5th February 2016

West Midlands chemical producer has been fined £333,000

A West Midlands chemical producer has been fined £333,000 with £110,000 costs after a release, in January 2009, of phosphorus and phosphine. Subsequent reactions resulted in the generation of a mist of phosphoric acid which caused road closures, including part of the M5, and an estimated 4,500 people were asked to stay indoors for two to three hours.

5th February 2016

Sheffield scrap metal recycling company fined £120,000

A Sheffield scrap metal recycling company has been fined £120,000 with £40,000 after a worker was killed when he was hit in the head by an exploding gas cylinder, which had been put through a shearing machine.

11th February 2016

Oxford heating equipment supplier fined £40,000

An Oxford heating equipment supplier has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,353.60. after a worker suffered injuries to his fingers in a hydraulic press. Whilst setting up the horizontal press, with a defeated interlock, he inadvertently activated it, crushing the tips of his index finger and thumb. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the incident which occurred on the 12 March 2015 found it had become custom and practice to defeat the interlock during the set-up of the press and the risk assessment for the work was inadequate and had not been reviewed regularly

29th February 2016

Derbyshire waste management firm fined £136,000

A Derbyshire waste management firm has been fined £136,000 and ordered to pay £64,770 in costs following the death, in June 2013, of an employee, who was crushed by the bucket of a loading shovel which he was operating. Derby Crown Court heard that in the 10 days leading up to the incident, CCTV cameras at site captured over two hundred examples of unsafe working practices. These practices included dangerous operations with the shovel such as workers being lifted in the bucket and workers having to take evasive action to avoid contact with moving vehicles