Summary:
Hartlepool chemical manufacturer Exwold Technology Limited has been fined £50,000, plus costs and a victim surcharge, after two employees suffered serious injuries in separate incidents within three months in 2021. In the first incident, an employee at the Haverton Hill site had four fingers severed when a rotary valve was not properly isolated during cleaning. Less than three months later, a second employee at the Brenda Road site was struck by a forklift truck whose driver’s view was obscured by the load. The company pleaded guilty to two breaches of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Analysis:
These incidents underscore critical failures in fundamental health and safety management. The first incident highlights a lack of effective machinery isolation procedures (often referred to as Lockout/Tagout), a common cause of severe injuries in industrial settings. The second points to inadequate workplace transport safety management, specifically a failure to manage forklift operations and ensure clear pedestrian routes and driver visibility. The occurrence of two such serious, yet distinct, incidents within a short period at the same company suggests systemic deficiencies in their safety protocols across different operational areas. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector emphasized the preventable nature of such incidents through proper isolation of dangerous parts and robust precautions for workplace transport. The fine reflects the seriousness of the breaches and the life-changing consequences for the employees involved.