Firm fined after teenage apprentice suffers burns to his face
15:02 - 22/08/2011
Firm fined after teenage apprentice s...
An apprentice welder, aged just 17, suffered burns to his face and one of his eyes after being instructed to use a toxic cleaning substance which had previously been banned by his employer.
Jack Amey, from Caister-on-Sea, had been instructed by another welder to use a substance called pickling paste to remove burn marks from inside small stainless steel tanks. Jack was then left unsupervised to use the paste, which contains harmful corrosive acids.
His employer, Moughton Engineering, had previously banned the use of pickling paste due to the risks it posed to staff but the employee who had instructed Jack to use it was unaware of this and the teenager himself was not informed of its hazardous nature.
Jack suffered severe chemical burns to his skin and right eye after he accidentally dropped the tub of paste, causing some of its contents to splash his face. He is fortunate that his injuries have healed and not left him with any significant scarring.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred in October 2010, found that an amount of pickling paste had been purchased for one particular work project after its use had been banned. Moughton Engineering then failed to implement any system to ensure its safe use. Management staff once again stopped its use but did not remove the remaining paste from the site.
Moughton Engineering, based in Great Yarmouth, appeared in court to plead guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £6,000 and ordered to pay a further £4,846.80 in prosecution costs.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Martin Kneebone said: “Moughton Engineering knew the risks that pickling paste posed and even banned its use. But they failed to have effective management systems in place to ensure the ban was enforced and some was subsequently bought for a new task.
“This young man was let down by his employer and could have suffered far more serious injuries than he actually did, potentially even losing his sight.”
First Response Training offer a wide range of health and safety training to help both employers and employees to determine their responsibilities under health and safety law, as well as how to implement and follow safe systems of work.
They can also offer COSHH Awareness training, to provide staff members with an overview and understanding of the principles of working safely with hazardous substances. This includes safe handling principles and risk assessment awareness.
For more information on the health and safety training that First Response can provide, please call them on free phone 0800 310 2300.
Jack Amey, from Caister-on-Sea, had been instructed by another welder to use a substance called pickling paste to remove burn marks from inside small stainless steel tanks. Jack was then left unsupervised to use the paste, which contains harmful corrosive acids.
His employer, Moughton Engineering, had previously banned the use of pickling paste due to the risks it posed to staff but the employee who had instructed Jack to use it was unaware of this and the teenager himself was not informed of its hazardous nature.
Jack suffered severe chemical burns to his skin and right eye after he accidentally dropped the tub of paste, causing some of its contents to splash his face. He is fortunate that his injuries have healed and not left him with any significant scarring.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred in October 2010, found that an amount of pickling paste had been purchased for one particular work project after its use had been banned. Moughton Engineering then failed to implement any system to ensure its safe use. Management staff once again stopped its use but did not remove the remaining paste from the site.
Moughton Engineering, based in Great Yarmouth, appeared in court to plead guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £6,000 and ordered to pay a further £4,846.80 in prosecution costs.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Martin Kneebone said: “Moughton Engineering knew the risks that pickling paste posed and even banned its use. But they failed to have effective management systems in place to ensure the ban was enforced and some was subsequently bought for a new task.
“This young man was let down by his employer and could have suffered far more serious injuries than he actually did, potentially even losing his sight.”
First Response Training offer a wide range of health and safety training to help both employers and employees to determine their responsibilities under health and safety law, as well as how to implement and follow safe systems of work.
They can also offer COSHH Awareness training, to provide staff members with an overview and understanding of the principles of working safely with hazardous substances. This includes safe handling principles and risk assessment awareness.
For more information on the health and safety training that First Response can provide, please call them on free phone 0800 310 2300.
Make your selections below and enter your postcode (if applicable). This will provide you with information about a course in a location convenient to you
