Safety improvement on Sunderland industrial estates

Date:

10 December 2009

Release No:

NE/446/09

The safety of employees at industrial estates across Sunderland came under the microscope as the Health and Safety Executive and Sunderland City Council launched a joint inspection on premises.

More than 65 businesses were inspected in the crackdown resulting in 15 Improvement Notices being served and only one company received a Prohibition Notice.

HSE Inspectors say these statistics should be taken as an encouraging sign that the health and safety message is getting through to businesses, but more still needs to be done.

HSE served the Improvement Notices demanding additional safeguards be provided within a certain time frame after inspectors identified health and safety concerns at several premises.

A Prohibition Notice was issued to one company in relation to unguarded, dangerous machinery and meant work was stopped at the firm immediately and will remain so until remedial action has been taken.

Further action is also being taken in relation to landlords' responsibilities under health and safety legislation at several of the industrial estates visited.

HSE Inspector Jonathan Wills explained that serving Improvement Notices is not a decision taken lightly, but was in the interests of preventing potential accidents.

He said: "We're very pleased to see that the health and safety message is getting through in Sunderland and businesses are taking the necessary steps to ensure a safe and healthy environment for their employees

"It's important to stress though that more needs to be done, proved by the Improvement Notices issued. The Notices are used to direct a business to take action to comply with health and safety law.

"If an inspector decides a Notice is necessary, they will discuss the requirement with a senior person in the company to try and resolve any issues before serving it. The Notice will say what needs to be done, why, and by when.

"Preventing an accident occurring is better than dealing with the consequences and we were able to offer constructive, practical advice to many of the companies we visited.

Keith Anderson, Principal Environmental Health Officer at Sunderland City Council, added:

"The exercise was a complete success and reinforced the strong working relationships already developed with our counterparts in the HSE. We identified numerous new businesses on industrial estates and offered guidance and advice on health and safety as well as taking more formal action for more serious breaches of legislation.

"All businesses, however, were reminded of their duty to manage asbestos on the back of the 2009 'Asbestos: the Hidden Killer' campaign which began on 2 November."

Note to editors

1. In total, 69 inspections were carried out by HSE and local council inspectors, spread across Sunderland and the surrounding area.
2. HSE and Local Authority Inspectors both enforce health and safety law in workplaces. Broadly, Local Authority Inspectors have responsibility for those providing leisure services or retail while HSE Inspectors enforce appropriate health and safety legislation in other areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, waste and recycling and major hazard industries.

Press enquiries

Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.

Issued on behalf of the HSE by COI News and PR North East