A week has gone by, and we have yet another story to bring to you of a firm being fined for poor safety procedures. It has been reported by WirralGlobe that Cammell Laird have been fined £400,000 for safety failings, after a worker suffered serious injuries whilst carrying out repair work at the Birkenhead shipyard. The 59-year-old from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, sustained fractures and crush injuries to his right hand in the incident on July 20 last year, and the accident had made him unable work for 5 months, but has now returned. 

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safet Executive (HSE) which prosecuted Cammell Laird Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders for serious safety failings. Liverpool Magistrates Court heard this week that the worker was repairing a lathe at the time of the incident. Whilst completing the repair he noticed that the shafts and couplings were dirty. In order to clean these components, he wrapped emery cloth around the lead screw and switched the lathe on. As the machine run, his right hand was pulled in to the moving parts, resulting in his hand being crushed. 

A system of lock off, which would of prevented reconnection of the power to the machine, had been identified and was outlined in the written health and safety management system; however, it had not been properly communicated to employees or implemented. Cammell Laird pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety Work Act 1974 and were fined £400,000, and ordered to pay costs of £7,683. 

Health and Safety should be a concern for any organisation. It is the responsibility of the business owner to ensure to carry out a thorough risk assessment and to ensure that all measures possible have been taken to minimise the risk of someone coming to harm at your workplace or as the result of your operations. 

To ensure that a similar incident like this one doesn't happen to you, we stock a fantastic selection of Safety Lockout Labels & Signs, as well as a range of Moving Parts Warning Signs.

PP Construction Safety has reported that Martin Baker Aircraft Company Ltd - an ejector seat manufacturer - have been fined £800,000 after three workers developed debilitating lung conditions. The three engineering operators developed extrinsic allergic alveolitis after being exposed to the mist of working metal fluid for a large number of years.  The lung condition, also known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, is the body's allergic reaction to breathing in a substance and symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath and joint pain.

The workers had served for the company for more than 20 years, and were exposed to the working metal fluid mist for at least three years. The fluid is used as a lubricant and coolant in engineering processes. During these processes the fluid creates a mist, which in this particular case it has been inhaled by roughly 60 workers. One of the workers has been seriously affected by this incident, and he is now virtually paralysed by this illness. Another will never be able to work with the fluid again - a key material in the engineering industry. And the final worker must have measures in place to ensure he never comes into contact with the substance again.

HSE investigators found that the measures in place within the factory to control the exposure of the mist were inadequate. The company had failed to put in place a system of clearing away the excess fluid or providing extraction to prevent the build-up of the mist. There were also failings in the provision of health surveillance, which should have identified the issue early enough to ensure the company were able to put in place and monitor any appropriate safety measures. 

The company have pleaded guilty and were fined £800,000 and ordered to pay costs of up to £36,912.36. 

To ensure a similar incident doesn't happen to your company, ensure that there are suitable COSHH Signs have been put in place. To view our range of COSHH labels, click here.

It's essential that your equipment and tools are regularly inspected to ensure that they are in safe working order. However, when you're always busy working it can be difficult to remember when the next inspection is due. This is where we can help! Here at Label Source we stock a range of Next inspection Labels to remind you when a piece of equipment or tool needs to be inspected, so when that tool needs to be inspected, you can have it ready on the day. These labels come in a range of styles and can be pretty much applied to any surface. 

Here are some of the Next inspection labels we have to offer: 

Next Inspection Due Label

Write on surface label

Material: Polyester, Self-Adhesive, Print receptive

Size: 20mm x 50mm

Supplied in packs of 100 labels

Inspection Due Aluminium Foil Labels

Material: Aluminium Foil, with self adhesive backing

Size: 16mm x 38mm

Supplied in rolls of 250 labels

Next inspection Due Month and Year Label

Material: Choice of Self Adhesive Vinyl or Tamperproof Self Adhesive Vinyl

Size: Diameter of 15mm, 25mm or 40mm

Supplied in packs of 250 labels

Tested for electrical safety, next test due write and seal labels

write and seal label

Scratch and Chemical resistant

Waterproof

Size: 16mm x 38mm

Material: Self adhesive vinyl, with part attached clear laminate

Supplied in rolls of 500 labels

If you wish to view our entire range of Next Inspection Labels, please click here.

If you work with any dangerous chemicals, our range of Printable GHS Labels will allow you to indetify any hazards and minimise the possibility of an accident GHS stands for Globally Harmonised System, and this system is the international standard for chemical labelling. GHS was created by the United Nations to ensure that any dangerous chemicals that may pose a risk to an individuals health and safety would be labelled in the same way all over the world, and it now supercedes other EU classification standards.

Here at Label Source we have an excelllent selection of GHS Hazard Labels that will cover all possible bases, and with GHS regulation being legallybinding here in the UK. these labels will ensure that your workplace is both safe and legal. Our labels are available in a selection of sizes. Here is a handful of GHS-compliant Hazard labels we have to offer:

GHS Flamable Hazard Label

Used to mark any dangerous materials that are potentially flammable chemical substances or mixtures.

Waterproof

Chemical and abrasion resistant

Available in eight sizes

Harmful/Irritant Hazard Label

Used to mark any harmful or irritant chemical substances or mixtures.

Waterproof

Chemical and abrasion resistant

Available in eight sizes

Toxic Hazard Label

Used to mark potentially toxic chemical substances or mixtures.

Waterproof

Chemical and Abrasion Resistant

Available in eight sizes

GHS Classification Sign 

Used to outline the categories in physical, health and environmental hazards.

Available in two sizes

Made from rigid plastic

To view our entire range of Printable GHS Labels, click here.

Today marks exactly one month to go until Christmas Day (along with Black Friday), which means that business is getting busier by the day for retailers and shipping companies. It's likely that the next month will involve a huge influx of orders that exceed usual demands, which means that stocking up on all necessary shipping supplies is absolutely vital! 

Packaging labels are one of the most important aspects of your shipping strategy, especially during the period between packing and delivery. In order to earn the trust of retail clients and customers, companies must ensure that all orders are handled correctly, and arrive in the expected condition. To do this efficiently, clear and durable packaging labels must be used, in order to point out instructions for how packages should be treated, and when they should be sent.

Here are just a few of the packaging labels we supply here at Label Source:

Shipping Transit Labels 

These red labels provide clear, recognised instructions for handling and storing packages, to help ensure that the contents of your orders are never damaged or compromised.

Dispatch Labels

These labels provide highly visible notices for packages and pallets, which highlight the contents of the package, along with details of its position in the shipping process.

Heavy Duty Packaging Labels 

These labels are a great choice for more demanding environments, providing additional protection from chemicals, abrasions and the elements.

To see our full selection of packaging labels, click here! Alternativley, you can view our full range of warehouse and shipping products here.