EDP highlights that non-compliance to H & S legislation could result in fines

19.01.2010

EDP specialist Health, Safety and Environment Consultants, operating from strategic locations throughout the UK, EMEA and South East Asia. Working closely with key Senior Management, Facilities and HR personnel, EDP provides support and training for companies wishing to either outsource their entire Health, Safety and Environment Systems or simple need support in managing their own services. In addition, they offer a tailored modular approach. Regardless of size or sector, EDP has an extensive range of services for all aspects of health, safety and environment compliance.

The warning comes after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published an article about a Wednesbury firm who failed to promptly report an injury plus other health and safety offences. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 3(2) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 following a number of offences at its premises. They were fined a total of £12,500 and ordered to pay £2,388 costs.

The court heard how an employee of the company was injured when a mezzanine floor collapsed, trapping him between 1,000kg bags of rice and beans. The incident occurred in February 2008 but was only reported eight months later during the HSE investigation into other health and safety concerns. The HSE was first informed of the floor collapse by a Local Authority environmental health officer. An HSE inspector went to the site and was informed no one had been working in the vicinity or had been injured. Nevertheless, the inspector provided the company with advice on how to install edge protection about the hole left by the collapse. Later in the year, edge protection was still not in place and the HSE served the company with a prohibition notice, to stop people working near the unprotected edge.

During this visit the inspector identified other breaches of health and safety regulations, including a person being carried by a forklift truck in a homemade cage and a lorry colliding with a building, narrowly missing a person.

David Skews, CEO, EDP said “This is just one incident we have picked up on in the last few weeks, unfortunately these incidents are not isolated and as a professional health and safety consultancy, we urge companies to comply with health and safety legislation to stop the fines and shameful media coverage.”

For further information please visit www.edp-uk.com

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