Gateshead manufacturer fined £3000 after workers exposed to hazardous fumes

Date:

07 October 2009

Release No:

NE343:09

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has highlighted the importance of managing health risks effectively after a Gateshead company admitted exposing its workers to hazardous soldering fumes.

Turbo Power Systems Ltd, whose head office is in West Drayton, Middlesex, was yesterday (6 October) fined £3000 and ordered to pay £3000 in costs after it pleaded guilty to three breaches of health and safety legislation at Gateshead Magistrates' Court.

Employees of Turbo Power Systems Ltd at its plant at the Team Valley Trading Estate were found to have been exposed to solder flux fumes, known to cause asthma, between May 2007 and May 2008.

Some workers carried out up to five and a half hours of soldering a day, working predominantly with rosin-based solder wire.

HSE Inspector Andrea Robbins said:

"It is well established that exposure to rosin-based solder flux fumes can lead to the development of occupational asthma. It was therefore entirely foreseeable that failure by the company to implement appropriate assessment, control measures to reduce exposure to these fumes, and a failure to have health surveillance would put their employees at risk.

"The company has now introduced a range of improvements including the use on a non-rosin based solder flux where possible and provision of local extraction ventilation, and a programme of health surveillance."

Notes to editors

1. In relation to the incident on 20 May 2008, Turbo Power Systems Ltd was charged with three breaches of health and safety law.
   1. Regulation 6(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 in that it failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to health of employees from exposure to rosin-based solder flux fume, arising from working with rosin-based solder wire, for the purposes of identifying the measures needed to take to comply with the requirements of these regulations;
   2. Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 in that it failed to ensure that the exposure of employees to substances hazardous to health, namely rosin-based solder flux fume, was prevented, or where this was not reasonably practicable, adequately controlled;
   3. Regulation 11(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 in that it failed to ensure that employees who were exposed to a substances hazardous to health, namely rosin-based solder flux fume, were under suitable health surveillance.
2. Turbo Power Systems Ltd, head office is at Unit 3 Heathrow Summit Centre, Skyport Drive, Hatch Lane, West Drayton, Middlesex and it has a plant at Queens Park, Queensway North, Team Valley Trading Estate

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News and PR North East.