Walter Heselwood Limited, a Sheffield based scrap metal recycling company, has been fined after safety failings led to the death of a worker at their recycling site.
Tony Johnson, 55, was working at the site on 16 June 2009 when he was hit in the head by a large section of an exploding gas cylinder. The pressurised gas cylinder had exploded after being put through a shearing machine.
A number of safety failures were found by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following their investigation. The company had no effective health and safety management system in place and had failed to properly assess the risks involved with the processing of different types of scrap metal. They had also failed to implement measures to reduce the risks posed to workers, for example the installation of a blast wall.
HSE inspector Kirsty Storer commented: ''Companies processing different materials should have good, documented systems to ensure materials such as pressurised cylinders are sorted and dealt with correctly. Workers also need to be properly trained and supervised. In addition, where safeguards are provided they need to be well maintained, and an assessment should be carried out to determine any additional precautions that might be required, such as a pit or blast wall.”
Walter Heselwood Limited pleaded guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and were fined £120,000 with £40,000 costs.
