Repeated Violations Over Confined Space Training Results in.............

In the United Kingdom last month, an aluminium firm was fined for safety violations. Here is the story:

An aluminium company has been fined for putting employees in danger by allowing them to work in confined spaces without any relevant training or safety measures. 

The Crown Court heard in November 2012 that the company which makes aluminium profiles, regularly sent workers into a 5.5 metre deep pit to retrieve waste aluminium that had collected at the bottom.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) visited the company's premises in May 2008 and served an Improvement Notice after discovering that work in the pit was not carried out in accordance with a safe system of work, which should have included the provision of adequate training. The company complied with the Notice and developed a safe system of work,including providing training to some of their workers, but in August 2011 a member of staff contacted HSE to raise concerns about the way in which confined spaces work was carried out.

During a follow-up visit, HSE inspectors found the company had a written safe system of work, but it was not being adhered to. The policy stated staff should be trained when either working in the pit or observing from the top, however that training was never provided to a number of workers involved. 

In addition, some of the harnesses intended to be worn by workers when accessing the pit had not been thoroughly examined to ensure that they were safe to use despite being reminded by their insurer of  this requirement. It was also found that a gas analyzer  used to ensure that the atmosphere in the pit was safe, had not been calibrated to ensure its accuracy. 

The aluminium company, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to protect its workforce. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees." The Crown Court fined the company $30,000 (UK) and ordered it to pay full costs of $12,000 (UK).

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector said, "Every time someone went into the pit, a permit to work had to be completed giving details of the work was to be carried out. Of 147 permits examined, 87 had clear issues yet those issues were never identified or followed up."

"Conditions in the pit are very unpleasant.It is a hot, humid, dark, confined space where people could easily have been disorientated or overcome by the hear. There was a significant risk to workers from oxygen deficiency and from other substances entering the pit".

"It was unacceptable of the company to put staff at risk in this way, especially when bearing in mind the previous enforcement action taken by HSE on precisely the same issue just three years earlier. The company had a duty to make sure its written procedures were being followed, but it failed in that duty. It is extremely fortunate that no serious incidents have occurred in relation to this work. 

It is not this blog's intention to place blame on this company (though the company plead guilty!), so the company's name has been omitted. But the hope that awareness of this incident brings education and prevention of reccurence.

Occupational Health Safety & Administration (OSHA) information regarding safety harness/fall protection can be found here.

OSHA has a free informative PowerPoint presentation on permit required confined space entry which can be downloaded here. 

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