There are constant risks involved when dealing with any type of machinery. In the past there have been many accidents, injuries and deaths caused by machines which have not been treated with the respect they deserve. Workers often are put at unnecessary risks however due to bad management and companies who are ignoring the laws and regulations put in place to help reduce some of the risks which come with the territory.
Know Your Responsibilities to Your Employees
If you are in control of any workplace it is essential that you are fully aware of your responsibilities to yourself and your employees or colleagues. Health and safety consultants should always be contacted if you are in any doubt of your legal standing to make sure you are doing everything you should be doing in the eyes of the law, and out of moral respect for those who work for you.
Crush Accident Could Have Been Avoided
In the news this week there has been one case which saw an employee suffer a horrendous accident while working for a company which failed him. The worker who did not want to be named was informed about a problem with a machine which mixes animal feed. The air slide was not working so the supervisor decided to clean the slide which had a build-up of sticky deposits.
While the supervisor tried to fix the problem his hand was caught in the moving parts and he was seriously injured. He lost two of his fingers and suffered from nerve damage which will cause problems for the rest of his life. As yet he has not been able to return to work since the accident which occurred in August 2010.
Lack of Safety Measures and Training
The investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive discovered that there were no measures in place which would have stopped the employee from coming into contact with the dangerous moving parts of the machine. It was also found that the supervisor was not trained in the methods of cleaning and clearing the machine, despite having undergone two months of training in other areas.
The firm, One Feed Supplements based in Thirsk, were fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of an additional £2594.30. They pleaded guilty to an offence under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
Health and Safety services are available to every business in the UK. These services not only involve training for managers, owners and employees on all levels, they can also make owners aware of their legal duties and the laws which need to be adhered to.
Contact the health and safety consultants to discover how they can help you to avoid accidents like these from happening. Call 0800 1488 677 to find out how their health and safety services can make your workplace safer for everyone. The HSE revealed that there have been 3800 serious injuries and 27 deaths in the manufacturing sectors during 2010/2011.
A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.