Let's Break the Chain

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RISK AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT Issue 03/2017 Visit our website at www.iirsm.org Let’s break the chain A speaker at the recent Health in Middleton to be contacted by radio DJs in a persists simply because we don’t have the Construction Leadership Group Forum prank call. The pressure fell on one individual, words to express our feelings about it. There’s stood on stage and said: “I unclipped and her death should have been predictable. a degree of pressure to ‘be seen to be coping’ my harness and walked to the edge Recent research by Oxford and Stockholm and not showing personal emotions, and if and thought the world would be better universities found people who know a work we do see the signs among colleagues we without me”. The room fell silent. Leaders colleague who died by suicide are three don’t know how to respond. were uncomfortable. Questions followed: times more likely to follow suit. It’s evidence Through training and authentic caring the what could the employer have done? that suicide is now a workplace risk. But how evidence suggests people can be helped. The Some of us may have been involved in can you manage depression when you don’t speaker who contemplated taking his life by cases where no one can explain the actions know colleagues are suffering? Even if we jumping from height underwent cognitive of the trained and experienced worker carry out pre-employment questionnaires behavioural therapy, which has saved his life. who died. The employer knows of the or health surveillance, staff don’t admit to As well as the moral duty, there is a requirement to ensure health and safety, but mental illness through fear of stigma, job business case for taking the time to care: often the investigation begins with blame, security or because they cannot diagnose mental illness is responsible for 91 million remorse and the assumption the employer their own mood. working days lost and costs £30 billion each must have caused the death. However, doing nothing is not the answer. year. Remember: if one person talks, the There is rarely evidence of suicide – with Suicide is the most common cause of death other needs to listen. the exception of Telecom France, when 24 for men aged between 20–49 in England and employees took their lives over seven years. Wales, according to 2015 figures from the For practical ways employers can help The majority left letters blaming pressure Office of National Statistics. Three quarters to prevent occupational burnout, turn to from management. of the population with a diagnosable mental page 12. For information on supporting Many of us will also remember the illness receive no treatment. suicidal employees, see President Siobhan story of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who Tonja Schmidt, Head of Development and Donnelly’s column in this month’s issue of committed suicide after she allowed Kate Evaluation at the Samaritans, says that stigma Health and Safety at Work. INSIDE THIS ISSUE In court: Wilko, KFC, How safe is your Record numbers How to become an 02 Warburtons and 06 supply chain? 09 attend Branch 16 Ambassador for IIRSM Jaguar Land Rover meeting in Dubai News Prosecutions News Prosecutions RISK ASSESSMENT SENTENCING TRANSPORT Left: Image from the train immediately before the Safety fines Rail worker hit accident, showing Allen Evans walking along the Retailer fined £2.2m after track. Below: ground profile of accident location treble in 12 by 90mph train worker was crushed by months 35-stone cage The owner of the UK’s railway network ● First year of revised guideline resulted in has been fined £800,000 after a 19 fines of £1 million or more maintenance worker was struck by a train travelling at up to 90mph. ● Store failed to tailor generic, national risk The first year of operation of the Network Rail was charged with two assessments to local requirements new sentencing guideline, which counts under the Health and Safety at took effect on 1 February 2016, has Work Act for failing to ensure the health, National chain Wilko has been ordered seen penalties for health and safety safety and welfare at work of employees to pay £2.2 million for safety breaches offences treble. and non-employees. is possible his right arm will have to be The company pleaded guilty to the after a student working part-time at The largest fine in 2016 was On 22 June 2014, an inspection amputated in the future. two charges and “in no way held Evans one its stores was left paralysed when a £5 million, handed to Merlin revealed tracks needed urgent work done Workers said they felt uncomfortable responsible”, the court heard. metal cage full of paint tins fell on top Entertainments after five people were due to “metal fatigue”, which is known to being so close to the trains and had to sit “It has been accepted that the of her. seriously hurt in a rollercoaster crash cause train derailment. or squat on the side of the embankment, company’s plan and decision to do this The retail giant was prosecuted by at its Alton Towers theme park. This Two days later, Rail Manager Allen Evans Guildford Crown Court heard. work in a Red Zone was an error – but for Leicester City Council after the heavily was two and a half times the size of the was carrying out the repairs to the track “This was a serious risk, considering the right reasons,” said Oliver Campbell laden metal cage, used to move stock largest fine in 2015 and almost ten times near Redhill in Surrey. At the side of the the speed and frequency of the trains,” for the defence. around the store, toppled over a ledge larger than the biggest fine in 2014. track where Evans was walking was a steep said Graham Watson for the prosecution. ORR Principal Inspector Tom Wake that was created when the lift stopped at Thirty-four of the 46 people embankment where the ability to retreat The court was told that the works said: “In 2014, Network Rail’s planning of a slightly lower level than the floor. prosecuted for health and safety to safety when a train approached was could have been carried out at night, track maintenance work near Redhill fell The cage fell over as Corisande Collins breaches were found guilty and this “materially compromised”, the court heard. coinciding with other scheduled works below legal standards, placing workers (right) manoeuvred it out of the doors, resulted in 12 prison sentences – the An eye witness heard a “bang” and saw that would have ensured that no trains in unnecessary danger and causing an crushing her beneath hundreds of litres longest of which was two years. Evans fall down the embankment holding were running. employee to suffer life changing injuries. of paint tins. She sustained severe spinal The largest 20 fines imposed for his arm. He was taken to St George’s Watson added: “In substance, there “After the incident, Network Rail injuries in the 2013 incident and now has health and safety offences last year Hospital in Tooting by air ambulance. His was a culture in Network Rail in relation undertook a review of worker safety on © SWNS.com to use a wheelchair. Corisande Collins will spend the rest of her life in a cost the businesses involved a total injuries were described as life-changing. to poor planning in this area, which gave the London to Brighton line, reducing “The practical realities were essentially wheelchair of £38.6 million, and not every case Evans, who had worked for the rail rise to serious risks, which eventuated in track maintenance with trains running, that heavily and unevenly laden cages involved a fatality. In comparison, giant for more than 30 years, has limited very significant and life-changing injuries introducing better warning systems and were being manoeuvred around, As well as the multi-million pound the largest 20 fines in 2015 and 2014, mobility and needed psychiatric help. It to Evans.” providing additional training for staff. sometimes unnecessarily, with items not fine, the firm was ordered to pay an cost £13.5 million and £4.3 million even required on the shop floor,” said additional £70,835 in legal costs. The respectively. Judge Ebraham Mooncey at Leicester retailer, which is based in Worksop, “The increase in fines being issued HUMAN TRAFFICKING Crown Court. “The risks were clear.” Nottinghamshire, has nearly 400 stores by the courts demonstrates a desire InBrief He highlighted nine failings of Wilko, across the UK and a turnover of £1.4 to drive the message home the adding that the cage in this incident was billion. ensuring health and safety within a Sports Direct modern slavery brothers jailed White paper sets out Brexit plans top-heavy, with 87.5 litres of paint stored In a statement, Collins, who is now working environment is fundamental,” The government’s long-awaited on the top level, 87 litres on the middle 23, said: “I never imagined something like commented Mary Lawrence, Partner ● Erwin and Krystian Markowski were each They were given a two-and-a-half year white paper outlining its Brexit level and 55 litres on the lower level, this happening to me. Wilko is taking full at law firm Osborne Clarke. “So while sentenced to 8.5 years in prison concurrent sentence for fraud. plans highlights 12 areas which the making it more likely to topple over. responsibility for what happened, but this fines regularly exceeded the £1 million The Markowskis paid for the Polish men government is prioritising, including Wilko pleaded guilty to breaching will never make up for the fact I have lost mark last year, we can expect to see Two brothers who trafficked 18 people to travel to the UK, but when they arrived protecting workers’ rights, ensuring Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at the use of my legs and will spend the rest even larger fines going forward.” from Poland to the UK and conned and their passports were taken and they were free trade with European markets and Work Act; Section 2(2) of the Health and of my life in a wheelchair.” threatened them have been jailed.

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