News: AESSEAL's thirteen consecutive golds in health and safety excellence

Rotherham-based AESSEAL Plc’s ongoing commitment to health and safety has been endorsed with a 13th consecutive gold accolade in the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ 70th anniversary awards.

AESSEAL is one of the world's leading specialists in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals, bearing protectors, seal support systems and gland packing. With its global headquarters at Templeborough, the award-winning company manufactures mechanical seals for a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, food, water, mining and pharmaceuticals.

The RoSPA President’s Gold Award has been granted to AESSEAL in recognition of its exceptional health and safety performance during 2025.

AESSEAL managing director Chris Rea said: "Thirteen consecutive golds are testament to the company’s commitment to keeping its employees safe. This is a landmark year for RoSPA and we are proud to be part of a legacy built on dedication to high safety standards, the well‑being of individuals and a shared commitment to excellence. We committed to making accident prevention a central pillar of our organisation and I am delighted that this has again been recognised with a RoSPA Gold Award.

"The awards began as a small event to recognise the achievements of companies prioritising the safety of workers in the UK, and has now grown into the biggest health and safety awards programme in the world, with 2,000 different entries from almost 60 countries, impacting more than seven million employees."

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RoSPA growth director Julia Small, added: "The high standards AESSEAL has achieved are the result of hard work and dedication, of which AESSEAL should be rightfully proud and which RoSPA is delighted to honour. 2026 is a landmark year for the RoSPA Awards as we reflect on how far workplace safety has come in 70 years. It is because of the commitment of health and safety leaders like AESSEAL that people today are safer at work than in the past, and sets an inspiring example for the future.

"The RoSPA Awards are sponsored by the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), which provides internationally-recognised health, safety and environmental qualifications that raise the competence of safety and environmental professionals as well as individuals at all levels in the workplace."

NEBOSH chief quality officer and awards head judge Dee Arp said: "These awards are a powerful reminder that protecting people transcends borders, and that supporting employees to return home safe, healthy and happy each day is fundamental to long-term success and resilience.

"AESSEAL's proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks, implementing robust safety protocols, and fostering a safety-first mindset among its workforce was instrumental in achieving this award, said RoSPA."

The award will be presented at a ceremony held in London in June.

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News: Rotherham metal fabrication company fined

A Rotherham-based metal fabrication company has been sentenced after pleading guilty to health and safety failings that led to a young apprentice being injured by dangerous parts of a metal cutting guillotine during training.

On Friday 8 November 2024, a 17-year-old apprentice at MTL Advanced Ltd was cutting sheet metal in preparation for welding practice as part of their apprenticeship training. The guillotine was located within a dedicated Apprentice Training Workshop, where first-year apprentices learn and practise metal fabrication techniques before moving into the company’s main manufacturing areas in their second and third years.

The apprentice made several successful cuts, but on the final cut their thumb came into contact with the machine’s clamps, causing a crush injury.

The HSE launched an investigation and identified, from documents provided by the company before an on-site visit, that a large gap in the bed of the guillotine was allowing access to dangerous parts of the machinery. Critically, the company had failed to identify this risk even after the incident had taken place.

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A Prohibition Notice was served remotely by HSE to control the ongoing risk. Following its service, HSE Inspectors attended the site and identified further issues with the guillotine requiring immediate remedy.

The company was fined £140,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £5,013, with a Victim Surcharge of £2,000, at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.

Speaking after the hearing, HM Principal Inspector of Health and Safety Chris Tilley said: “Young people and apprentices are at the beginning of their career and so when it comes to workplace risks, employers must take particular care to assess those risks and fulfil their duty to keep them safe. Had this machinery been effectively guarded, this injury would never have happened.”

Part of the WEC Group, MTL's Training Academy opened in 2015 and has played a vital role in developing skilled engineers for the future.

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News: Rotherham library closure brought forward following discovery of RAAC

The Swinton library building in Rotherham has been closed for the foreseeable future after RAAC was discovered following inspections.

A long-awaited £8m regeneration revamp of Swinton includes a new library, but it is not yet complete.

Rotherham Council’s Asset Management Team has been reviewing the authority’s estate to check for the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Should RAAC be found, actions are taken to ensure buildings remain safe to residents and staff.

In the case of Swinton Library, RAAC has been identified in the roof and therefore the building has been closed.

In the 1990s, several bodies recognised structural deficiencies in RAAC panels installed up until the mid-1990s. It was recognised that the in-service performance was poor with cracking, excessive displacements and durability all being raised as concerns.

Alternative arrangements have been put in place at the newly renovated Swinton Civic Hall, while the council conducts further surveys to see whether remedial work is appropriate.

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A newly refurbished library is planned to be opened early next year at the former customer service centre building as part of a major redevelopment of Swinton town centre. This will mean the demolition of the current library off Station Street, with the area then landscaped.

Building work has already started on affordable new homes, upgraded community buildings and public spaces in Swinton Town Centre.

This includes building 49 new homes, the upgraded and improved Civic Hall, a green and the demolition of the current library. Under these ambitious plans the existing Council Customer Service Centre will house the new library.

Assistant Director Rob Mahon, who oversees the maintenance of all Rotherham Council owned buildings said: “The health and safety of our residents and staff is our priority, which is why we have temporarily closed Swinton Library as a precautionary measure.

“We made the decision to close the site as a precaution last week while further surveys are conducted, and potential mitigations investigated.

“This decision is supported by recent government guidance issued due to concerns where RAAC has been used in schools, prompting similar concerns around other public buildings including libraries. Our approach here is in step with similar approaches taken by other local authorities.”

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News: Cash injection will help Rotherham firm to meet growing demand

A Rotherham firm that helps employers to reduce work-related ill health has secured a £125,000 loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The funding will enable Workplace Scientifics to invest in new equipment and meet the growing demand for its occupational hygiene services. The company – which advises on ways to mitigate workplace hazards such as noise, vibration, hazardous substances and chemicals – was founded in 2020 by entrepreneurs Dave Lombardi and Thomas Wood, who have a background in the industry.

They set out to deliver services in a different way, offering ongoing support to help employers improve safety, in addition to providing one-off assessments. Based in the Moorgate area of Rotherham, the company now employs a team of eight and serves a growing list of clients including Masonite, Magnet, Howmet Airspace, Severfield and Phillips 66. The funding will enable it to create three new jobs over the next six months and provide additional working capital to take on new contracts.

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Thomas Wood believes companies are increasingly seeing the value in taking a pro-active approach to health at work. “Authorities are taking a tougher stance on worker health protection. Breaching the rules can cost millions, but perhaps more importantly, attitudes are changing. Organisations are taking worker health more seriously and understanding their moral duties to create safer working environments,” he explains.

“As occupational hygiene practitioners, we not only help employers to identify hazards that might otherwise go unnoticed, but also situations where they are taking unnecessary precautions, which can be wasteful and costly. For example, we visited one business where the workers had worn disposable ear defenders for years, which was uncomfortable and created lots of plastic waste. We were able to find ways to reduce the factory noise to a level where hearing protection was no longer required. Each company is different and it is about having the right measures in place.”

Recommended reading: Boosting Your Business: Innovative Funding Options for SMEs

Andy Tyas of Mercia said: “Employers increasingly recognise the value of good working practices in safeguarding their reputation and the health of their workforce, and reducing absence and staff turnover. Dave and Thomas are passionate about delivering a high-quality, expert service. The business has gained rapid traction since its launch and its services are in growing demand. This funding will help them to invest in new equipment and expand the team to support its continued growth.”

Keira Shepperson, Director at British Business Bank: “There is an increasing number of entrepreneurs creating proactive solutions, and this business has identified a niche segment in the market to improve occupational safety. The loan will unlock the team’s capability to provide more of its expertise, making a valuable contribution to improving health and safety in the workplace.”

Julia Wilkinson of Funding Round provided fundraising advice to the company.

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News: HSE inspection campaign sheds light on health and safety issues in South Yorkshire

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.

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News: AES Engineering Group achieves RoSPA Gold Award

Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL has been recognised as a world leader in health and safety with its eighth consecutive RoSPA Gold Award.

The Templeborough-based company designs and manufactures mechanical seals and support systems.

The RoSPAs are the UK’s longest-running health and safety industry awards. The internationally recognised accolade attracts entries from across the globe, with nearly 2,000 organisations from 46 countries represented this year.

The gold award recognises exemplary health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

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Stephen Shaw, Engineering Director of AESSEAL, said: “AESSEAL prides itself on being a world leader in health and safety and we are delighted to have this acknowledged for the eighth year in succession by RoSPA.

“This world-class standard can only be achieved with a company-wide commitment to the highest standards.

“It is also a reflection of our ongoing investment in our manufacturing plants and our state-of-the-art machinery, which help create the safest possible working environments in AESSEAL locations around the world.”

AESSEAL will receive its Gold Award at a virtual ceremony in September.

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of qualifications, awards and events, said: “RoSPA is very proud of the achievements of its entrants, and with this award we recognise the best of the best, those organisations that have gone the extra mile, raising the bar for the delivery of safety in the workplace.”

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News: Rotherham engineering company fined

C F Booth (Engineering) Ltd has been sentenced after a 37-year-old worker became entangled and pulled into a CNC lathe.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard that, on 9 May 2018, he was working on a Hankook CNC lathe setting up a workpiece on a jig which was held in the chuck and on the steady at the company's site at Lyme Street, Rotherham. As he leaned over the workpiece and the steady to adjust a rear screw, the grub screws on the workpiece caught his t-shirt and he was pulled into the machine. He sustained a large open cut to his arm, 24 stitches to his lip and underwent an operation on his arm.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that machinery had interlock devices fitted but they had been by-passed/defeated so it was possible to move guards/doors that should have been interlocked out of the way during set up, to allow access to the rotating chuck and workpiece.

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C F Booth (Engineering) Ltd of Wharfe Road Doncaster South Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company has been fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £3,077 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Carol Downes commented: “This case highlights the importance of ensuring safety features are working correctly and carrying out proper risk assessments.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by ensuring safety devices are not defeated and by ensuring the correct control measures and safe working practices are in place.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

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News: Red tape delays Jump start

Leisure operators, Jump Inc. have had to delay the reopening of its popular trampoline and inflatable parks.

The leisure industry has been severley affected by Covid restrictions and new rules for reopening. At Step 3 of the Government's roadmap, indoor entertainment and visitor attractions could reopen on May 17.

However, the auditors for trampoline, inflatable and ninja parks across the country have a huge backlog of applications and have failed to provide the required documentation in time for Jump Inc's planned opening date. Jump Inc, and 107 other leisure centres are in the same position, awaiting confirmation.

The company, which is based at its Parkgate branch in Rotherham also operates in Sheffield, Leeds and Lincoln.

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In a statement this week, operators said: "The audit sign-off which we need is in relation to our operations, which includes health and safety for example. This is needed for insurance purposes. Without it, we wouldn’t have adequate cover and so we can’t reopen until it‘s in place.

"We’ve upgraded a few features in some of the parks, but mostly we’re intending on following the same COVID-compliant procedures which we had in place when we were open last summer. So as you can imagine the time we’re spending waiting for the reports to be signed off is massively frustrating for us.

"We know that the same issue is affecting many other operators across the country but that doesn’t make it any easier in having to temporarily disappoint our valued customers. For now, we can only continue to apologise and let you know that we’re doing everything we can to get the parks open as speedily as possible. (All information has been submitted, so this is out of our hands, which only makes it even more frustrating for us.)"

In Rotherham, refurbishment has taken place whilst the park was closed and the company has already introduced Covid measures including enhanced cleaning procedures and running at reduced capacity of 70%.

Jump Inc added that no one will have lost out on their booking and all funds can be refunded or referred to an alternative date.

Jump Inc website

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News: Making sure Rotherham businesses are COVID-secure

Rotherham Council is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to contact businesses in Rotherham to check they have COVID-secure measures in place and to help tackle COVID-19 in the local area as part of a national campaign.

The Council and HSE will also work alongside local public health authorities to highlight any patterns in confirmed coronavirus cases in the borough.

The checks are part of the additional resource from central government for local authorities to make sure that businesses are as COVID-safe as possible. During the checks, businesses will be given advice and guidance to manage risk and protect workers, customers, and visitors from COVID-19.

Businesses who do not engage with the HSE inspections or require additional measures putting in place will get further support from the Council. This can range from the provision of specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, this could lead to enforcement.

Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus.

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Denise Fedyszyn, COVID-19 Service Manager at Rotherham Council, said: “Council Officers are talking to local businesses, and visiting sites in and around Rotherham to understand how they are managing risks in line with their specific business activity.

“Being COVID-secure is a priority for all businesses, it is a legal duty for businesses to protect their workers and others from harm and this includes taking reasonable steps to control the risk and protect people from coronavirus. This means making business adjustments to become COVID-secure. We advise employers to work with their employees when implementing changes, to help increase confidence with workers, customers and the local community.”

MGB Plastics is one Rotherham business that has received an unannounced visit from the HSE to carry out a spot check. After the visit the inspector said: "In all respects, your business is following the appropriate guidance. I could see that a great deal of effort has been made by the management team and by all the workers to ensure that your business is a safe place to work, and that everything is being done to minimise the risk of infection from COVID at the business.”

HSE and local authority inspectors are finding some common practices that need continued vigour to prevent transmission including arrangements for monitoring, supervising and maintaining social distancing, and robust cleaning regime particularly at busy times of the day.

Sharon Kemp, Chief Executive at Rotherham Council, said: “It is critical that all businesses continue to be extremely in their COVID Secure ways of working. Businesses can be spot checked which means businesses of any size, in any sector can receive an unannounced check to ensure they are COVID-secure. By making sure that businesses have measures in place to manage the risks, we can benefit the health of the local community as well as support the local and national UK economy.”

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News: Club pays price for stadium procedural failures

A lack of co-ordination regarding evacuation measures for non-match day events five years ago has led to large fine for Rotherham United's operating company.

At Sheffield Crown Court this week, the club pleaded guilty to a single offence under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 dating back to January 2015 where, on a non-match day, the fire alarm sounding led to the evacuation of two functions held in the conference and events suites. There was no fire and nobody was harmed during the evacuation.

The incident highlighted issues in the co-ordination of evacuation measures for non-match day events at the stadium between the Club and its third party hospitality partner.

The Club was fined £150,000 and agreed to pay a proportion of the Council's costs for bringing the prosecution. The Club fully accepts that its procedures at that time in relation to such events were not as robust as they should have been and this is reflected in its guilty plea.

The New York Stadium was hosting a beer festival at the time of the fire alarm and launched an internal investigation and, in conjunction with its hospitality partner, Centerplate, took remedial steps to introduce more robust procedures.

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In sentencing, the Judge praised the club for its contribution to the local community and its conscientious approach in the specific improvements made at that time. Further, the Judge accepted that there have been no incidents since and no ongoing issues with non-match day safety.

Whilst the case did not relate to match day safety, the club was pleased at the Judge's recognition that there was and is no issue with the club's approach to match day safety and "that it has nothing but the highest regard for the safety of visiting and home supporters."

Rotherham United said in a statement: "The club has always taken its health and safety responsibilities extremely seriously. Provision of a safe Stadium from which football and many other social events can be enjoyed by the local community is, and always has been, at the heart of everything the club does

"The club is disappointed that the events of January 2015 did not meet the high standards it continually strives to achieve. The club is glad that the matter has now concluded and it can move forward focussing all of its efforts on pursuing continued success both on and off the field."

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News: "Appalling" Rotherham bakery prosecuted for food hygiene offences

A bakery in Rotherham has been successfully prosecuted for food hygiene offences.

Mr Bekir Cinar, who was the food business operator at Leverton Baker and Confectioners, in Rawmarsh, pleaded guilty to offences dating back to January.

During a routine food hygiene inspection in January, Rotherham Council Environmental Health Officers uncovered filthy conditions. The building was found to be in complete disarray and extremely poor structural condition. Equipment was dirty and in a poor state of repair.

The council found serious accumulations of filth and black mould present throughout the areas where food was prepared and stored. There was a pool of stagnant foul smelling water next to stored bakery ingredients. Food and ingredients were being stored uncovered, in filthy containers, with uncooked meat stored alongside other foods causing risk of contamination.

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During a hearing in May, Sheffield Magistrates Court agreed with the actions of council officers, to immediately close the premises following the inspection, due to the health risks.

Mr Cinar appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court last month and pleaded guilty to six offences dating from January 2019. He was fined £1,213 and ordered to pay costs of £2,868. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £121. The total amount payable is £4,202. The defendant received credit for entering his guilty pleas.

Tom Smith, Assistant Director of Community Safety & Street Scene at Rotherham Council, said: "This business was in an appalling condition. Food business operators have a legal duty to keep their premises hygienic and any failure to do so will not be tolerated."

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News: Horbury Group secures £4m contract

Horbury Facades, part of the Rotherham based Horbury Group, has secured a contract with Sir Robert McAlpine worth £4m to deliver a "through-wall" solution on a new multi-occupancy residential development in Manchester.

Forming part of the £80m regeneration of Salford's Chapel Street area, the scheme on Gore Street, Manchester, consists of 375 private rent homes, including 364 apartments and 11 townhouses, split across three blocks that range between 22 and 13 storeys in height.

Working in collaboration with OMI Architects and SRM project delivery team, Horbury Facades is installing a complex horizontal plank rainscreen system, featuring multi-coloured aluminium panels incorporating complex balcony penetration details on the three residential blocks.

Horbury Facades is also installing an SFS substrate utilizing an EOS framing system and non-combustible Siniat weather defence board. The scheme is set to be completed by 2020.

Adrian Storey, general manager at Horbury Facades, said: "We are very excited to have secured the contract to work on the innovative redevelopment of Gore Street, we have extensive experience in delivering external envelope schemes and look forward to working with the team to bring their ideas to life to create vibrant new buildings."

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From its headquarters in the Moorgate area, the Horbury Group combines a number of subsidiaries that specialise in areas including joinery, ceilings, dry lining and health and safety training.

Another subsidiary, Horbury Property Services, has been appointed by Carlisle-based Castles & Coasts Housing Association to provide fire safety services across its housing portfolio.

The contract will see Horbury Property Services providing fire door and fire compartmentation remedials followed detailed fire risk assessments.

Horbury Property Services will be working across 250 different residential schemes on behalf of the housing association, including apartments and houses, as well as supported and sheltered accommodation.

Richard Sutton, general manager at Horbury Property Services, said: "This is the latest in a number of fire safety contract wins with social housing providers. As FIRAS-approved contractors we have the experience and skills to be able to deliver fire safety works to the highest standards to ensure compliance to the regulations."

Horbury Group website

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News: Rotherham bed manufacturer sent to prison for more than three years

The owner of a Sheffield bed manufacturer, 37-year-old Craig Williams of Park View Road, Kimberworth, appeared at Leeds Crown Court last week and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. He was given 21 months for the fraud charge and 19 months for the breach of Section 3 of the Heath and Safety Work Act. Williams has also been disqualified from being a Director for ten years.

Williams who was on trial following the death of a seven-month-old baby boy Oscar Abbey, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety Work Act. He admitted that he failed to ensure that the bed he designed, manufactured and supplied to Oscar's family was safe and as a consequence it caused Oscar's death. He also pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation.

Appearing alongside him, 31-year old Joseph Bruce of Wingfield Road, Rotherham pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He was also disqualified from being a Director for ten years.

During a two week trial, a jury heard how Williams, owner of bespoke children's bed manufacturer Playtime Beds Ltd, ignored safety guidelines and made and supplied dangerous beds which had been purchased by families for their children to sleep in. Overnight on Wednesday November 2 2016, baby Oscar became entrapped in an opening of a cot gate fitted to the bed supplied by Williams, and as a consequence he died of positional asphyxiation, which occurs when a person's position prevents them from breathing adequately.

The court was read a statement from Oscar's father Charlie Abbey, explaining how he found his baby son cold and unresponsive at 6.30am on Thursday November 3 2016, with his head stuck inside the gate of the cot and his body on the outside of the bed. Oscar had wriggled through a gap backwards, which had been cut into the cot gate, but his head, which was too large for the aperture, became stuck. Despite the efforts of his parents and emergency services, Oscar was pronounced dead on arrival at York Hospital.

Evidence of a Facebook conversation between Oscar's mother, Shannon Abbey and Williams was shown to the jury. In that conversation, Shannon specifically asked Williams about the safety of the bed and told him the age of the child who would be sleeping in it. Williams responded by telling Oscar's mother that his beds were suitable for children of "any age." The court heard that even though Williams was trained to NVQ 2 level in wood occupations, he paid no regard to mandatory safety standards around the size of the gaps between the bars of a cot front, and had actually just adapted template bed designs from an American internet site. That site included measurements between apertures which would of met British Safety Standards if followed. However, this wasn't the case.

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The court also heard that in the months prior to Oscar's death, other customers had raised safety concerns with Williams following incidents involving their own children. Williams stated that his beds exceeded safety standards, and informed one such customer that Trading Standards were happy with the products manufactured by him and if she continued to raise her concerns he would take her to court. He continued to manufacture and supply beds.

Following Oscar's death, police informed Williams of the incident and Sheffield Trading Standards issued Playtime Beds Ltd with a cease and desist warning, directing him to stop the manufacture and supply of his beds, due to serious safety concerns.

However, through the investigation conducted by North Yorkshire Police, officers found that Williams wilfully ignored the instruction and instead, set up another business called Magical Dream Beds Ltd, fronted by co-worker Joseph Bruce, with the specific intention to keep on supplying beds to other families, under another company's name.

The court heard that Bruce, directed by Williams, emailed Playtime Beds customers, stating the new company would fulfill all outstanding orders and that the beds complied with safety regulations. The investigation team identified that Williams and Bruce had gone on to sell a bed to an unsuspecting customer in London just two and a half weeks after Oscar's death. This bed, like the bed sold to the Abbey family, was examined by an expert, who concluded that neither bed complied with the relevant safety standards and posed a threat to children who slept in them.

Detective Superintendent Nigel Costello, senior investigating officer at North Yorkshire Police, said: "This has been a very difficult case to investigate, but I am pleased that justice has been delivered to Oscar's parents and wider family today. They have been through a harrowing experience – the initial shock and devastation of the loss of their baby in 2016, a detailed police investigation and nearly two years on, having to relive each minute again during a court case. Our hearts go out to them and while we realise that this result can never take away the pain of losing Oscar, we hope that in some small way the sentences given today allows them to move on into happier times.

"As the court heard over the past two weeks, the actions of Williams and Bruce were deplorable.

"The death of Oscar was preventable. As the investigation developed and unfolded, we found that Williams and Bruce were solely motivated by money and were willing to sacrifice children’s safety in the pursuit of it."

John Maher, principal trading standards officer at Sheffield City Council, added: "This case presents a clear warning to those whose hobby becomes a business for manufacturing products, that there can be catastrophic consequences of deliberately ignoring product safety requirements. There is always a need to ensure products are safe for consumers to use but particularly for babies and children."

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News: AMRC and the factories of the future

Engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are helping SMEs create factories of the future where humans and robots work together to boost productivity.

Collaborative robots – also known as cobots - differ from conventional industrial robots in that they feature technology that allows them to operate safely alongside human workers in a shared area. They are capable of operating with limited force and speed and are equipped with force-sensing to enable them to stop when they come into contact with an operator.

Traditionally, the safe use of robots in manufacturing has relied on barriers, cages and fences that keep humans and robots separated. The downside to this is that it uses lots of floor space and limits the work robots and humans can do together.

The Integrated Manufacturing Group at the AMRC's Factory 2050 on the Sheffield Business Park has been developing technology demonstrators and testing a new safety standard awaiting ratification for different types of cobots.

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Supported by the Government's Catapult programme, the project began in May last year and completed in March this year. A cell was created at Factory 2050 which demonstrated to SMEs how they can integrate the technology onto their factory floors and transform production lines by increasing the rate at which a process is done, as well as the uniformity and quality of finish on a product.

Phil Kitchen, lead for the Collaborative Robotics research project, said: "What we want to do is to start to develop a gold standard for integration. To get this gold standard, for us, it would mean we could help SMEs to integrate cobots on to their shop floor.

"There are a number of benefits of collaborative robotics for SMEs – improved quality, improved rate, so the rate at which they are making their products - and if they improve rate they can potentially sell more and expand, helping them to grow through the use of collaborative robotics.

"A technical specification was released which detailed how you would go about integrating a collaborative robotic system. It's not yet been ratified as a full ISO standard to use and that is being worked towards now. Essentially what we are aiming to do is put ourselves in the right position to act when the technical specification is ratified by the HSE."

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Phil said cobots come into their own when a process will always require a degree of human intervention – such as tasks requiring dexterous, manual manipulation or human decision making. Cobots are also typically lighter and more flexible than bulkier traditional robots, and are able to be moved around the factory floor.

He said: "Cobots can be used as a flexible resource and they differ from standard industrial robots as they have some element of safety built in. So for example, with the KUKA iiwa - that has force and torque sensors in each of its joints so if it touches you it can sense an external force being imparted on to it and will stop itself.

"Whereas with a regular robot, if you get in with it, it could cause serious injury. That's the main difference really, a collaborative robot has some sort of inbuilt technology to allow for safe human-robot interactions."

One demonstration involved a Tier 1 member of The AMRC process whose production line involved fastening components and apply adhesive to them. Using robots removed the need for operators having to use manual adhesive guns.

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News: Rotherham firm sentenced for safety breaches

A Rotherham-based construction company has been sentenced for safety breaches after a worker suffered life threatening injuries.

Sheffield Magistrates' Court heard that, in September 2016, a 48-year-old employee of K. D. S. Construction Company Ltd (KDS) was working in a two metre deep excavation when he was struck on the head and pinned down by a large segment of concrete.

Martin Schofield, of Thurnscoe, Barnsley, suffered a number of injuries including multiple skull and neck bone fractures, a broken left arm, fractured ribs as well as a significant brain injury.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the construction company had been contracted by Abbey Forged Products Limited to carry out groundworks for the installation of a new underground water drainage system at the company's Beeley Wood Works site in Sheffield.

The investigation also found that KDS employees had dug out a number of excavations for the new tanks and pipework. After one tank had been installed, work started on another excavation for a second tank adjacent to the first. While this was being dug, one of the groundworkers was asked to cover over some pipework which was sticking out of the first tank to protect it from being damaged by backfill. When he descended into the excavation to do this, a section of unsupported concrete which was overhanging the excavation broke off and fell onto him.

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KDS of Taylors Court, Rotherham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £70,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,016.15.

Alison Outhwaite HSE inspector, said: "The employee's injuries were life changing and he could have easily been killed. This serious incident and devastation could have been avoided if basic safe guards had been put in place.

"This case highlights the need to be aware of the risks of working in and near excavations. The groundwork industry need to appreciate the risks even where excavations are thought to be "shallow" or the ground considered to be stable. As HSE guidance states. "Any unsupported excavation will be safe ONLY if its sides are battered back sufficiently or if the excavation is in sound rock (HSG150)."

"If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented."

In a statement issued via solicitors Irwin Mitchell, Martin Schofield, said: "I am pleased that KDS has admitted its guilt and I just hope now that other workers don't have to suffer the pain and anguish I have had to because their employer failed to protect them."

KDS website
HSE website

Images: Abbey Forged Products

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News: Iceland Foods fined £2.5m following fatal accident

Iceland Foods have been fined £2.5m having been found guilty of breaching health and safety laws when a fatal accident occurred at its store in Rotherham.

Iceland had previously been found guilty of breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 following a three-week trial held at Sheffield Crown Court in July 2017.

The charges were brought by Rotherham Council following a fatal accident at the Eastwood store on October 28 2013. A contractor had visited the store to replace filters within an air conditioning unit which was located on a plant platform above a suspended ceiling in the store's warehouse.

The contract worker fell almost three metres from the platform and through the suspended ceiling, sustaining fatal injuries.

An investigation by Adrian Monkhouse, principal environmental health officer at the Council, revealed that there were no barriers in place to prevent falls from the platform, the area of the platform immediately in front of the access ladder was restricted (just 45cm in width) and there were several tripping hazards in this area, including cabling and the fixing points for the ladder itself.

Iceland Foods Limited was instructed to take this area out of use until suitable protective measures had been installed on the plant platform. Once this work was carried out to the satisfaction of the investigating officer, the plant platform was put back into use in March 2014.

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Further investigations revealed that Iceland Foods Limited had not carried out a risk assessment to consider access to the plant platform either by contractors or their own employees. Iceland argued that they had intended for a guardrail to be installed around the plant platform and had in fact paid for one during refurbishment of the store.

In court Iceland contended that they were entitled to rely on the specialist contractors who carried out work on the plant platform to identify the missing handrail. These claims were rejected by the prosecution and the court.

At a sentencing hearing at Grimsby Crown Court this week, the company was fined £1.25m for each offence and ordered to pay the full costs of £65,019.64 to Rotherham Council.

Karen Hanson, assistant director for Community Safety and Street Scene at Rotherham Council, said that the case highlighted the importance of companies considering not only their own employees but the work of contractors as part of their health and safety arrangements.

She said: "All businesses should be aware of the importance of health and safety – particularly for high-risk activities such as working from heights."

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News: Rotherham supermarket saved by sprinklers

Fire officers are repeating calls for businesses to fit sprinklers, after the devices saved a Rotherham supermarket from suffering a serious blaze.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) firefighters attended the incident at Asda Rotherham, Aldwarke Lane in July after a fryer caught fire in the cafe.

But the fire was already out when crews from Rotherham and Dearne stations arrived, there was virtually no fire or water damage and the store was quickly reopened - all thanks to sprinklers which had been fitted to suppress the fire.

Amy Jenkinson, business fire safety manager at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, said: "The fire suppression systems installed by Asda were sophisticated, worked effectively and completely extinguished the fire. There is no doubt that having sprinkler systems like this in place can save businesses massive amounts of time and money by limiting losses of stock and custom in the event that a fire does occur."

The fire service added that sprinklers are the most effective way of ensuring that fires are suppressed or even extinguished before the fire service can arrive. They save lives and reduce injuries, protect firefighters who attend incidents and reduce the amount of damage to both property and the environment from fire.

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Currently, only commercial premises greater than 20,000 sq m (215,000 sq ft) must have sprinkler systems installed. SYFR adopted a position statement last year which specifically advocated the use of sprinklers and other fire suppression systems in non-domestic premises and high-risk residential settings.

SYFR offers a number of services aimed at businesses. Part of that includes promoting better understanding of the benefits of sprinklers, encouraging building owners, developers, architects and designers to incorporate sprinkler systems where there is a risk-based case for doing so, particularly where the risks to people are unacceptable high, or where there is a clear business case in terms of cost and benefit.

The position statement added: "Irrespective of size, there is a compelling case to be made for sprinklers in any commercial premises, on the basis of loss of production or interruption to business as a result of fire. Approximately 85% of small and medium businesses suffering a serious fire either never recover or cease trading within 18 months.

"The installation of sprinklers in these types of premises will aid growth in the economy as fewer businesses will cease to trade, losses from fire will reduce and fewer businesses will be forced to relocate. The impact of the loss of trade and jobs to the economy of South Yorkshire can be minimised by the installation of sprinklers."

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue website

Images: SYFR

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News: Firm fined following serious injury at Rotherham facility

A Rotherham firm has been fined after a worker lost his left arm when it was dragged into exposed machinery.

AMG Superalloys UK Limited is a highly successful manufacturer of high specification metals and alloys and an acknowledged global leader in sustainable metal and powder technology. The Fullerton Road firm was renamed from London & Scandinavian Metallurgical Co Limited (LSM) shortly after it celebrated its 75th year.

The court heard that a worker was cleaning down a large piece of machinery at a titanium alloy processing plant when his left arm was dragged into part of part of the unguarded mechanism, the belt and flywheel. One of his colleagues heard him screaming and found him unconscious, initially believing he was dead.

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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that workers on the crushing plant were required to clean down the machinery after each batch to ensure the titanium product was not contaminated; this placed them immediately next to unguarded belt and flywheels. Although the company had enclosed all the machinery with a fence including an interlocked gate, which ensured that the machinery was not powered when the gate was open, the belt and the flywheel could still move with considerable power if it was caught or nudged.

The worker was 56 years-old at the time of the incident in September 2014. He suffered crush injuries to his left upper limb so severe it had to be amputated above the elbow. He had previously worked for the company for 24 years but has not been able to return to work following the incident.

AMG Superalloys UK Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £240,000 with £22,7941.55 costs.

Carol Downes, inspector at the HSE, said: "This entirely preventable incident resulted in serious life changing injuries to a worker. The risks of unguarded machinery are well-known within the industry. If AMG Superalloys had carried out their legal duty and assessed the risk of this piece of equipment and how the workers cleaned the machine they would have realised the dangers they were exposed too.

"Fitting simple guards would have prevented this workers arm from been dragged in, resulting in his life-changing injuries and the continuous pain he is still suffering."

AMG Superalloys website

Images: AMG

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News: Fine for safety failings at Rotherham facility

A fine has been imposed after a worker suffered injury when his hand came into contact with a lathe at a Rotherham factory.

Rotherham Magistrates' Court heard how an employee of Rotherham Group Realisations Limited was tasked with turning and polishing metal bars with no specific instructions on how this should be completed.

He was holding an emery cloth in his gloved hand around the rotating lathe when his hand came into contact with the lathe.

He sustained fractures to his right arm, wrist and hand.

Rotherham Group Realisations Limited was formerly known as MTL Group Limited, one of Europe's fastest growing project manufacturing specialists in the metal sector and a global exporter of secondary steelwork.

Administrators were appointed at the Brinsworth firm early in 2015 after it experienced difficulties with a large export contract that ultimately led to losses of over £3m for the first eight months of the 2014 financial year, resulting in cash flow pressures and the need for additional funding.

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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on September 17 2014 found that the risk assessment for using the lathe was not suitable or sufficient.

There was no written safe system of work for polishing on the lathe.

Rotherham Group Realisations Limited, which is registered to the administrators address of Bridgewater Place, Leeds, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1)of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,316.

The Lancashire-based WEC Group, which comprises 14 companies specialising in welding and fabrication, brought the company out of administration in 2015, saving 135 jobs. WEC Group funded a £1.97m partnership deal to acquire the business and certain assets of MTL which made the group the largest laser cutting operation in the UK's fabrication and engineering sector.

Since the deal, an ambitious programme of investment throughout the Group has been undertaken aimed at increasing manufacturing space and giving room for further growth.

The company, now known as MTL Advanced, has created 55 new jobs since coming out of administration and has invested in a new in-house training school, £1m in new equipment and £7m in acquiring the 300,000 sq ft factory and 30 acres of land.

MTL Advanced website

Images: MTL Advanced

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News: Tata fined after Rotherham steelworks explosion

Tata Steel has been fined £180,000 after pleading guilty to safety breaches after an employee narrowly escaped death when he was showered in scalding molten metal in a massive explosion at its Rotherham plant.

The 49-year-old furnace operative, who has asked not to be named, suffered life-threatening injuries in the incident on March 9 2012 at Tata Speciality Steels' premises at Aldwarke.

The worker, from Rotherham, was injured after a control system fault caused 25 tons of molten metal to spill from a furnace. Following the usual practice, the worker and a colleague began to hose water onto the spilled metal to cool it down. Soon after the water made contact, there was a huge explosion and the worker was covered in molten metal.

He staggered to safety where colleagues rushed to his aid and applied a burn shield before he was taken to hospital. Two other employees received minor injuries.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which prosecuted Tata Steel UK Ltd for safety breaches.

Sheffield Crown Court heard this week that a few weeks prior to the incident a fire had damaged the furnace control system, which required a temporary fix until new parts were fitted. On the day of the incident an electrician was asked to remove the workaround as it was thought that the fault had been fixed.

Leading up to the explosion, molten metal was being poured from the furnace into a ladle underneath for the first time since the removal of the temporary fix. As the molten metal poured an alarm activated, locking the furnace into position. A furnace worker tried the emergency return, which should have returned the furnace and stopped the molten metal discharging, but this failed.

After the ladle had been filled and automatically moved away, the furnace continued to discharge a further 25 tons of molten metal into a pit below.

HSE's investigation identified serious safety failings by Tata in recognising and dealing with risks that led to workers being exposed to unnecessary danger. It found Tata had no procedures for dealing with spillages of molten metal, no assessment of the dangers and risks had been carried out and there was no safe system of work in place.

HSE found this led to a situation where it had become normal practice for workers to hose water onto spills. Molten metal will explode if water penetrates the surface.

Recommended readig: Preventing Falls from Height: Enhancing Safety Standards on Rotherham Construction Sites

Tata Steel UK Ltd was fined a total of £180,000 and ordered to pay £82,979.26 in costs after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham said: "This was a horrific incident that left a worker with life-changing injuries, which have had a devastating impact on him and his family. Tragically, it could have been avoided had Tata assessed the risks of dealing with molten metal spillages.

"The company's business is to make steel, but they had no procedures for dealing with these spillages, leading to employees using hoses to cool the metal. This was very dangerous but the scale of risk had not been recognised by workers, who had received no other information or instruction on what to do.

"The resulting explosion was massive and a man nearly lost his life. He remains badly-scarred by what happened that day.

"Tata no longer uses water to cool spillages and the risk has been eliminated. If the company had done this prior to the incident, this worker and his family would not be where they are today."

Tata Steel website

Images: HSE

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