SSE Hornsea Ltd. Pleads Guilty After Exposing 13 People to Asbestos

We've been reminded of the value of a detailed risk assessment this week after it was revealed SSE Hornsea Ltd allowed 13 employees and contractors to be exposed to asbestos fibres.

Hornsea runs a natural gas storage facility on the East Yorkshire coast and tasked a team of maintenance staff with removing a non-return valve from a compressed air distribution system. In order to remove the sealing gasket material, they fitted a wire brush to an electric drill. That worked, but filled the workshop with dust.

It turns out the dust contained chrysotile (white) asbestos, which 13 people had then come into contact with over the course of two days before the danger was revealed and the workshop closed.

The Health and Safety Executive decided to prosecute SSE Hornsea. Not only had the risk assessment failed to identify the asbestos risk, but the records held regarding the non-return valve were inadequate. Also, the maintenance team leader had not undergone asbestos awareness training.

As well as the potential impact this dust could have on the future health of the 13 exposed people, Hornsea now has to pay a £300,000 fine and £12,670.72 in costs. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2 (1) and 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc, Act 1974.

It should go without saying: train your staff! We carry out a range of training courses including asbestos awareness. Please get in touch if you would like to learn more or book places.

Source: HSE

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

A Festive Thank You

Here at C&D we need to say sorry to all of our customers as this year there will be no M&Ms, wine, beer, or gifts of any kind as we thought you will probably get a lot of those things anyway, so instead and on your behalf, we have made donations to a London Homeless Charity, the IDE President nominated charity, a number of local small Justgiving requests, and to Bark Inn Kennels.

Thank you for being great customers from us, and thank you for being great people from the charities concerned.

How to handle alcohol issues in the workplace

David Rowland, Marketing Manager at Effective Software, got in touch with us regarding alcohol and the problems it can cause in the workplace. As David explained to us, "Alcohol is reported to be a possible factor in 25% of workplace accidents and costs £7.3 billion a year in lost productivity."

With that in mind, Effective Software compiled their top 6 tips on tackling the effects of alcohol on staff and workplaces. You can read the tips over on the company's website, with the article entitled "Cheers! - How to handle alcohol issues in the workplace."

Fully Funded Construction / Plant NVQs in the Black Country

Essential Site Skill is currently advertising the availability of fully-funded access to Construction and Plant NVQs in the Black Country. More specifically, in East Riding of Yorkshire, Greater Lincolnshire, and Tees Valley in conjunction with Calderdale College.

There are also free NVQs to upgrade to a blue CSCS or CPCS card.

As Essential Site Skills explains in an email, "We can now provide Construction SMEs based in the above locations with less than 250 employees free construction NVQs through our Skills Support for the Workforce programme, funded by the European Social Fund. Participants must be legally resident in the UK or able to take employment in a European Union Member State."

If you would like further information, please call 0115 8970 529 or email training@essentialsiteskills.com

Did you spot the pink kitten?

Please put your phone down when behind the wheel.

Did you spot the #PinkKitten? pic.twitter.com/PyHqgidWHW

— THINK! Road Safety (@THINKgovuk) October 25, 2017

The Institution of Structural Engineers Technical Courses

The Institution of Structural Engineers has put up a page listing their technical courses including dates, speakers, and place availability between now and the end of 2018.

The types of course are extremely varied and some of the more popular ones, such as Vibration Serviceability of Engineering Structures and Conceptual Design for Structural Engineers: An Introductory Course, both of which are being run next month, are already fully booked.

Take a look at all the courses and click on any of the course names for further details. If you have any queries or want to discuss booking places, please email Peter Walsh, the professional development manager at the institution.