JUNE 2019 HEALTH & SAFETY
penalty after being found in breach of the same
section of the same act (and Section 3 (1) also)
for an incident which left five workers exposed
to the risk of serious injury or death from a toxic
vapour cloud; this time, it was fined £930,000.
The risks facing manufacturers
Manufacturing is a hazardous industry and
the risk of harm is widespread across multiple
operations. The risk of harm is a feature of the
guidelines so organisations that put employees or
the public at risk can be prosecuted, irrespective
of whether there is an actual injury.
So, in practice, a system of work which exposes
employees to risk is vulnerable to a prosecution.
The more employees exposed to the risk is
taken into consideration, as is the length of time
that risk has existed. It is therefore essential
that thorough, pro-active risk assessments are
undertaken and regularly reviewed.
As well as the use of heavy machinery, there are
many and varied aspects of risk in manufacturing,
from working from height to use of hazardous
substances. In 2017, AGC Chemicals Europe was
fined £300,000 after a worker suffered acid burns
requiring two skin grafts.
It is especially important for manufacturers
to consider and control the risk of harm not only
for employees, but for the users of their product.
Martin Baker Aircraft received
a £1.1 million fine in February
last year. The manufacturer
of ejector seats was found in
breach of Section 3 (1) following
the death of a Red Arrows pilot,
who was inadvertently ejected
from his seat during routine
pre-flight checks.
Looking forward
Stress in the workplace
bubbles under the radar in
many industries, including
manufacturing. The long hours
and high-pressured nature and
turnover of work makes it a
high-risk industry for stressrelated
conditions. The HSE
recently developed a toolkit to
help companies address and
support employees experiencing
stress-related conditions and
though there is currently no
formal regulation in place to
address this (beyond the Health
& Safety At Work Act 1974’s
umbrella requirement of an
employer’s ‘duty to protect’),
this public declaration of
interest suggests it may be a
matter of time before measures
are introduced.
In some companies, a culture
of confusion, or even disinterest,
can exist in response to health &
safety regulation. It is therefore
vital to tackle this culture from
the top down, and manage
regulations in a proactive
manner which leads to real
change for the safety of staff.
The last three years have
sent a stark message across
all sectors and manufacturing
remains a very high-risk
industry. Engagement with
safety issues and education
across the industry is key
to ensuring that the safety
statistics improve. Managing
risk must be a priority in this
already challenged sector.
Focusing on managing risk
within manufacturing and the
supply chain may help reinforce
the ongoing and critical
messages around safety.
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