Health and safety course reduces chance of fines
A die casting firm located in Nottinghamshire was prosecuted due to an employee injury in 2011. The incident involved Keith Buckley, 59, who was removing equipment from a magnesium furnace at Meridian Lightweight Technologies. Mr. Buckley was removing the equipment from the top of the furnace when his right foot fell through the wool stuffed into a hole to block the pump and tube.
The furnace was running at 500 degrees at the time of the incident, meaning Mr. Buckley suffered from severe burns due to the fall into the furnace. The man’s foot was stuck in the magnesium melt until his shoe laces were burned off, allowing him to remove his foot from the boot and get his leg out of the furnace. The incident led to a need for surgery with skin grafts on his leg and a burn on his hand. This has caused trouble with gripping. Mr. Buckley lost his job due to the injuries.
The HSE conducted health and safety audits to find the company did have a written safety system, but it was not handed out to any of the workers involved in the incident. It was a clear lack of training according to the investigator that led to the incident. Supervisors did not provide a proper health and safety course for the work required. Meridian Lightweight Technologies paid 12,000 pounds in a fine and half that amount in court costs.
Health and safety courses are designed to teach employees and employers how to handle workplace risks. Winter and Company provides workstation risk assessment courses and also four other choices such as fire training courses. Taking one of these courses can ensure workers and employers are properly trained to recognise and deal with potential risks at work.
