Health and safety rules and regulations are so important – They are there to protect us and prevent anyone from coming to harm; and it’s the reason there are so many we must abide by. There are of course arguments against some regulations that are seen as a waste of time by Mr Cameron and the Con-Dem Government; and although this next story relates to an industrial accident which I am sure our PM won’t be looking to cut back on, it’s an example of the consequences that can occur when health and safety falls short.
According to sources from the Metro Newspaper, a decorated war veteran has been killed in an accident after a colleague switched on an industrial seized blender which he was cleaning from the inside. Paul Palmer, 44, from Radcliffe, Bury, has served in Bosnia, the Falklands, and Kuwait during his 13 year military career, rising to the rank of Sergeant in the elite 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment and earning five medals of honour. Sadly, a colleague turned on the machine whilst he was cleaning it on the inside.
But how could such an incident have happened? According to the report, the machine was designed to make it impossible to turn on whilst someone is inside it. Apparently two cut-off switches failed to operate, and Mr Palmer was tragically killed by the machines blade after suffering multiple injuries. This is just something that should never have been allowed to happen.
The firm, Building Chemical Research Ltd, has been fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 towards the costs of the prosecution. The company director, Mr Stuart Reich, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs. The report goes on to say that they pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of an employee. HSE Inspector Alan Meyer is quoted to have said “This was a totally avoidable accident that resulted in the tragic death of an employee. The guard on the mixer was totally inadequate and both the safety switches failed.” He went on to say “Had the machine had a proper guard and a working cut-out switch, Mr Palmer would still be alive today.”
It’s a truly tragic accident that has cost the life of a decorated war veteran. Mr Palmer’s brother has spoken out following the incident, saying “It just seems wrong that he survived over a decade in the Army and then was killed by a machine in a factory.” This certainly puts things in to perspective. Notably, another sibling in the family was killed in an asbestos related incident.
We at The Injury Lawyers are experts in work accident claims. We take on a significant amount of work accident claims on a daily basis, and it just astounds me that there are so many employers out there who are either willing to take the risk, or simply don’t care. This story demonstrates the ultimate cost of failing to adhere to important health and safety regulations. And it supports the reason there are so many rules and regulations we must abide by. They may seem like silly little rules – but consider the extent of the possible consequences… One reader whom has commented on the article seems to partly agree with me, saying “could this possibly be a salutary lesson to the “health and safety done mad” brigade?”
Our sincerest condolences and sympathies are of course with the family at the tough time. I just hope that lessons are learned – more needs to be done to protect workers in all industries. The article goes on to say that there are more than 3.2 million people working in the UK’s manufacturing sector; of which 35 were killed and 31,000 seriously injured last year, according to figures from the HSE.
But how many lessons need to be learned to stop incidents like this from happening again and again?
