Chemical spray leaves workers ‘severely burned’
4 Jan 2017
An engineering firm has been fined £150,000 after two of its workers suffered severe burns when they were sprayed with chemicals during the cleaning of a pipework system at a pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Cramlington.
A reaction occurred between the chemicals and water in the system that caused the liquid to heat up, increasing pressure in the hose. The hose detached and sprayed the two workers with the solution, causing severe burns, Newcastle Crown Court heard yesterday.
PSL Worldwide Projects, which employs the two workers, was fined £150,000, despite pleading not guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company did not adequately risk assess the task; the equipment provided to do the job, in particular the hosing, was not suitable for the solution; and the company failed to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to its employees.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Laura Catterall commented: “If a suitable risk assessment had been undertaken it would have identified that the equipment being used was not right for the chemicals or the work being carried out.
“All companies who work with high hazard chemicals should learn from this case and ensure that their workers are properly protected.”
