10 Jun June

In this month’s newsletter we cover a new campaign from the HSE and two case studies recently in the courts. Summary below:

• HSE Site Inspections are focusing on dust control – Construction sites across the UK are being targeted as part of a month-long HSE respiratory health inspection initiative and Dust Kills Campaign. Advice is available for employers, workers and small builders on the Dust Kills Campaign website.
• Former construction company directors have been sentenced for failing to prevent exposure to asbestos – Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Phil Chester, said: “Asbestos is responsible for the premature deaths of over 5,000 people each year. Younger people, if routinely exposed to asbestos fibres are, over time, at greater risk of developing asbestos-related disease than older workers. This is due to the time it takes for the body to develop symptoms after exposure to asbestos. “Exposure to asbestos can cause four main diseases – Mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lungs), asbestos-related lung cancer, Asbestosis (a scarring of the lungs); and Diffuse pleural thickening (a thickening of the membrane surrounding the lungs, which can restrict lung expansion leading to breathlessness).
• Electrical Company sentenced after gate death – The gate in question failed to feature metal end stop plates which would have prevented over travel and ultimately would have stopped the heavy structure from falling. In addition, a suitable slam end post would have also provided a back-up safety feature in the event of the gate leaving the sliding track.

Training on how to place an electric gate into manual operation, or back into fully automated mode should always be included in the official handover of a completed installation – and this should also of course be actionable without the risk of injury.

Commenting on the court case, founder of Gate Safe Richard Jackson said, “Sadly since this terrible accident in 2016 we are aware of at least six further cases of falling gates causing significant injuries, including one death and in the year preceding this incident, there were an additional five accidents, including two fatalities.”