Twenty-two inspectors inspected 71 business in Sheffield and Rotherham as part of a week of action in response to a sharp increase in the number of serious and fatal incidents noted by its inspectors within the last five years.
Focusing on conducting inspections on businesses where workers regularly undertake welding and use metalworking fluids, a high proportion of which are based in the area, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that 65% of businesses visited were in breach of the law.
Of those visited 46 companies needed to make improvements to better protect the health, safety and wellbeing of workers in metal fabrication, engineering, general manufacturing and waste and recycling sectors.
During the course of the week inspectors served three prohibition notices and 31 improvement notices. Examples of some of the breaches found included poor controls of welding fumes and metal working fluids.
In addition to where notices have been served, HSE has formally written to a further 23 local businesses to compel them to improve various aspects of health and safety.
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Andrew Denison, Acting Head of Operations said: “Protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of workers is of paramount importance and at the heart of what we do. Local inspectors have witnessed an alarming rise in the number of fatalities and injuries in the Sheffield and Rotherham area in the last five years.
"The high proportion of breaches identified during this initiative indicates that the risks were not being adequately controlled. Inspectors’ have taken robust proportionate action to deal with serious risks and to ensure companies are complying with the law.
"I hope businesses will take note and understand that they will be held to account if they fail in their responsibilities."
In 2020 around 12,000 people in the UK died from lung diseases likely to be linked to past exposure from work. There is scientific evidence to suggest that exposure to welding fumes can cause lung cancer and exposure to metalworking fluids can cause a range of lung diseases.
There were 12 worker deaths reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – under the “RIDDOR” regulations – in Sheffield and Rotherham between 2014 and 2021 and a further 594 serious injuries reported over the same period.
HSE website
Images: HSE
Focusing on conducting inspections on businesses where workers regularly undertake welding and use metalworking fluids, a high proportion of which are based in the area, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that 65% of businesses visited were in breach of the law.
Of those visited 46 companies needed to make improvements to better protect the health, safety and wellbeing of workers in metal fabrication, engineering, general manufacturing and waste and recycling sectors.
During the course of the week inspectors served three prohibition notices and 31 improvement notices. Examples of some of the breaches found included poor controls of welding fumes and metal working fluids.
In addition to where notices have been served, HSE has formally written to a further 23 local businesses to compel them to improve various aspects of health and safety.
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Andrew Denison, Acting Head of Operations said: “Protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of workers is of paramount importance and at the heart of what we do. Local inspectors have witnessed an alarming rise in the number of fatalities and injuries in the Sheffield and Rotherham area in the last five years.
"The high proportion of breaches identified during this initiative indicates that the risks were not being adequately controlled. Inspectors’ have taken robust proportionate action to deal with serious risks and to ensure companies are complying with the law.
"I hope businesses will take note and understand that they will be held to account if they fail in their responsibilities."
In 2020 around 12,000 people in the UK died from lung diseases likely to be linked to past exposure from work. There is scientific evidence to suggest that exposure to welding fumes can cause lung cancer and exposure to metalworking fluids can cause a range of lung diseases.
There were 12 worker deaths reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – under the “RIDDOR” regulations – in Sheffield and Rotherham between 2014 and 2021 and a further 594 serious injuries reported over the same period.
HSE website
Images: HSE
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