Southend laundry fined after worker's arm burned

Date:

22 November 2012

Release No:

East/103/12

A commercial laundry firm in Southend has been fined for safety failings after an employee crushed and burned his arm when it was pulled into an industrial ironing machine.

Badrul Islam, aged 23, from Southend, lost two fingers on his right hand as a result of the incident at Exclusive Cleaners UK Ltd, in Southchurch Road, on 25 August last year.

Southend Magistrates' Court heard yesterday (21 November) that he was cleaning a heated steel roller on the machine with a cloth when his arm was pulled inside and was pinned against the roller, causing him serious crush and burn injuries.

His injuries were so severe that two fingers later required partial amputation. Mr Islam spent more than two months in hospital and underwent numerous skin graft operations. He is still unable to work.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Exclusive Cleaners after it was made aware of the incident through a civil claim.

Magistrates were told that a company director was supervising Mr. Islam at the time, and that the incident was entirely preventable.

A HSE investigation found that a fixed guard had been removed from the ironing machine, which was fully operational with the roller heating to around 80 degrees Celsius, Warning labels were in place advising that the machine must be switched off before any servicing, including cleaning, took place, and that it should not be operated without guards. However, this guidance was ignored.

Furthermore, the 'major injury' incident was never reported to HSE, despite this being a legal requirement.

Exclusive Cleaners UK Ltd, of Southchurch Road, Southend, pleaded guilty breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and Regulation 3(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. The company was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Glyn Davies said:

"This incident was completely avoidable. Had a thorough assessment of the risks had been undertaken by Exclusive Cleaners, the need for a suitable safe system of work and thorough training for those undertaking the roller cleaning would have been identified. As such Mr Islam could have been saved a great deal of trauma and pain.

"None of these simple and commonplace safety measures were evident, so he suffered for no good reason. What is more, the company then failed to fulfil its legal obligation to report the incident to HSE.

"Employers need to understand that serious breaches of health and safety law are likely to result in similarly serious outcomes."

According to the latest statistics, machinery is one of the biggest causes of injuries to employees in the laundry industry. Many involve ironing equipment and the risks of clothing and cleaning cloths becoming entangled are well known. Industry guidance is available on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/laundries

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. 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."
3. Regulation 3(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 states:
   Notification and reporting of injuries and dangerous occurrences
   Subject to regulation 10, where -
   1. any person dies as a result of an accident arising out of or in connection with work;
   2. any person at work suffers a major injury as a result of an accident arising out of or in connection with work;
   3. any person not at work suffers an injury as a result of an accident arising out of or in connection with work and that person is taken from the site of the accident to a hospital for treatment in respect of that injury;
   4. any person not at work suffers a major injury as a result of an accident arising out of or in connection with work at a hospital; or
   5. there is a dangerous occurrence,
   The responsible person shall -
   1. forthwith notify the relevant enforcing authority thereof by the quickest practicable means; and
   2. within 10 days send a report thereof to the relevant enforcing authority on a form approved for the purposes of this sub-paragraph, unless within that period he makes a report thereof to the Executive by some other means so approved.

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