Welcome to the March edition of North Durham Safety Limited latest news.
If you wish, you can download a copy of the newsletter by clicking the button:
In this edition we look at……
Company news
In February we discounted a variety of our online training courses to encourage our customers to become more compliant in their work, this sale is continuing throughout the month of March – Link below to view and purchase.
https://northdurhamsafety.com/health-safety-online-training/
Mental ill health in the workplace not only has a massive impact on staff but it also has a financial impact on every business.
North Durham Safety Limited have recognised this and recently, all of our own employees have now completed mental health first aider awareness training to make sure we recognise the signs in each other and can provide an appropriate response. This is part of a program of measures we are introducing to make sure as an employer we are meeting our responsibilities to our own staff. See page 7 for more information.
WHO’S IN THE DOCK
Bupa Care Homes fined £400k after falling tree crushes child
A care home provider has been fined £400k after an eight-year-old girl suffered catastrophic injuries when a tree fell on her.
West Hampshire Magistrates Court heard that on 8 July 2021, the girl was out for an evening jog with her father. As she was running on a pavement outside the entrance to the care home, a lime tree fell on her. She suffered serious crush injuries and her leg had to be amputated. It was subsequently found that the tree was diseased with a common fungus and had likely been rotting for several years prior to the accident.
Bupa Care Homes pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and received a fine of £400,000. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £3,275 and a victim surcharge
Wine company fined £800k after HGV driver killed at Salford depot
A wine and drinks supplier has been fined after a visiting HGV driver was killed after being hit by a forklift truck at its depot in Salford.
John Fitzpatrick was waiting for his trailer to be loaded at Kingsland Drinks Ltd in Irlam on 19 August 2020 when tragedy struck.
The 59-year-old, form Oldham, suffered serious head injuries in the incident and died in hospital having never regained consciousness.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed in a number of areas. The risk assessment was out of date and not fit for purpose, and there was no pedestrian and visiting drivers were not given clear information about site safety.
At a sentencing hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 25 January, Kingsland Drinks Ltd of The Winery, Fairhills Road, Irlam, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. They were fined £800,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,614.30.
Building firm fined for multiple failings that included workers being lifted by raised bucket
A building firm has been fined for a catalogue of health and safety failings that included two builders being lifted into the air by a raised telehandler bucket.
A photograph caught the moment a pair of workers stood in the bucket of a digger to fit a stone into the top of a new home in Littleborough, Greater Manchester.
It was one of a number of health and safety failings found during construction work at The Villas development on Starring Road in Littleborough.
Hoyle Developments Limited, of Edenfield Road, Rochdale pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £3,165.15 in costs at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 25 January 2023.
Company fined after surveyor dies
An Inverness company has been fined after a surveyor died from injuries caused by an electrical explosion Mr Earley was injured by an electrical explosion while inspecting an electric panel. He suffered burns to a third of his body, affecting his face, right arm, right side of his chest and left hand. Three months later, Mr Earley, a father-of-four, passed away
aged 64 following multiple infections and sepsis complications brought on by his injuries.
Global Energy Nigg Limited of Henderson Road, Inverness, Highland pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £80,000 at Tain Sheriff Court on 18 January 2023.
Guidelines launched to help disabled staff succeed at work and get businesses growing
Disabled people and those with long-term health conditions will get more support from employers to help them succeed in the workplace thanks to new guidance.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Great Britain’s workplace regulator, has issued guidelines that state what employers can do to support staff.
The UK has record rates of employment, but disabled people are less likely to be employed than non-disabled people and are twice as likely to fall out of work.
This stresses the importance of making sure workplaces are accessible, that staff communication is clear and inclusive, and appropriate occupational health support is available.
Helping people succeed at work is critical to growing the country’s economy, especially as firms are finding it more difficult to fill vacancies.
Quick Quiz
How compliant is your business?
Do you have five or more employees? If so, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do you have access to a health and safety competent person?
2. Does your company have a documented health and safety policy in place?
3. Are you up to date with the guidance on legislative, industry and best practice changes?
4. Does your business have documented risk assessment?
Unless you have answered YES to all of the above, it is likely your business is:
1. Not complying with Legislation
2. Putting employees at risk
3. Putting your Business at risk
Did you know: As an employer, you must by law appoint someone competent to help you meet your health and safety duties.
This is generally known as a Health & Safety Competent Person.
If your business is not compliant and you need advice get in touch.
Email: info@northdurhamsafety.com
Telephone: 0333 222 8959
Health & Safety Competent Person Package
Did you know: As an employer, you must by law appoint someone competent to help you meet your health and safety duties.
This is generally known as a Health & Safety Competent Person.
Here at North Durham Safety Limited one of our many services include acting on behalf of companies as their ‘Competent Person’ in a cost-effective way to ensure you are staying legally compliant without having to stretch company finances.
For example, see below example of our most popular package and what you can typically expect.
Basic Health and Safety Competent Person Package:
- Initial and annual review of Health and Safety compliance of the business
- Provision of certificate to display confirming details of your competent person
- Initial preparation and/or ongoing annual maintenance of business specific Risk Assessment/Method statement
- Initial preparation and/or ongoing annual maintenance of Health and Safety Policy
- Entitled to designate us as your “Health & Safety Competent Person” on company literature, pre qualifications
- Access to advice line & email answering your health & safety queries
- Email communications and updates with guidance on legislative, industry & best practice changes as required
£79 plus VAT per month.
Note: Additional requirements over and above the basic package can be added on request.
If you want more information about using this valuable service, please pick up the phone or email and one of our team will be
happy to help.
HSE publishes annual work-related ill-health and injury statistics for 2021/22
The estimated number of workers in Great Britain suffering a work-related illness is 1.8 million with stress, depression, and anxiety making up around half of cases, new figures show.
The figures from Great Britain’s workplace regulator show there were an estimated 914,000 cases of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2021/22.
An estimated 17 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in 2021/22. This is over half of all working days lost due to work-related ill health. HSE has been warning of a growing crisis in stress and poor mental health related to work. The workplace regulator launched a major campaign last year to remind employers of their responsibilities to their employees’ mental health.
HSE’s Chief Executive, Sarah Albon, said: “Stress and poor mental health is the number one cause of work -related ill health. The effects of stress, depression, and anxiety can have a significant impact on an employee’s life and on their ability to perform their best at work.
“Britain is one of the safest places in the world to work but we need all employers to do more and take seriously their responsibilities to support good mental health at work. That’s why improving mental health in the workplace is a key priority in our 10-year strategy ‘Protecting People and Places’, and why we’re developing new partnerships across industry to help employers support their employees.”
HSE’s annual statistics release shows the impact work-related ill health is having on Great Britain’s economic performance:
• 36.8 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2021/22.
• The annual economic cost of work-related injury and new cases of ill health (excluding long latency illnesses such as cancer) was £18.8 billion in 2019/20.
The figures also show that 123 workers were killed in work-related accidents in 2021/22 and a further
565,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury.
If you want more information regarding anything in this publication or need support please give us a call on 0333 2228959 or email at info@northdurhamsafety.com