Here are the most notable health and safety news stories of the week:
HSE to Prosecute Alton Towers Owners After Crash
Without a doubt, one of the biggest health and safety news stories of this week, and possibly this year, is the news that HSE will be prosecuting the owners of Alton Towers.This comes after passengers suffered serious physical injuries and psycologial trauma on The Smiler rollercoaster last June, when a full carriage collided with an empty, stationary carriage on the same track. The most serious injuries were suffered by two female passengers, who both had to have a leg amputated as a result of the impact. HSE have said that there is sufficient evidence that the prosecution is in the public interest, and that the comany had breached Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Didcot Power Station Collapse Prompts Health and Safety Questions
Since the defunct Didcot power station building collapsed on Tuesday, it has been revealed that the company demolishing the building had no previous experience of working on a similar project. The incident which has claimed at least one life already, occurred whilst the Coleman Group were preparing the building for demolition. With a further 5 injuries, 47 cases of dust inhalation, and 3 more people reported to be missing (presumed dead) under the wreckage, there is no doubt that this tragic incident will raise serious questions as to whether it could have been prevented. While the rescue operation remains a priority, the rescue team must take extreme care to ensure that they are prepared for the possibility of further collapse.
Waste Management Firm in Court Over the Death of a Young Man
Rainbow Waste, a firm based in Derbyshire, has been prosecuted by the HSE after a worker was crushed by the bucket of a motorised loading shovel. The 24 year old worker suffered fatal injuries to his head and spine, a tragic incident which prompted the HSE to examine the working practices of the firm. On examination of CCTV footage, it was revealed that over two hundred examples of unsafe working practices had been captured in the days leading up to the incident. The firm were fined £136,000 and ordered to pay 64,770 in costs, for breeching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work act.
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