ACCIDENT REPORT
REPORT
A selection of recent plant-related investigations
by the Health and Safety Executive
CONTACT WITH ELECTRICITY
A spate of recent accidents involving
electricity have resulted in prosecutions.
Sign- tting contractor AR Signs,
of Leicestershire, has been sentenced
for safety breaches after a worker
su ered multiple serious burn injuries.
She eld Magistrates’ Court heard how,
on 14 September 2017, a 22-year-old
employee was using a breaker tool (not
pictured) to dig a hole for the posts of
a new sign at the Hellaby Hall Hotel,
near Rotherham. He struck a mains
electricity cable, causing a large ash,
and su ered burn injuries to the inside
of his right arm, the top of his right
hand, the inside of his left arm, and the
right-hand side of his face. He also had
burns to his hair, eyelashes, eyebrows
and beard. An investigation found that
no cable diagram or ground scanner was
used to determine the presence of the
mains cable, and no training had been
given in the use of the breaker tool.
Options Energy Resource LLP, of
London, has also been ned after an
employee was killed by an overhead
power line strike. Luton Crown Court
heard how, on 16 September 2016,
Darren Waterman, a driver employed by
Just Grab Services to unload material
at Fillets Farm, Hertforshire, was using
the grab arm when it encountered an
11kV overhead power line (OHPL).
The site was managed by Options
Energy Resource. An investigation
holding on to the edge, jumped up and
down on the blockage. As this was still
ine ective, a colleague then climbed up
the outside of the infeed hopper and
jumped inside. The blockage then gave
way, and the worker fell two to three
metres into the compaction chamber.
A ram activated and commenced
compressing the material. The operative
attempted to climb out, but before he
could do so, he was injured by the ram.
The HSE found that blockages
occurred because large cardboard
boxes would catch on a lip between
the wooden superstructure and the
metal structure of the hopper. Workers
cleared blockages by climbing up the
outside of the machine; and the absence
of guarding meant operatives were
able to access the infeed hopper. No
system to isolate the machine from the
power was in operation in order to deal
with blockages safely. William Munro
Construction (Highland), of Alness, was
ned £30,000.
PUBLIC INJURIES
A theme park operator has been ned
after nine passengers were injured
when a train on one of its roller coasters
derailed and crashed to the ground.
Hamilton Sheri Court heard how, on
26 June 2016, at M&D’s Theme Park
in Motherwell, a train on the Tsunami
roller coaster, which was carrying nine
passengers at the time, derailed as
it was descending through a curve
immediately after the lift ramp, at a
height of ve metres. It crashed to the
ground in an area occupied by another
attraction. An investigation by the HSE
found that the rollercoaster was not
maintained “in an e cient state” or in
e cient working order, nor was it in
good repair. In particular, weld repairs
carried out on the axles of the Tsunami
were inadequate and unsound. M&D
(Leisure), of Motherwell, was ned
£65,000.
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found that the rm had identi ed the
risk from OHPLs in risk assessments,
but had failed to implement them and
adequately plan construction work and
to train its employees.
CLEARING BLOCKAGES
Also numerous recently have been
prosecutions following cases of workers
being crushed.
On 6 September 2012, an employee
of 2 Sisters Food Group, Wake eld,
was attempting to clear a blockage
on a conveying system at its Foxhills
Industrial Estate site in Scunthorpe,
when he was struck by a large metal
stillage. As a result, his body was
crushed at chest height against the
end of the unit, and he sustained
multiple injuries. An investigation
found that the company had failed to
identify de ciencies in the guarding on
the machine, and that the clearing of
blockages was usually carried out while
the machine was still in operation.
On 12 November 2018, an operative
at Beechwood Waste Transfer Station
sustained severe injuries after falling
into a compactor chamber, where a
ram crushed his legs. Tain Sheri Court
heard how an employee was attempting
to clear a blockage in an infeed hopper
with a wooden bar, while the machine
was in automatic mode. The blockage
was too large to dislodge, so the
worker got into the hopper and, while
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