Merseyside companies urged not to ignore health and safety warnings
June 23, 2009
Companies in Merseyside are being urged not to ignore health and safety warnings after a chemical factory in Newton-le-Willows was ordered to pay nearly £55,000.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served T.J. & S. Jenkinson Ltd with 19 enforcement notices between September 2004 and October 2008. It took the decision to prosecute the company for persistent failings, which put employees at risk of serious harm to their health and safety.
Jenkinson, which makes cleaning products and is based on Sankey Valley Industrial Estate in Earlestown, received a maximum fine of £30,000 for three offences at St Helens Magistrates Court on Wednesday 17 June, and was ordered to pay full costs of £24,527.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, Regulation 5(1) of the Provision of Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The charges related to Jenkinson failing to adequately control the exposure of an employee to hazardous substances in its powder plant room, failing to maintain a Hyster forklift truck which had a history of steering problems, and failing to comply with an Improvement Notice requiring training to be given to employees exposed to hazardous substances.
The HSE issues enforcement notices when it finds serious breaches of health and safety regulations. There are two types of notices – improvement and prohibition. Improvement Notices require changes to be made by a particular date, and Prohibition Notices stop work from taking place until specific improvements have been made.
Jenkinson's early guilty plea was taken into consideration by the court and the case was not sent to Crown Court for sentencing, where the company could have received an unlimited fine.
Find out more about COSHH
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served T.J. & S. Jenkinson Ltd with 19 enforcement notices between September 2004 and October 2008. It took the decision to prosecute the company for persistent failings, which put employees at risk of serious harm to their health and safety.
Jenkinson, which makes cleaning products and is based on Sankey Valley Industrial Estate in Earlestown, received a maximum fine of £30,000 for three offences at St Helens Magistrates Court on Wednesday 17 June, and was ordered to pay full costs of £24,527.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, Regulation 5(1) of the Provision of Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The charges related to Jenkinson failing to adequately control the exposure of an employee to hazardous substances in its powder plant room, failing to maintain a Hyster forklift truck which had a history of steering problems, and failing to comply with an Improvement Notice requiring training to be given to employees exposed to hazardous substances.
The HSE issues enforcement notices when it finds serious breaches of health and safety regulations. There are two types of notices – improvement and prohibition. Improvement Notices require changes to be made by a particular date, and Prohibition Notices stop work from taking place until specific improvements have been made.
Jenkinson's early guilty plea was taken into consideration by the court and the case was not sent to Crown Court for sentencing, where the company could have received an unlimited fine.
Find out more about COSHH
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Scotland govt reveals health and safety problem - January 29, 2009
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