Explosives firm fined £10,000 after employee loses fingers

Date:

22 October 2009

Release No:

SCO/180/09

An explosives firm has been fined a total of £10,000 after one of its employees was seriously injured in Fife, Scotland.

Orica UK Ltd was prosecuted following the accident at the Muirside site. The case was heard in Dunfermline Sheriff's Court on 20 October 2009 when Orica UK Ltd, whose operations are run from the Roburite Centre, Wigan, pleaded guilty to two breaches of health and safety legislation.

The company was fined a total of £10,000 for not observing Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and also Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

The court was told that the employee was filling a Mobile Explosives Manufacturing Unit with emulsion on 25 February 2008 when the incident happened. While the emulsion was being pumped into the vehicle tank, the employee tried to unblock a clogged auger feed device. He reached into the inspection hatch area with his hand to remove the material causing the blockage, but the machinery unexpectedly started to turn and the employee lost two and a half fingers from his left hand.

The investigation into the incident found that there were deficiencies in Orica's risk assessment. There was no safe system of work for clearing blockages, the augers were inadequately guarded and the company provided insufficient supervision and training. This allowed unsafe working practices to develop.

HSE Inspector Colin Hutchinson said: "This was a serious and avoidable incident.

"Augers were blocking on a regular basis as a result of a change in raw material in 2003. It was known that the new material was susceptible to moisture absorption which caused it to break down and pack solidly in the augers, blocking them. Yet the company failed to review its procedures, assess the risks, provide a safe system of work or provide suitable training to employees who operated the trucks.

"All companies conducting similar operations must learn from this incident by making sure their safety procedures are both sufficient and rigidly followed."

The employee has since returned to work carrying out the same job.

Notes to editors

1. Orica UK Ltd, whose operations are run from the Roburite Centre, Wigan, pleaded guilty to two breaches of health and safety legislation as follows:
2. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 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 company was fined £7,000.
3. Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states: " Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work." The company was fined £3,000.

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