Employee pinned to the ground in workplace safety accident

A female worker was injured in a workplace accident when a lifting device fell from the back of a truck and onto her.

The incident 


The incident occurred when a driver was transporting goods to a customer’s premises. An employee of the customer was using a lifting device under the driver’s instructions, when an object began to roll backwards off the truck and pinned the employee to the ground. The employee suffered serious injuries including broken ribs, a fractured skull and spinal injuries.

The court heard that the driver had not received training in the use of the lifting device. The company was fined $60,000 and ordered to pay costs of $7673. Worksafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said that this case should remind companies how important it is to train employees on safe machine operation.

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Source: Safe to Work

Mining giant convicted over worker's death

A mining giant has been found guilty of failing to protect the safety of a worker who was crushed to death by a scissor lift in a workshop.

The court found that the mining company had failed to provide instruction and supervision, and had failed to implement and enforce a suitable job hazard assessment, which led to the worker’s death in 2008. The company faces penalties of up to $400,000, with sentencing scheduled for March 19.

In early 2009, the company had its fifth fatality in nine months at its iron ore operations in a WA region and was forced to acknowledge change was needed.

“Of course, no fatality is ever acceptable, and senior management took that commitment extremely seriously and made a number of improvements across the business in this regard” The company commented in a statement.

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Source: The West Australian

Firm fined £60,000 after an employee's hair was ripped out by machinery

A company has been fined £60,000 after a young worker was severely injured when her hair was ripped out by poorly guarded machinery.

The 25-year-old was sorting clothes hangers on a conveyor when her scarf and hair became caught in the chain and sprocket drive of the belt as she bent over to remove accumulated hangers.

She sustained serious throat injuries, lost a substantial part of her hair and fractured a finger in the incident.

The firm had fitted a guard to the conveyor but it did not fully enclose the dangerous moving parts. There was no emergency stop button on the conveyor and the company's risk assessment failed to identify the dangers of entanglement in conveyors.

The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £21,668.

HSE Inspector David Wynne said: "Employers must ensure that workers are properly monitored, supervised and trained when working with this sort of equipment."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2013/rnn-w-mainetti.htm

Crushing fatality leads to $250,000 fine

A construction company working on upgrades to a highway has been fined $250,000 after one of its workers was crushed to death by a roller.

The 31-year-old labourer was on his second day on the job on a road upgrade project. He was helping to lay asphalt when a three-tonne multi-wheeled roller ran over him.

The worker was spraying the stationary roller when the operator accidentally released the brakes, causing the vehicle to lurch forward and roll over him.

A WorkCover investigation subsequently found the company failed to properly train or supervise the man.

NSW Finance Minister Greg Pearce says the fine is a reminder to maintain safety protocols.

"This tragedy could have been avoided had there been the right instruction and the vehicle properly maintained," He said in a statement.

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Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1727634/Company-fined-after-worker-fatally-crushed

Concrete company prosecuted after worker hit by forklift truck

A concrete firm has been prosecuted after a worker suffered serious leg injuries when he was hit by a forklift truck.

The 38-year-old was responsible for removing excess concrete from moulds at a factory. He was putting concrete in a bucket and then onto the prongs of the forklift, when he was struck by the vehicle.

He suffered multiple foot fractures, needed four screws in his broken ankle and also hurt his knee. The firm was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,897.

The Health and Safety Executive found there was a written instruction in the factory stating the bucket should be not be placed directly on the forks. This had not been translated into Polish for the benefit of the migrant labour the company employed, like the injured worker.

HSE inspector Katharine Walker said: "The company had allowed an unsafe custom and practice to develop. There was no effective segregation of vehicles and pedestrians and the means of transporting the waste concrete was bound to bring the two into contact.”

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-wm-17212.htm?eban=rss-

Firm prosecuted for unsafe scaffolding

The lives of several construction workers were put at risk as they worked on unsafe scaffolding at a farm.

The men were spotted working on a barn conversion during a series of on-the-spot inspections carried out by the Health and Safety Executive, and the inspector immediately served a Prohibition Notice ordering the men to come down.

Workers were seen on scaffolding platforms with numerous missing guard rails, deck boards and toe boards to prevent them falling. The company was prosecuted for failing to take sufficient measures to prevent workers being injured in a fall and fined £5,000.

HSE Inspector Anthony Polec said: "Work at height is one of the biggest causes of workplace deaths in the UK, with dozens of fatal injuries every year. It’s therefore vital that construction companies do all they can to protect their workers."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-nw-ribble-valley.htm?eban=rss-

Defence company ordered to pay £376,000 for safety failings that caused a fatal explosion

A defence company has been ordered to pay £376,000 for safety failings that caused a fatal explosion at its factory.

A 37-year-old worker was killed from injuries sustained in the blast. He was emptying industrial ovens that contained high levels of nitroglycerin (NG) that exploded, destroying the factory building.

The company had realized in 2004 that their process for curing pellets as part of the production of military flares produced the explosive chemical as a by-product. None of the company's management team were competent to deal with the issue, and they did not seek external assistance.

Their failure to properly assess and manage the risks put workers and the public in danger. A second explosion occurred in 2008 when the company attempted to dismantle the remaining NG contaminated oven.

HSE inspector Qamar Khan said: "Both explosions were foreseeable and preventable had the company sought and taken appropriate advice and implemented the correct measures."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-se-20412.htm?eban=rss-

Salad company prosecuted after worker fell over 4m

A salad company has been sentenced for safety breaches after a worker fell more than 4m through a greenhouse roof.

The 44-year-old was cleaning and repainting greenhouse gutters when he lost his footing and fell through the glass roof. He broke his wrist and needed 20 staples across a head wound before being released from hospital after an overnight stay.

The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted the firm for failing to protect its workforce against the risk of falls. The company was fined £12,500 with £3,921 in costs.

The worker was one of a team of employees tasked with working on the gutters of 20 greenhouses at the firm's 30-acre site. The team were told to walk heel to toe along the gutters and to use a long-handled brush to steady themselves against the glazing bars. No equipment was provided and no instruction given to protect them against a fall.

The worker had cleaned some guttering and returned to the ground to collect his brush and paint. He climbed back up and had completed a short length of paintwork when his right foot went through the glass and he fell through the fragile roof.

HSE Inspector Andrew Gale said: "This case highlights how important it is for employers to identify the risks involved in working at height, particularly near fragile materials, and taking the necessary steps to reduce those risks and prevent falls.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-yh-20112.htm

Worker loses 2 fingers in vegetable slicer

A company has been ordered to pay more than $50,000 after an employee had two fingers chopped off in a vegetable slicer.

The company was found guilty of failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace and, by that failure, causing the employee serious harm. The company was fined $40,000 and ordered to pay $12,000 in costs.

The business produced ready-made salads for supply to supermarkets and contained several machines to cut and slice the produce, one of which was a belt slicer. An employee was operating the machine and wanted to clear some vegetable matter from the chamber.

He hit the emergency stop button and put his hand into the chamber, not knowing that the emergency stop button and interlock were not functioning because of a fault in the electrical relay.

The blades were still spinning when he put his hand in and two of his fingers were amputated to the middle knuckle.

WorkSafe acting executive director Ian Munns said the case illustrated how important it was to have lock-out and tagging procedures at workplaces with machinery. "It's never safe to leave any piece of machinery operational while doing repairs or performing maintenance" he said.

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Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2012/11/01/20/20/40-000-fine-for-finger-slice-accident

Construction firm fined for endangering workers and the public

A construction firm has been prosecuted for endangering workers and the public with unsafe demolition work.

Local residents raised concerns that asbestos materials were being smashed up and littering the site, that debris was dropping from height onto the road and footpath; and that the site was insecure despite its close proximity to a local school.

The Health and Safety Executive investigation found that the company should have carried out an asbestos survey and produced a health and safety plan and a plan of demolition to ensure the buildings came down in a safe manner. Safe working platforms such as scaffolding could also have been used.

The construction company also employed inexperienced labourers to carry out demolition and asbestos removal, and did not give them sufficient instruction, training, or supervision. The company was fined £36,000 and ordered to pay £9159 in costs.

HSE Inspector Helen Donnelly said: "Construction projects need to be properly planned and safely managed by competent personnel using the right procedures and equipment. That clearly didn't happen here, and I hope lessons have been learned."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-ldn-19412.htm?eban=rss-

Waste management firm fined after 2 workers injured within a week

A waste management firm has admitted neglecting the safety of its workforce after 2 men were injured within just a week.

The first incident happened when site workers were setting up a waste sorting machine for use. One worker climbed on to its front conveyor belt and kneeled down to clear a blockage, while his co-worker thought he had gone to fetch something and started up the machine. He was propelled along the belt and dropped ten feet. He suffered fractures to his foot and skin and nerve damage.

The second incident occurred when a worker was helping to restart a Jaw Crusher machine. He saw some wire tangled in a magnetic belt roller and went to pull it free. The machine suddenly restarted and the wire was pulled back into the rollers along with the worker’s left forearm. He sustained crush injuries to his forearm.

The company had failed to implement simple measures that would have prevented both incidents and had ignored earlier warnings by the Health and Safety Executive about the lack of a safe system of work.

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-yh-19212.htm?eban=rss-

Food company in court following worker's fall

A grain milling company has been prosecuted after a worker was injured in a fall during the night shift.

The 45-year-old fell nearly 3m on to concrete after he climbed pipework to unblock a feed pipe. With no ladder or platform available, he climbed on nearby pipework and sat on one of the pipes to reach the blockage. He unbalanced and fell some 3m, hitting pipes below before landing on the ground. He suffered broken ribs, cuts and bruising in the incident.

A Health and Safety Executive investigation found the incident could have been avoided had the company put basic measures in place to protect workers against falls from height. The firm was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £3,712 in costs.

HSE Inspector Emma Rowlands said:
"You do not have to fall from a great height to either lose or ruin your life. Work at height remains one of the most significant causes of fatalities and major injuries among employees. Employers who put people at risk of serious injury or illness can expect to face enforcement action and for the worst offences criminal prosecution through the courts."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-e-10212.htm?eban=rss-

Manufacturing company prosecuted after worker's arm severed by conveyor

An animal feed manufacturer has been fined after a worker lost his arm when it became entangled in a conveyor. The 35-year-old was attempting to clear a blockage on a conveyor when his right arm became entangled and was severed just below the elbow.

The company had failed to provide a safe system of work for production staff to clear blockages on conveyors and there were no guards to prevent access to the unblocking hatch. The company was fined a total of £20,000 and £9,716 costs.

HSE Inspector Steven Gill, said: "This incident could have been prevented had there been appropriate guarding in place. This type of injury is not uncommon in the manufacturing industry."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-e-99.htm?eban=rss-

Worker at a seafood plant found cooked to death in an industrial oven

A worker at a seafood plant in LA met a tragic end after he was found cooked to death in an industrial oven.

Officials at the Police Department said in a statement that they received a call "regarding an industrial accident" involving a worker at a Seafood plant. Police and local fire-department personnel responded, where they found a 62-year-old male employee dead at the scene. The employee had worked for the business for six years.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Erika Monterroza told the Whittier Daily News that an initial investigation indicated the worker "was fatally injured when he was cooked in an oven" but it was unclear how he ended up inside the oven, resulting in this "horrendous tragedy”. Operations at the plant were suspended for a few days.

Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019425880_cooked14.html

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Building company fined $60,000 after a worker was severely injured in a workplace fall

A building company has been fined $60,000 for an incident which left a worker a paraplegic after he fell from the rafters of a two-storey house.

The 27-year-old worker was injured while he was helping install new roof trusses. The roof and trusses were wet from earlier rain and, when he attempted to lift two trusses laminated together, he lost his grip and fell back into the stairwell void. There was no fall protection above the void.

The worker fell almost 4m to the landing below, breaking three vertebrae. He also suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, a fractured wrist and a head wound.

WorkSafe’s General Manager for Health and Safety, Lisa Sturzenegger, said fall protection was among the most fundamental measures of construction industry safety.

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Source: http://www.worksafenews.com.au/news/item/268-second-company-fined-$60,000-after-fall-leaves-worker-in-wheelchair.html

Company fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for safety violations

The OSHA has cited a company with 28 serious safety violations for exposing workers to "struck-by," fall, amputation and shock hazards while they were manufacturing airport passenger boarding bridges. Proposed penalties total $172,000.

The violations involve failing to regularly inspect overhead cranes, hooks and slings; rate or inspect devices used for lifting; provide machine guarding for a press brake and belt sander; ensure that exits are not blocked and are properly marked; provide fall protection such as harnesses and guardrails; train workers on lockout/tagout procedures for the control of energy sources; and provide strain relief for flexible electrical cords.

"This company exposed workers to serious safety hazards that could cause amputations or electrocutions," said Jack Rector, OSHA's area director in Fort Worth. "OSHA will not tolerate an employer's disregard for workplace safety."

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Source: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=23085

National fruit supplier sentenced after neglecting worker safety

A national fruit and vegetable wholesaler has been sentenced for safety failings after a worker lost the tip of her finger at a processing plant.

The 46 year-old worker was using a vegetable slicing machine when it became blocked. She pressed a stop button and opened a side panel to gain access to a conveyor that took vegetables to the cutting head. As she reached in to clear the blockage, the still-rotating cutting blade caught her right index finger and sliced off the tip to the base of her nail.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Jane Wolfenden said: "The company's failure to put an effective system in place to ensure machines had suitable protection devices and to give the workforce sufficient training put their workers at unnecessary risk. It was almost inevitable that injury would result. I hope that this prosecution results in the firm taking their responsibilities far more seriously in the future."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-ldn-17912.htm

130 workplace deaths in Australia so far in 2012

As of 24 September, 130 Australian workers have died at work. During the same period last year, 120 deaths had occurred. Safe Work Australia records cases of work fatality and injury, updates statistics and prepares several reports.

Worker deaths by industry as of September 24, 2012:
Transport, postal and warehousing (42)
Agriculture, forestry and fishing (27)
Construction (19)
Manufacturing (9)
Administrative and support services (6)
Arts and recreation services (4)
Mining (4)
Public administration and safety (3)
Electricity, gas, water and waste services (2)
Wholesale trade (2)
Retail trade (2)
Education and training (2)
Other services (2)
Health care and social assistance (1)
Financial and insurance services (1)
Professional, scientific and technical services (1)
Industry unknown (3)

The data is only an initial estimate for the number of people killed. More information can be found at the Safe Work Australia website.

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Source: http://www.safetyculture.com.au/news/index.php

Recycling company sentenced over worker's death

A recycling company has been ordered to pay £240,000 in fines and costs after a worker was killed at a factory.

The 31-year-old worker was last seen alive by his colleagues in the early hours of the morning on 24 November 2005. The HSE investigation concluded that the most likely cause of his death was that he fell into a machine while checking to see if it was running smoothly.

The company failed to take steps to prevent access to the machine while it was operating, and failed to ensure power to the machine was cut before maintenance work was carried out. The company also had an inadequate risk assessment in place and its training, supervision and monitoring of the work did not meet acceptable standards.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Principal Inspector Tanya Stewart said:
"This was a tragic death that could have been prevented if the company had put more thought into the safety of its employees and the adequacy of its working practices. I hope this case will act as a warning to companies to think more carefully about the safety of workers who clean, maintain or repair machines or who clear blockages."

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Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/rnn-nw-jfcplastics.htm

2012 WorkSafe Awards Finalists Announced

Finalists for the 24th annual WorkSafe Victoria Awards have been announced following a record number of entries in 2012.

The awards attracted 286 entries from across Victoria, with 35 finalists from a range of industries and workplaces chosen across nine categories, representing safety, health and wellbeing and return to work.

WorkSafe Acting Chief Executive Ian Forsyth said that the strong interest in the awards demonstrated the value Victorian employers and workers place on making workplaces safe and supporting people who are injured at work. “Through their efforts, [the finalists] are not only improving the health and safety of their colleagues, but helping make Victoria a safer state in which to work."

"Victoria has Australia’s safest workplaces, recording a record low injury rate for 2011/12, and its employers pay the lowest premiums for workplace injury insurance; however this will only continue if high safety standards are maintained.”

Winners will be announced at an awards presentation on 1 November, during Work Safe Week.

For more information about the WorkSafe Awards, to view the finalists’ and their entries or to register to attend the free awards presentation, visit www.worksafeawards.com.au

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Source: http://www.worksafenews.com.au/component/k2/item/258-worksafe-awards-finalists-announced.html