Demotivated? then read this..........

[Messy]

Just in case you are having a bad day - you know, "Why should I bother when nobody else is?" etc (I think we all get them!), have a look at this summary (NOT a full list) of H&S events in one month across the UK (mid July to Mid August 2013). If this is what happens despite us all applying the much derided 'elf & safety' provisions, how much worse would it be if it were a free-for-all?

Now, if that doesn't inspire you to get on with it and if necessary (and it is for me on a weekly basis) face down the next idiot manager, then I don't know what will!

Wales
Worker died guiding HGV into yard
A Coroner's court in Ruthin, Denbighshire, has recorded a verdict of accidental death in respect of a fatal accident in November 2011 at Arkenfield Stable Hire Ltd where a worker guiding a lorry into the premises on Ellesmere Road, Bronington, died when he was struck by a car. Although he was wearing a high visibility vest he had dark overalls on top of it and there was an absence of lighting in the street. A prohibition notice was served and the practice of reversing lorries into the yard was discontinued in favour of vehicles driving straight into the yard. 15th August 2013

Scotland
Farm worker killed in machinery accident
The HSE has been informed of a fatal accident at Auchlinn farm at Fisherie in Aberdeenshire where a man has died in an accident involving a Class Lexion 460 combine harvester. 15th August 2013

England
Son's prompt action saves Lancs farmer's arm
A 52-year old Lancashire farmer is recovering in Royal Preston Hospital from a badly fractured arm which was injured in a hay baler on his land near Eccleston. He was investigating a technical malfunction in the baler which had begun to overheat and his arm was drawn in almost to the shoulder. Prompt action by his 8-year old son who was also in the field and de-activated the equipment almost certainly prevented the loss of his arm which was broken in 5 places and took 2 hours for fire crews to release. 13th August 2013

Northern Ireland
Heart attack precipitated farmer's death in cattle feeder
At Dungannon Coroner's Court a verdict of death caused by multiple injuries has been recorded in respect of a 76-year old farmer's death in a fall into a cattle feeder in October last year. It was opined that he probably suffered a heart attack as he was working to access the cattle feeder and had climbed a ladder to get on top of 2 round bales. 13th August 2013

England
Boy dies in tractor accident at Leeds farm
An 11-year old boy was killed when he was struck by a tractor at Swithens Farm in the Rothwell area of Leeds, West Yorkshire police have arrested a 48-year old man on suspicion of causing death by driving dangerously and while under the influence of alcohol. The accident happened on the working area of the farm and visitor centre where it is believed the boy's mother works. 12th August 2013

England
Pilot uninjured in Warwick light aircraft crash
The pilot of a light aircraft escaped uninjured yesterday when it crashed into a hedgerow near Pastures Farm, Loxley, Warwickshire. 7th August 2013

England
Kent petrol station worker injured in alleged drive-off incident
Kent Police are investigating a serious incident which took place yesterday in West Kingsdown where a 58-year old employee of the Texaco petrol station on London Road was injured after becoming involved in an alleged drive-off incident. The employee is believed to have stood in front of a car after the driver had allegedly failed to pay for fuel and was then carried along on the bonnet of the vehicle for half a mile. After falling from the bonnet he was later transferred to King's College Hospital, London, where he is believed to be in critical condition. 1st August 2013

England
Gliding competitor injured in crash
A 54-year old female glider pilot was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough yesterday with leg injuries after her aircraft crashed in a field at East Harley, Northallerton. She was participating in the Northern Regional gliding competition at the Yorkshire Gliding Club's Sutton Bank base, fire crews had to cut her free from the glider prior to her airlift to hospital. 1st August 2013

Northern Ireland
Down and Londonderry farm accidents
A 10-year old County Down boy has died in Craigavon Area Hospital from injuries sustained in a fall from machinery on farm land in Castlewellan. This was the 2nd farm fatality in recent days following the death of a 70-year old farmer who fell from a wall retaining silage at a farm in County Londonderry.
In the first half of this year only 2 farm deaths were recorded in Ulster, while 12 deaths occurred on farms throughout 2011 and also in 2012. 31st July 2013

England
Worker injured at Lancs carpet factory
A 37-year old man is listed in serious but stable condition in Salford Royal Hospital with leg fractures and a serious head injury after an accident at West Pennine Carpets on Calderbrook Street, Littleborough. 31st July 2013

England
Lift engineers injured at Bloomsbury flats
Two lift engineers sustained injuries to the head, back and pelvis yesterday in a fall of 4 floors in a lift shaft at flats at Russell Court on Coram Street in the Bloomsbury area of London. 31st July 2013

England
Hunts worker injured
A man was admitted to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, yesterday with multiple injuries following an industrial accident at premises on Chester Road in the Eaton Socon district of St Neots. His condition was not believed to be life-threatening. 30th July 2013

England
Worker's wrist was broken in fall from unfooted ladder
At Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court Norris Contracting Ltd was fined a total of £24K plus £1,868.50 in costs over an accident on 11th November 2011 when a worker broke his wrist in a fall from a ladder which slipped on a wet surface. The company was re-decorating the exterior of Soroptomist House care home in Wolverhampton and the court heard that the company had initially spoken of a need for scaffolding but had used a ladder instead. The ladder was not footed by a colleague and when it slipped the worker fell 9 metres. The court also heard that the company continued to use ladders after the accident until completion of the contract. In court the company pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to plan and carry out the work safely, failing to take suitable measures to prevent a person falling to a distance liable to cause injury, and failing to select the correct equipment for use at height. The company was fined £8K on each charge. 26th July 2013

England
Equestrian accident
A woman in her 20's was listed in stable condition in Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital after sustaining serious head injuries in a fall from a horse during an equestrian event at Middlestone Moor, Spennymoor. 23rd July 2013

England
US aircraft and pilot missing in Channel
The RNLI was searching the Channel yesterday for a the pilot of an American-registered light aircraft which crashed in the sea 15 miles off Dungeness during a flight from Blackbushe Airport, Hants, to Le Touquet in France.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch launched an inquiry into the accident which is believed to have occurred 4 miles inside British waters, it was also thought that the RNLI had found the main wreckage. 22nd July 2013

England
Worker broke neck in unguarded drill accident
At Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court CRF(UK) Ltd was fined £13K plus £7,811 in costs over an accident on 6th December 2011 in which a worker sustained a broken neck in an accident while operating a twin pillar drill. He was drilling holes in a metal box when his sleeves snagged in the rotating spindle, pinning him to the machine bed. HSE investigation found that there were no guards in place, the company pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. 22nd July 2013

Wales
Train hits tractor on Powys level crossing
Powys Police have arrested a 27-year old man under suspicion of endangering safety following the collision of an Arriva Trains Wales service from Birmingham to Aberystwyth which struck a trailer being towed by a tractor on the Buttington level crossing near Welshpool, 2 people were treated for minor injuries. 17th July 2013

England
Fireman dies fighting blaze in Manchester
A 38-year old Lancashire fireman of the Philips Park Fire Station has died in an accident fighting a blaze at Paul's Hair World on Oldham Street, Manchester, police have arrested two 15-year old girls on suspicion of manslaughter. 15th July 2013

Wales
2 soldiers die during training exercise
Two servicemen have died while participating in a training exercise near the Storey Arms Centre in the Brecon Beacons in Powys, a 3rd man who was injured is listed in serious condition. The location posed challenging terrain and heat at the weekend, it is understood that live ammunition was not involved in this accident. 15th July 2013

Wales
Technician killed in lathe accident
The HSE is investigating a fatal accident at Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences at Menai Bridge where a 51-year old workshop supervisor sustained fatal head injuries in an accident which is thought to have involved a lathe. 12th July 2013

Wales
Finger was severed in saw accident
At Caerphilly Magistrates' Court yesterday Jamestown Industries Ltd and Envirowales were fined a total of £4K plus joint costs of £8,600 over an accident at Jamestown's lead recycling plant in Ebbw Vale on 21st February 2012 in which a worker's finger was severed in an accident with a saw. The worker of Envirowales was using the saw to cut lead and had tried to clear a blockage but the saw blade had not fully retracted. Both companies pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. 12th
July 2013

England
Sandringham Estate worker injured in mower accident
A grounds worker of the Sandringham Estate is listed in critical condition in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, after becoming trapped under his ride-on mower which ran into the Lower Lake, 2 policemen and a colleague managed to rescue him from the lake between the Estate Office and the Royal residence. 10th July 2013

[Thommo]

There you have it people.

You are spot on in your introduction, Messy. Thank you for the info. Although sad to read it does serve a purpose for educating others. I work for a company which had very minimal Health & Safety in place and the culture very poor. They brought me in to sort it out so you can imagine the mountain of a challenge I have faced (and continue to face on a daily basis).

It is demotivating when not just the staff you are managing but fellow managers take Health & Safety to not be important; that is until it all hits then fan and everyone is up the creek with no paddle in sight. So of course it all lands on us Health & Safety people to sort it out!

This just goes to show what we are dealing with; just imagine this with the incidents and cases that go unreported too.

I am constantly reminding people of the moral, economic and legal implications of poor Health & Safety, but I will be sharing this with a lot of people to drill it into them further!

[ssmith65]

I am shocked at the percentage of the accidents that involved farms and farm machinery.

[David68]

I was brought up in a farming community and it was, and still is, commonplace for children to work on farms including on and around dangerous machinery. What continues to shock me as a parent is that any parent would allow their children to be exposed to such dangers.

Thanks Messy for posting this, I have nicked it and published the parts that could apply in my workplace to the notice boards around the sites. Hopefully, it will change the thought processes of just one manager, just one member of staff, just one contractor.

Dave

[MrsMuppet]

Very insightful. It is a shame that some managers still believe that Health and Safety is not down to them, but down to people like us. I just have to keep reminding them that if a serious accident were to occur, then it would be them standing up in court, sometimes has the desired effect

[Messy]

Thanks Messy for posting this, I have nicked it and published the parts that could apply in my workplace to the notice boards around the sites. Hopefully, it will change the thought processes of just one manager, just one member of staff, just one contractor.

Dave

I produce a quarterly newsletter for 350 (soon to be 400) fire wardens across my company. The aim is to keep them informed, promote a team ethos between them and show they are valued by the company (at minimal cost of course!!). Part of the bulletin features news stories about fire and H&S events. I get some of that info (and the stuff I copied into my earlier post) from here:

http://www.safetynews.co.uk/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I keep it on my favourites and dip in a couple of times a month. These events are so sad, so perhaps we should all try to use them in any way we can to prevent other similar situations

[David68]

Great idea.