Health & Safety Update - November 2021

Health & Safety Update | NOVEMBER 2021

Industry News - Safety & Security - PPE - Tools & Equipment

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Contents

18

11

Fibrelite

Engel Workwear

6

DISPOSING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN THE WORKPLACE

10 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

Britcon (UK) Ltd has been sentenced for safety breaches after a worker was struck by a falling load from a mechanical excavator.

Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard that Britcon (UK) Ltd were appointed as a contractor to construct a surge pit as part of a renewal and refurbishment project at the McCain’s Foods (GB) Limited site at Havers Hill in Scarborough. Part of the process involved removing sheet piles from the ground.

The HSE’s investigation found that on 21 March 2018, 66-year-old Stephen Gouldthorpe was assisting with cleaning sheet piles as they were removed from the surge pit by a Doosan DX 225 LC3, 360-degree excavator.

The excavator had an attachment known as an EMV

300 pile attachment fitted to remove the sheet piles from the ground. The mechanical excavator was removing a seven-metre sheet pile weighing approximately 190 kg to a lay down area when a safety chain slipped causing the pile to fall and strike Mr Gouldthorpe.

He suffered a fractured left tibia and fibula and ankle, a fractured right clavicle, seven fractured ribs, pulmonary contusion and fractured vertebrae.

Britcon (UK) Ltd of Midland Road, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN16 1DQ pleaded guilty to breaching

Section 3 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The company has been fined £570,000 and ordered to pay £40,054.68 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Paul Thompson commented: “There was insufficient supervision and communication during the lifting operations. There was no specific exclusion zone in place and workers had to approach the sheet pile to clean it.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out the correct control measures and safe working practices”

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

CONTRACTOR FINED AFTER EMPLOYEE FALLS FROM SCAFFOLDING A shopfitting company has been fined after an employee suffered multiple fractures after falling fifteen feet from scaffolding.

An employee of TA Knox Shopfitters Ltd was working from a tower scaffold at the front of the Footasylum Store in the Trafford Centre, Manchester on 24 October 2019, when the scaffold moved throwing him off balance.

Manchester Magistrates Court heard how he fell backwards against the safety rail of the scaffold, which gave way and he fell fifteen feet to the ground. The employee suffered ten fractured ribs, a fractured shoulder and a collapsed lung.

The HSE’s investigation found that the safety rail had not been

fixed in place correctly, causing it to give way when the employee fell against it. It also found that the tower scaffold had not been erected by somebody with the appropriate skills, knowledge and training. If the edge protection been suitable and sufficient and the tower constructed by somebody competent to erect tower scaffolds, the incident could have been prevented.

TA Knox Shopfitters Ltd of Hollingworth Road, Bredbury, Stockport pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The

company was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,623.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Seve Gomez-Aspron said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities and severe injuries in this country. The risks associated with work at height are well known. This incident could so easily have been avoided by ensuring that suitable and sufficient edge protection had been used and qualified people had been on site to erect a tower scaffold.”

6 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

INDUSTRY NEWS

A GUIDE TO DISPOSING OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN THE WORKPLACE Hazardous waste is a concern in many industries, particularly businesses working in the construction, manufacturing, utilities or healthcare sectors.

There are many items and products that can be considered hazardous, from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) such as phones and laptops, to materials such as paint, oil or chemical cleaners. In order to adhere to the necessary guidelines, here’s a guide to disposing of hazardous waste in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

What’s considered hazardous waste?

Virtually all businesses will, at some point, produce hazardous waste. Even items as seemingly insignificant as batteries or printer toner can

be classified as hazardous and need to be disposed of in the right way.

If your organisation deals with chemical or medical waste, painting or decorating materials, electronic items such as laptops and computer towers, or industrial cleaners, these need to be disposed of in a way that protects workers, the general public and the environment. Employers have a duty of care to ensure waste is treated properly and safely and must carry out risk assessments for all hazardous materials on-site.

As WEEE solution and Asset Management firm, Priority Weee, explains: “All

companies in the UK are required by law to make sure that hazardous waste materials are disposed of in accordance with their duty of care responsibilities in a manner that poses no harm to humans or the environment.

Many companies are increasingly concerned about their corporate social responsibility profiles and wish to be proactive on compliance in this regard”.

What steps do businesses need to take to dispose of hazardous waste?

The first step to tackling hazardous waste is to

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

determine if it is indeed hazardous.

Any waste your business produces needs to be categorised with the waste classification code: whether or not it’s deemed hazardous, the type of environment or business sector the waste was produced in, the name of the substance and the process that caused the waste. If there are any specific requirements or knowledge related to the type of waste you’re disposing of, this also needs to be included, along with a chemical and physical analysis of the waste.

The waste then needs to be separated and stored safely in a secure location, using suitable containers to stop it from being mixed up with other types of waste.

Make sure that the containers are labelled clearly, and use waterproof covers to stop the waste from blowing away or leaking, as well as from being contaminated by the rain.

Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), all employees

need to be trained to deal with any hazardous materials they come into contact with. Where it’s essential that they have contact with hazardous substances, they need to be provided with the necessary PPE to keep them and those around them safe.

The waste carrier you choose needs to be authorised to collect, recycle or dispose of hazardous waste. Even once the waste has left your premises, your business is still responsible for where it winds up, so using a reputable firm is essential for legal compliance. You will need to use consignment notes to move the waste and it needs to stay with it until it reaches the final destination. The Government has clear guidelines on how to fill out these notes for clear and concise information to accompany the waste you dispose of.

Businesses need to keep these records for three years at the premises where the waste was produced

and stored. The consequences of not dealing with hazardous waste properly can pose serious health concerns depending on the waste being disposed of, as well as cause issues for the environment and animal habitats if it leaches into the ground without being treated properly. There’s also a risk of hefty fines if businesses are found to be disposing of hazardous waste without following the correct guidelines.

By following just a few simple steps, businesses can ensure that any hazardous materials produced in the workplace will be disposed of or recycled in a safe, responsible, and relatively quick way, all while keeping to the current legislation.

Click here for Guidance on the classification and assessment of waste (1st Edition v1.2.GB).

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10 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

SNICKERS WORKWEAR AND EMMA SAFETY FOOTWEAR LEAD THE WAY WITH SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE These forward-thinking brands are pioneering sustainable business practices in their industries.

Did you know that bridging the ‘The Circularity Gap’ by embracing the circular economy could shrink global greenhouse gas emissions by 39%!* That’s why Emma Safety footwear has become a leader in sustainability having created the world’s very first ‘100% Circular’ safety footwear range, While Snickers Workwear is at the forefront of sustainability in the workwear industry by sourcing the highest quality, most hard-wearing products with as little environmental impact as possible. Ensuring garments are made from ‘preferred fibres’, enhances durability and comfort to create hard-wearing workwear with a long product lifetime which is key to reducing waste.

The combined result is environmentally-friendly, ergonomically designed dual-purpose working clothes and footwear that are not only designed to meet the physical demands that tradesmen and women face at work but are also ideal for some sports and leisure activities – and reducing your carbon footprint too!

Getting more information on the Snickers Workwear clothing range is easy. You can call the Helpline on 01484 854788; check out www.snickersworkwear.co.uk and download a digital catalogue or email sales@hultaforsgroup.co.uk

www.snickersworkwear.co.uk * Circularity Gap Report 2021 at https://www.cea.org.cy/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/circularity-gap-report-2021.pdf

12 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

High Vis ‘Super Stretch’ Comfort From Engel Workwear A new range of high visibility, flexible workwear which stretches to follow the movements of the body giving maximum comfort in any work situation has been introduced by Danish workwear specialists ENGEL. Called ‘Safety - Super-Stretch’ the collection consists of a wide variety of garments with elastic fibres woven into a polyester and cotton mix; the strong yet extreme flexibility of the material allows each garment to return to its original shape thereby retaining all the inherent advantages of their design and style.

Comfort as much as durable practicality is important to any wearer as not only does the high visibility workwear provide protection throughout the day or night, it helps reduce tiredness, further minimising the risk of accidents.

The ‘Super-Stretch’ collection, which includes high-vis ‘Safety’ work jackets, trousers, shorts and bib-overalls is also being offered during 2021 in an Environmentally friendly, ‘Sustainable-Safety’ version

which incorporates 50% regenerated polyester fibres made from recycled plastic bottles; This method of yarn production with the brand name of ‘REPREVE©’ has been developed by Unifi, one of the world’s most advanced recycling centres; waterproofs, T-shirts, sweatshirts and a zipped hoodie using the same material are also due to be added.

For more details contact Gareth Bladen at gbl@f-engel.com Telephone +44 (0) 7759 520034 or visit www.engel.eu/en & ENGEL Workwear - Catalogue (f-engel.com) Click here for more information. https://youtu.be/nc2se7xKKlE

Engel Workwear Experts in Textile Solutions

For more details contact Gareth Bladen at gbl@f-engel.com Telephone +44 (0) 7759 520034 or visit www.engel.eu/en & ENGEL Workwear - Catalogue (f-engel.com) Click here for more information.

18 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE

Strategic Partnerships: Precast & Preformed Troughs & Fibrelite’s ‘Made to Measure’ GRP Covers

Custom Fibrelite covers installed in precast concrete manufacturer Trenwa’s troughs at major US sub-station

Concrete slab covers can weigh as much as five times the weight of an equivalent size Fibrelite GRP composite trough cover

Composite access cover manufacturer Fibrelite has formed strategic partnerships with a number of major manufacturers of precast and preformed troughs (also known as trenches, channels and ducts) in Europe and the USA (including Fibex and Trenwa) to create new collaborative product offerings integrating Fibrelite covers and precast and preformed troughs, combining the strength and longevity of precast and preformed troughs with the easy, safe manual removal and durability of Fibrelite’s lightweight composite covers Health and safety issues surrounding manual handling are of paramount importance to site managers. Without the necessary provision of dedicated lifting apparatus and training for operatives, traditional concrete and steel trough access covers can be a concern due to their sheer weight.

Concrete slab covers can weigh as much as five times the weight of an equivalent size Fibrelite GRP composite trough cover. Fibrelite covers have an industry leading strength-toweight ratio and are designed to be safely and easily removed by two people, using the Fibrelite FL7 ergonomically designed lifting handles.

Driven by focusses on health and safety, weight, durability (no corrosion) and reduced installation time, GRP composite access covers have moved from being a niche product used on petrol station forecourts to being specified at the outset of new build and retrofit projects for some of the world’s most prestigious brands in technology, data centres, ports, airports, high-tech manufacturing facilities, utilities, infrastructure and many more.

Fibrelite trough covers are designed to be safely and easily removed by two people

we’ve continually innovated, focussing on creating solutions to industry and customer challenges.” Commented Jo Stott, Fibrelite’s Marketing Director “Partnering with precast and preformed trough/trench manufacturers was a logical next step, and I’m proud to say that, since we created our first partnership offering with Trenwa in 2014 we now have over 50 kilometres of our covers installed in precast and preformed troughs across the globe” David Holmes, Fibrelite’s Technical Director added “We work closely with architects, contractors, and end users from tender stage right the way through to delivery and even installation where required. This collaborative process ensures that the supplied product fulfils both product quality demands and strict project completion deadlines.

Fibrelite covers can be custom designed and manufactured with dimensions matched precisely to specified trough opening/rebate dimensions (Fibrelite’s adjustable tooling allows covers to be manufactured within millimetres of a clients requirement)”

Recent Installation: New Build Data Centre, Northern Europe Some clients favour a complete GRP solution for both troughs and covers. Where appropriate, this can further reduce installation costs and time due to their reduced weight for transit and installation. Earlier this year, Fibrelite engineered and manufactured 550 metres of custom trough covers for a new build data centre in Northern Europe. These GRP preformed troughs were supplied with custom fit Fibrelite bolt-down covers, for added security.

Recent Installation: Cruise Ship Terminal, UK

Fibrelite custom engineered and manufactured 500 metres of F900 (90-tonne) load rated GRP trough covers to fit precast concrete troughs at a UK cruise ship Custom Fibrelite covers designed and engineered to fit manufacturer Fibex’s terminal. The stepped covers were supplied in a number of preformed GRP troughs customised sizes to fit the trough configuration. The F900 load rated covers were stepped to reduce the unit weight “In recent years, the demand for highly customisable, high- in compliance with the customer’s specified manual tech access covering solutions has grown exponentially, and handling limit. we’re proud of the part we’ve played in their adoption over the 40 years since we invented the world’s first. Since then, For more information, click here to visit the Fibrelite website

Health & Safety UPDATE Recommended Suppliers

With DispenserONE® at the entrance to your site, customers know immediately that their wellbeing is your top priority. www.dispenserone.com +39 0746 605801 info@seko.com SEKO Spa, Via Salaria Km. 92,200, 02015 S.Rufina - Rieti (Italy)

Established in 1964, JSP are leading manufacturers of ‘above the neck’ Personal Protective Equipment. www.jspsafety.com sales@jspsafety.com 01993 82 60 50

We design and supply bags and cradles globally that secure non-standard loads ready for lifting to height using winches and cranes. www.lifting-bags.co.uk 0114 3241224 PafBag Limited, Unit C14, Alison Business Centre, Alison Crescent, Sheffield, S2 1AS, United Kingdom

At ENGEL Workwear, we value being able to provide good advice and sparring to our customers and end users, which is why we constantly raise the bar for ourselves when it comes to product quality, innovation, creativity, flexibility and environmental awareness. www.engel.eu/en (+45) 74 22 35 15 Norgesvej 12, 6100 Haderslev, Denmark

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