Lincoln University in Great Britain has been fined for putting staff, students and contractors at risk of exposure to asbestos.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the failings came to light in February of 2010 when a lecturer became trapped in a room after a door lock broke. She enlisted the help of a colleague to release her and once freed, they noticed debris around the door handle. (WCxKit)
They notified the university's health and safety department which examined the door and others in the area, and discovered most were lined with asbestos insulating board (AIB), and that some were damaged.
The university notified HSE, which carried out its own investigation. It was found that a number of areas across the university's estate had been subject to asbestos surveys over a number of years and many areas were found to contain asbestos-containing materials or even asbestos debris, yet no remedial action had been taken.
Lincoln University Higher Education Corporation, of Brayford Pool, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 at Lincoln Magistrates Court. The university was fined $15,629 and ordered to pay $19,939.77 costs.
After the hearing at Lincoln Magistrates Court, HSE inspector Edward Walker noted, "Exposure to asbestos fibers is a well-known health hazard that results in approximately 4,000 deaths a year. (WCxKit)
"The university had an asbestos management plan but had failed to follow it and failed to take appropriate steps to manage the risks associated with asbestos over a number of years, putting staff, students and contractors at risk of potential exposure."
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact
More than 600 inspections of residential construction sites in Alberta lead to close to 400 orders issued, according to a recent report from The Canadian Press.
Occupational Health and Safety did the inspections recently and issued 394 orders, including 83 stop-work orders.(WCxKit)
A lack of fall protection, or a fall protection plan, accounted for 131 orders, approximately one-third of all orders issued.
Dave Hancock, minister of Human Services, responsible for Occupational Health and Safety, noted the province needs to create a culture of workplace health and safety in all Albertans. He reports he wants to assess the impact of all three focused inspection campaigns the province conducted this year.
For the past several months, OHS has carried out a pilot program of evening and weekend inspections, including the recent residential construction campaign.
Hancock states the stepped-up schedule will continue on a regular basis.
''
There are many sectors of our province's workforce that don't clock in from nine to five,'' said Hancock.(WCxKit)
'Revising the working hours of our OHS officers to include weekends and evenings only makes sense. This, along with our ongoing educational efforts and continuing to work with industry and safety associations, will help improve compliance in the workplace,'' he added.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A Welshpool, Australia manufacturing company has been fined $20,000 over an incident in which an employee sustained injuries to his left arm when part of a rope press shattered and struck him.
According to the Western Australian Department of Commerce, Jeminex Brands & Operations Pty Ltd (formerly Beaver Brands) pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court recently. (WCxKit)
Jeminex Brands is a manufacturer of wire rope slings and chain slings. Using a rope press, wire rope of a required length is fed through an aluminum collar known as a “ferrule” and the ferrule is then compressed between two dies until they touch to hold the rope together.
The pressure applied by the dies is able to be varied according to the diameter of the rope, with maximum pressures stipulated in a chart of pressures in megapascals of pressure. The process is known as “swaging”.
A Jeminex employee was engaged in swaging rope. He had already completed two ropes by visually determining when the dies touched. When he swaged the third rope, the dies came together and shattered, causing lacerations to his left arm. The amount of pressure on the dies can be pre-set, and once that maximum pressure is reached, the limit switch is activated and no further pressure can be applied. The maximum pressure stipulated for the diameter of rope being used by the employee was five megapascals. The wire rope press was set at a maximum pressure of 34 megapascals.
The court heard that the employee was not instructed to check or change the maximum pressure of the wire rope press before he began the task.
It was practicable for the employer to have trained its employee to either set the press to the maximum recommended pressure or to set the pressure at a low level and increase it in small increments until the dies touched.
WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said the case should serve as a reminder of the importance of training and instruction in the workplace.
“
Training of new and young workers is one of WorkSafe’s operational priority areas, and a large amount of time and resources are invested in ensuring that employers provide workers with suitable and adequate induction and training,” McCulloch said.
“
This worker had been with the employer for four months, and this incident made it apparent that he had not been provided with sufficient training and instruction to operate the machinery in a safe manner. (WCxKit)
“
Every employer has the responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace; to share information and to provide training and supervision – that is part of the employer’s basic duty of care.
Australian Tire Center, Director Fined After Worker Suffers Injuries
A Yamba tire center (New South Wales, Australia) and its director have been fined a total of $170,000 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after an employee received serious injuries while fitting new tires to an earthmover, according to a report from the WorkCover Authority of NSW.
The Lower River Tyre Centre Pty Ltd (Lower River) sells tires, wheels and batteries as well as providing tire-fitting services for a range of private, commercial and industrial vehicles. (WCxKit)
A 47-year-old Lower River tire fitter was changing six spilt rim grader tires on an earth-moving grader when one of the six tires exploded while it was being inflated.
The tires on this large commercial earthmover were around 1.4m in diameter and approximately 40cm thick.
The employee sustained serious injuries to his face and upper-body, as well as complications during surgery which required months of rehabilitation.
A WorkCover investigation found that Lower River had no adequate safety protocols in place at the time of the accident.
There was no safety cage large enough to protect the worker, nor any devices in place limiting tire pressure on larger commercial tires, which both would have reduced the risk of injuries.
The company also did not have documented OHS systems in place; failed to carry out a proper risk assessment; did not conduct formal risk assessments; and did not provide adequate or documented
training.
Lower River and its director Anthony Paul Hardacre were charged with breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000. Both pleaded guilty to the charges. (WCxKit)
Lower River was convicted and fined $160,000. Anthony Hardacre was convicted and fined $10,000.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He is an editor and contributor to Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2012 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact us at: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Workers’ Compensation Costs Can Be Reduced by Implementing Operational Best Practices: Learn How With This New Guidebook.
A company that wants to implement a new workers compensation program or revamp an existing system will find this book helpful. Maybe your company has recently expanded and you realize the need to train a workers compensation manager or regional coordinators how to hold down compensation costs. Whatever your need, here is the answer:
Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Workers’ Comp Costs 20%-50%.
Used by more than 150 firms across the country, this is THE book to help every employer develop a more effective workers compensation program to reduce workers compensation costs. It is based on field research and decades of experience in workers compensation from all aspects of the business. Best practices are described in detail for each person in the injury process.
This easy-to-read manual has been updated for 2012. It now includes:
An index for quick topic look-up so you can view a term or a procedure and see all relevant references.
NEW – Workers Compensation Basics
Purpose of Workers Compensation
Who Pays for Workers Compensation?
Parties Involved in Workers Compensation
Benefits for the Employer
Independent Contractors
Benefits for the Employee
Injuries Covered
Types of Workers Compensation
How Losses are Categorized
How Losses are Reported
Calculating Your Premium
How Mod Effects Your Premium
Good/Bad Mod Example
Five Ways to Reduce Your Mod
NEW – Fundamentals of Cost Containment
Reasons Workers Compensation Costs are High
Who is in Charge?
Work Ability Form Properties
Who is Responsible for Managing Workers Compensation Claims?
Who is Responsible for Managing Workers Compensation Process?
Hidden (Indirect) Costs of Workers Compensation
Additional Costs
Calculating WC Costs
External Obstacles to Cost Control
Internal Obstacles to Cost Control
NEW – Working with Your Adjusters or TPA
Account Handling Instructions
MD Participation
NEW- Reporting a Claim
Critical Issues
Essential Intake Considerations
Nurse Triage
NEW- Directing Medical Care
Occupational Health Clinics
Remote Health Services
Directing Medical Care in California
NEW- Return to Work
What to Include in a Transitional Duty Policy
Non-Profit, Volunteer or Charitable Positions
Employees Who Never Return to Work
Coordinating WC with Federal and State Leave Statutes
NEW – Other Indemnity Cost Containment Services
Telephonic Disability Intervention
NEW – Medical Cost Containment
URAC Certification
Mental Health RNs
Chronic Pain Programs
An Aging Workforce
At Home Recovery Services
Medical Fee Schedules
Fee Schedule Coding
ICD-9 and CPT Codes
NEW- Physical Therapy and Physical Rehabilitation
Differences between Physical Rehabilitation Programs
Pharmacy Benefits Management Program
Authorized Drug Formulary
Toxicology Screening
NEW – Fighting Fraud and Abuse
Medical Terminology Used to Identify Malingering
Reviewing Investigation Reports and Videos
Avoid good Day/Bad Day Syndrome
NEW – Claims Resolution and Settlements
Conditional Payment and Final Demand
Pharmacy Component of MSA
California Settlement Process
A 183-page guide covering how to assess your workers compensation program, design program materials, roll out a program to the organization, and monitor and manage the program once implemented.
Written by a national expert on workers compensation cost containment with over 25 years experience helping companies reduce their losses 20% to 50%.
T. Ronca, a workers’ compensation defense attorney from Long Island, NY, said the
book is an invaluable desk reference. “It is one of the tools that should never be out of reach for a risk manager. Direct employer involvement with claims in the first weeks is the difference between success and failure. This manual will guide the conscientious employer through the pitfalls,” Ronca said.
What’s more, the book can be delivered with your company logo on the cover and a full-color ad for your company on the back cover.
Take it out to the field. Text tabs are available to put on each chapter and it is ready to go as your company training manual. All you will have to do is customize the Training Agenda that is in Part I of the book.
Included in the manual are topics such as: Return to work and transitional duty, claim reporting, employee communications, controlling fraud and abuse, directing medical care, medical cost containment solutions, post injury response procedures, reporting procedures, working with your carrier and third party administrator. There is information about physical therapy, pharmacy benefits management programs, training supervisors and gaining management commitment. It also contains concepts of claim settlement and resolution as well as safety and loss control. New areas are identified above.
There are 5 sample worksheets in the manual to help organize an efficient workers’ compensation program. These include: timetable for implementation, the injury coordinator job description, and several sample roll-out letters. We recently received a terrific phone call from a third-party administration firm saying how the manual provided an organized way to train clients at loss prevention and has helped their clients put "layers of better WC management" in place. Everyone benefited.
One large distribution firm wrote to us to say the chapter on safety and loss control led to a company-wide safety change that only cost a few hundred dollars but prevented a specific type of injury that had been draining its budget, says Rebecca Shafer, Esq., President of Amaxx Risk Solution, Inc. who authors the book. Shafer is a national expert on workers’ compensation cost containment with more than 25 years of industry experience helping many companies reduce their losses 20-50%.
When you order your copy of Manage your Workers’ Compensation Program from Advisen at
http://corner.advisen.com/wcbooks, the 183-page guidebook shows how to assess your program, design program materials, roll-out a program to the organization, and monitor and manage the program once implemented.
The workbook is also available with a customized front and back cover for bulk purchases. Discounted rates apply to bulk orders.
One company said, "After reading the manual, we took a look at past workers comp practices and saw that every department did things differently. Manage Your Workers’' Compensation Program 2012 gave us the guidance we needed to standardize our workers’ compensation programs across the country. It was like a pre-prepared lesson plan," according to the risk manager.
A regional hospital in North Dakota wrote that, "Our small company expanded rapidly and we actually didn’t have any official workers’ compensation program in place. This manual gave us step-by-step procedures from the first meetings with management to monitoring the final program. Buying and reading the book was almost like hiring another employee – one who was an expert in workers’ compensation."
Who Uses the Workers’ Compensation Book?
Risk Managers and Workers’ Comp Managers find it useful learning about the cost containment niche and use it for themselves and to bringing new team members up to speed very quickly. The book becomes a “lesson plan” tool.
Safety Directors use the book to train supervisors in workers’ compensation claims management. They learn more about their area of responsibility — post loss cost containment — adding to their overall knowledge. They also learn what to do after an injury and what steps are supposed to take place during the first 24 hours.
Brokers use it for prospects, as well as, to learn about specific aspects of cost containment, passing their knowledge on to their clients. For example, when discussing how to develop a return-to-work program and a client asks about, “off-site return-to-work programs,” the broker quickly finds the relevant section in the book, reviews it and passes the answer on to the client, along with a copy of the cost containment book with the broker’s logo.
Adjusters use the book to gain a better understanding of the employer’s perspective. Adjusters also want to learn more about cost containment to add to their overall workers’ compensation knowledge in order to grow their careers and stay abreast of new services.
Account Producers give the book to prospects during formal presentations to illustrate their company is on top of the workers’ compensation industry. The book makes an excellent client gift.
Vendors such as doctors, physical therapy networks, occupational clinics and medical management firms learn how their service might fit into the workers’ compensation marketplace, what is important to employers, and what they look for in medical services to enable the vendors to enter the workers’ compensation marketplace.
The manual is a cost-cutting tool to learn more about systematic and operational techniques for reducing workers compensation costs.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. She is the author of the #1 selling book on cost containment, Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2012 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact us at: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Posted in
Claim Audits & File Review,
Communication with Employees,
Coordinating Medical Care,
Federal Workers Compensation,
Fraud and Abuse,
Insurance Issues, Rates, Premiums,
Lowering Premiums & Experience Mod,
Management Commitment,
Medical Cost Containment & Managed Care,
Medicare Set Asides (MSAs),
Professional Development Issues,
Return to Work and Transitional Duty,
Risk Management,
Safety and Loss Control,
Settling WC Claims,
TPA and Claims Administration,
WC 101,
WC in Other Countries (International) |
A modular building company in Great Britain has been fined after a worker was left with permanent injuries when a lifting operation went wrong, according to a report from the Health and Safety Executive.
Banksman John Hughes, of Newark, was working in an outdoor yard of Caledonian Building Systems Ltd at Carlton-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, on Feb. 20, 2009. (WCxKit)
He was helping a fork lift truck driver to raise an 11-tonne modular building unit off some blocks and a wheeled axle, on to a lorry, but the unstable load started to rock. Hughes put his right hand on to the wooden block, to move it out of the way, but one end of the unit came down on his fingers.
His index finger was crushed and had to be amputated at the knuckle, however 18 months later after continuing problems it was completely removed. His middle finger was also damaged. Hughes was off work for 12 weeks in total before returning to work.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation found the lifting operation was disorganized and the employees involved were not provided with clear information or instructions. It was unclear who was supposed to participate in the operation, what their role was, which equipment would be used and whether the unit would be moved elsewhere or simply vertically lifted. (WCxKit)
Caledonian Building Systems Ltd., of Glendale Gryfe Road, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1)(c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Lastly, Nottingham Magistrates fined the firm $23,000 (£15,000) and ordered it to pay costs of ($11,500) £7,328.
Author Robert Elliott
, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
According to new research conducted by a team from Cardiff University (Wales), half of those British workers surveyed have been ill-treated in the last two years.
The survey reports 4.9 percent of workers were victims of violence while 22.3 percent said they were treated in a disrespectful or rude way. Twenty-seven percent said they felt ignored. The study used data from face-to-face interviews with 3,979 workers, and the data, provided for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), was to be presented at a London conference.(WCxKit)
The report, "Insight into ill-treatment in the workplace: patterns, causes and solutions," was written by academics from Cardiff University's School of Social Sciences and Prof Duncan Lewis at the University of Plymouth Business School. It is based on data from the British Workplace Behaviour Survey, obtained in 2008 from interviews by the market research company TNS Global.
The team also looked in-depth at four large employers, using them as case studies. Workers in the public sector were reported to be "particularly at risk" of rudeness, disrespect, violence and injury. (WCxKit)
The majority of attackers involved in violent incidents were said to be from outside the workplace, with 72% of assailants being customers, clients or members of the public. Workers in health, social work, education, public administration and defense faced the highest risk.
Meantime, staff in the private sector
was more likely to suffer assaults by colleagues, while disabled employees, those with long-term health problems and younger staff are all more likely to experience ill treatment at work, as were lesbian, gay and bisexual workers.
The survey found that permanent staff with managerial responsibilities is more likely to experience what was described as "unreasonable treatment" and violence in the workplace.(WCxKit)
The report notes some 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 British workers suffer from "impossible workloads" and "not being listened to". Managers and supervisors were blamed for two-thirds of incidents of unreasonable behavior but could also be victims of the same treatment.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Great Britain and Ireland’s Unite labor union has vowed to ‘leave no stone unturned’ in its efforts to get the answers to vital safety questions as its members and workers at the Port of Tilbury grieve the loss of a comrade and union representative who was tragically killed in a recent workplace accident.
"A close and loving family has lost a husband and father and his colleagues have lost a truly wonderful friend, Unite spokesperson Andy Green stated in a release. “They only want to help in this tragedy and to learn what happened and why, that is not too much to ask. (WCxKit)
“Our members are deeply shocked that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not responded to calls from Unite representatives at the port to launch an investigation, and that the company has chosen not to conduct a joint investigation alongside the Unite safety representatives, as set out in the company's own health and safety policy.
"We are at a loss then to know why the HSE will not speak to us; its behavior is nothing short of shameful. However, we have been touched by the kind words of condolence from dockworkers in every port throughout the UK. Our union will always fight for truth and justice and to help the loved ones left behind who have to bear the real burden of workplace deaths."
Speaking on National Inspection Day, which is supported throughout Europe, Unite's national officer for docks, Julia Long, called for health and safety action across all ports to reflect the dangers within the port industry. "The government has set the ports as a 'low risk' industry. This tragic incident shows that the government needs to have a rethink on its position. We are calling for the company to carry out a full investigation with our health and safety reps fully involved,” Long remarked. (WCxKit)
“Unite will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to understand how this terrible accident was able to happen. We now call on the HSE and port management to work with us and immediately launch an urgent joint investigation into what happened,” Long added.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Britain's safety watchdog is challenging the construction industry to learn from the London 2012 construction project and improve the safety record of one of the most dangerous occupations in Britain.
A report from the Health and Safety Executive's Leadership and worker involvement on the Olympic Park research, published recently, shows how the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) adopted an inclusive no scapegoating approach to managing risks that could be adapted to any project – irrespective of its size or budget. It is the first in a series of research reports that HSE will publish as part of the London 2012 Learning Legacy. (WCxKit)
HSE started working with the ODA soon after London was awarded the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games and set out very clear targets of what standards were expected, encouraging strong leadership and sharing of good practice. The ODA's top level commitment to health and safety was made clear from the outset and helped create a safe working environment for the thousands of workers on site.
The London 2012 Games construction project has shown that building projects on time and within budget does not mean compromising on the health and safety of your workers. HSE has received reports of only 114 injuries and eight dangerous occurrences that occurred during the 66 million hours of work, as of October 2011.
Stephen Williams, HSE's director for London 2012, noted, "The report shows how strong leadership and worker involvement are key to a safer working environment. The ODA's creation of a no scapegoating culture allowed workers to raise issues without fear of reprisal, learning lessons to apply across the site and reducing the risk in hazardous activities.
"The construction industry has for many years been one of the most dangerous in which to earn a living. London 2012 is important because it shows it doesn't have to be that way. No matter what size your organization, no matter what size your project, small changes in the way you operate can have a huge impact on the health and safety of your workers. (WCxKit)
“I want the rest of the construction industry to follow London's lead.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Author Rebecca Shafer
, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. She is the author of the #1 selling book on cost containment, Manage Your Workers Compensation: Reduce Costs 20-50% www.WCManual.com.
Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com
We're writing about yet another unguarded machine accident… there are too many of these around the world. Manufacturers of machinery and employers need to pay close attention to making sure all machines were guarded, employees/supervisors are trained and there were warnings for those few times the guards had to be removed.
Here are the facts we know about this accident.
British chocolate chain Thorntons has been fined after a worker broke her finger while operating a wrapping machine.
According to a report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
, Ellen Yardley, 37, from Derbyshire was working at the company’s Somercotes plant on a foil wrapping machine, where chocolates were wrapped in foil and dispensed down a chute into a tray.
During a short break in production, while the machine was still running, Ms Yardley attempted to clean the inside of the output chute which had become covered in caramel. However, the cloth she was using became tangled in rotating parts which gripped the chocolates and her right hand was dragged into the machine. (WCxKit)
Yardley’s middle finger was fractured and cut, and she was off work for 10 weeks following the incident.An investigation by HSE found the machine had guarding installed but it was inadequate.
A subsequent audit of other machines in the factory found safety improvements were necessary to a range of machines, including preventing access to dangerous parts or repairs to existing safeguards.
Thorntons PLC, of Thornton Park, Somercotes, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of
Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Regulation 3(1) (a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.(WCxKit)
Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court fined the company $30,000 (20,000 GBP) and ordered it to pay full costs of $12,000 (7,680 GBP).
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2012 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact us at: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Justice was served recently on a Glen Eden, New Zealand woman who evaded several previous Court appearances to face charges of defrauding the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).
According to a report from ACC, Emi Tuala, a 44-year-old solo mother, appeared in the Waitakere District Court and was convicted of nine charges under the Crimes Act, and two charges under the ACC Act. (WCxKit)
Tuala was sentenced to six months’ supervision, three months’ community detention and was ordered to pay reparation of $6,939.89. She must also complete a budgeting course, and observe a nightly curfew during the period of community detention.
The charges related to a seven-month period between 2003 and 2004, during which Tuala was paid weekly compensation on the basis that an injury prevented her from working. ACC investigations subsequently revealed that Tuala had worked full-time throughout this period.
During the same period, Tuala also claimed reimbursement for home help costs that she never incurred. (WCxKit)
Tuala was originally summoned to appear in Court in February 2005. After she failed to appear, a warrant for her arrest was issued. She failed to attend subsequent Court hearings and further arrest warrants were issued.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact
