Derbyshire Companies Fined for Health and Safety Incidents
Two companies have been fined due to worker incidents at a smelting works. There were separate incidents wherein two workers were hurt. Both issues happened at HJ Enthoven near Matlock. The first was in 2009 when an employee was burned badly during an explosion. The worker was 43 at the time of the incident. He was transporting lead that was at a temperature of 800° C when the pan fell off the truck and rolled to the ground. This worker suffered from burns on his arms, face, chest, back, and left foot that required months of treatment.
The second incident occurred in 2010 with an employee of Key Engineering. A crane was involved in the incident for this 27-year-old worker. The crane was approaching on the tracks. He had put his arm on the control panel and was resting it there when the roof beam trapped his arm on the panel. His injuries were sustained from a crush.
HSE investigators conducted health and safety audits of the two incidents. In both cases, there were issues with the workstation risk assessments in that they were not suitable or sufficient to ensure that no injuries would happen at work. The two companies will face at least £5,000 in fines along with other costs due to the breach in safety and health laws. The workers may have sustained worse injuries, and concerns remain about the employees’ health in terms of being able to work without permanent issues.
