Firm fined for exposing workers to toxic fumes
14:12 - 01/03/2010
Firm fined for exposing workers to to...
A Scottish-based recycling company and its director have both been prosecuted under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations after workers were exposed to potentially harmful emissions from both mercury and lead.
Electrical Waste Recycling Group Ltd, of Denmark Street, Glasgow, which recycles electrical equipment, were fined £140,000 and ordered to pay costs of £35,127 after pleading guilty to three contraventions of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The company also admitted to one breach of Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and one breach of the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002.
The director of the company, Craig Thompson, 38, was also fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.
The court heard that ventilation problems at a site in Huddersfield meant that employees were exposed to toxic fumes from both mercury and lead between October 2007 and August 2008. Twenty employees were found to have levels of mercury in their system above UK guidance levels and five of them showed extremely high levels. Several workers had gone on to report health problems as a result of the exposure, including a pregnant worker who feared that her unborn child was at risk.
The HSE had issued five Improvement Notices and one Prohibition Notice to the company prior to prosecution. Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Jeanne Morton said: "The company failed to see the risks created by their recycling work and failed to develop effective plans for safe working. They also did nothing to check their workers' health after exposure. Workers have a right to expect a reasonable level of protection in the workplace, and employers have a legal duty to provide it."
We offer a 2-hour Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Awareness training course which covers legislative requirements, risk assessment awareness and safe handling principles. The course can also be tailored to deal specifically with the substances your organisation comes into contact with. We can also deliver a day consultancy session to coach delegates to undertake practical COSHH Assessments and set up COSHH Systems.
In addition to this direct provision course, we can also offer an interactive E-learning COSHH course that takes just 40 minutes to complete. E-learning Account Manager Pete Stock says: “Hazardous substances can threaten both short and long-term health so it is essential that anyone who may come into contact with such substances is made fully aware of the risks involved and the methods they must use to protect themselves. For many substances, such as mercury, the potentially harmful effects are well-known but there are other substances that are not widely recognised as hazardous. In either situation, COSHH awareness training can make a significant difference.”
For further information, or to book a training course, please contact us today.
Electrical Waste Recycling Group Ltd, of Denmark Street, Glasgow, which recycles electrical equipment, were fined £140,000 and ordered to pay costs of £35,127 after pleading guilty to three contraventions of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The company also admitted to one breach of Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and one breach of the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002.
The director of the company, Craig Thompson, 38, was also fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.
The court heard that ventilation problems at a site in Huddersfield meant that employees were exposed to toxic fumes from both mercury and lead between October 2007 and August 2008. Twenty employees were found to have levels of mercury in their system above UK guidance levels and five of them showed extremely high levels. Several workers had gone on to report health problems as a result of the exposure, including a pregnant worker who feared that her unborn child was at risk.
The HSE had issued five Improvement Notices and one Prohibition Notice to the company prior to prosecution. Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Jeanne Morton said: "The company failed to see the risks created by their recycling work and failed to develop effective plans for safe working. They also did nothing to check their workers' health after exposure. Workers have a right to expect a reasonable level of protection in the workplace, and employers have a legal duty to provide it."
We offer a 2-hour Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Awareness training course which covers legislative requirements, risk assessment awareness and safe handling principles. The course can also be tailored to deal specifically with the substances your organisation comes into contact with. We can also deliver a day consultancy session to coach delegates to undertake practical COSHH Assessments and set up COSHH Systems.
In addition to this direct provision course, we can also offer an interactive E-learning COSHH course that takes just 40 minutes to complete. E-learning Account Manager Pete Stock says: “Hazardous substances can threaten both short and long-term health so it is essential that anyone who may come into contact with such substances is made fully aware of the risks involved and the methods they must use to protect themselves. For many substances, such as mercury, the potentially harmful effects are well-known but there are other substances that are not widely recognised as hazardous. In either situation, COSHH awareness training can make a significant difference.”
For further information, or to book a training course, please contact us today.
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