Read the full HSE press rel ease .

at 03:07  0 com m en ts  Labels: acc iden t , back in jur ies , fa l l f rom height , hea l th and safety , HSE  

Monday, 14 July 2008

Ravers lose sight at Russian laser show  MOSCOW - Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor rave near Moscowlast week have lost partial vision after a laser light show burned theirretinas, Russian health officials said on Monday.

Moscow city health department officials confirmed 12 cases of laser-blindness at the Central Ophthalmological Clinic, and daily newspaperKommersant said another 17 were registered at City Hospital 32 inthe centre of the capital.

Attendees at the July 5 Aquamarine Open Air Festival in Kirzhach, 80km (50 miles) northeast of Moscow, began seeking medical help days

ttp://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html (8 of 14) [05/11/2008 13:32:03]

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 9/14

ealth and Safety News: July 2008

after the show, complaining of eye and vision problems, healthofficials told Reuters.

"They all have retinal burns, scarring is visible on them. Loss of visionin individual cases is as high as 80 percent, and regaining it is alreadyimpossible," Kommersant quoted a treating ophthalmologist as saying.

Attendees said heavy rains forced organisers to erect massive tentsfor the all-night dance party, and lasers that normally illuminateupwards into the sky were instead partially refracted into the ravers'eyes.

"I immediately had a spot like when you stare into the sun," rave-attendee Dmitry told Kommersant.

"After three days I decided to go to the hospital. They examined me,asked if I had been at Open Air, and then put me straight in thehospital. I didn't even get to go home and get my stuff," he said.

Cosmic Connection, promoters of the Aquamarine rave, wereunreachable and did not list contact numbers on their Web site.

Industry Web site www.laserfx.com said focused laser light can causeeye damage almost instantly.

The owner of a Moscow laser rental company told Reuters theaccidental blindings were due to "illiteracy on the part of technicians".

"It was partly the rain, but also partly the size of the laser. Somebodyset up an extremely powerful laser for such a small space," saidValentin Vasiliev, who said his company did not provide theAquamarine lasers.

Orig ina l ar t ic le by Chris Baldwin posted 14 July 2008.

at 07:08  1 com m en ts  Labels: acc iden t , burns, eye , laser  , rave  

Friday, 11 July 2008

Woman dies after lift shaft fall A woman has died after falling nine floors down a lift shaft in a blockof high-rise flats in Glasgow in the early hours of Wednesday.

It is believed the woman was trying to get out of the lift at RodgersTowers in Maryhill after it became stuck between the eighth and ninthfloors.

The 32-year-old was taken to hospital but died a short time later.

The Health and Safety Executive has launched an inquiry. A reporthas been sent to the procurator fiscal.

Strathclyde Police said the woman died after falling nine floors downthe shaft at Wynford Road.

A spokeswoman said the incident took place at about 0035 BST.

"The woman received serious injuries and was removed to theWestern Infirmary where she died a short time later," she said.

ttp://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html (9 of 14) [05/11/2008 13:32:03]

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 10/14

ealth and Safety News: July 2008

The lifts in the block are run by the Cube Housing Association.

Chief executive Lynn McCulloch said: "We are shocked andsaddened by this tragic incident and our sympathies go out to thefamily of the person who died.

"Our staff are now working with the police and health and safetypersonnel to try to ascertain how this accident occurred.

"While we have a very thorough lift maintenance programme in place,we have instigated an immediate inspection of all lifts in the Wyndford

Estate."

BBC News a r t i c le posted 9 July 2008.

at 01:49  0 com m en ts  Labels: fa l l f rom height , fa ta l i t y , HSE , l i f t , news  

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

Myth: Health and safety laws banned poles in fire stations 

The Heal th and Safety Execut ive 's Myth of the Month.

It was widely reported that a fire station was built without thetraditional pole for 'health and safety' reasons.

Poles are not banned and firefighters around the country continue touse them.

at 06:01  0 com m en ts  

ttp://handsnews.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html (10 of 14) [05/11/2008 13:32:03]

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 11/14

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 12/14

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 13/14

8/14/2019 Health and Safety News - July 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/health-and-safety-news-july-2008 14/14