London manufacturer fined for major safety breaches

Date:

29 February 2012

Release No:

COILDN/29-02

A manufacturing company based in Uxbridge has been fined for a series of health and safety breaches which put its employees at risk.

The large number of Notices were issued between September 2010 and March 2011, after a wide range of health and safety failings were discovered at the company's premises.

HSE found the company had failed to provide suitable storage for highly flammable liquids, had not examined lifting equipment, had not provided training for operators of lifting equipment, had not checked local exhaust ventilation systems, not provided suitable respiratory protective equipment for sprayers, had not repaired defective electrical systems and failed to protect workers from dangerous moving parts of machinery.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Saif Deen said:

"Employers have a duty to protect their workers, but this company carried out several high risk activities such as lifting operations, paint spraying and storing flammable liquids with an almost total disregard for health and safety.

"The seriousness of these breaches was reflected in nine Improvement Notices issued.

"HSE will not hesitate to take action against employers who shirk their responsibilities in this way."

Skyways Shopfitters Ltd of Sky Studios, Morgans Yard, Arundel Road in Uxbridge pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £18,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £6,210.

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Details of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 can be found at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/section/2
3. Further information about Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/lev/index.htm
4. Further information about safety and electrical systems can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/index.htm

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR London