UK: World's 4th largest chemical company's safety oversight leads to serious injury - fine issued
A major chemical company was fined £400,000 after an employee suffered serious burns from falling into a caustic solution sump.
The following article is an abridgement of an article originally published by the HSE.
Employee falls into caustic solution sump leading to serious injury
On November 25, 2019, a routine task at the large chemical company's site in Scotland, turned perilous when a 47-year-old employee suffered serious burns.
A worker was clearing a tank containing caustic solution, that had reached its threshold the previous day. The worker's right leg fell into the sump containing the caustic solution after stepping on inadequately secured grating. After being submerged for three seconds, he pulled his leg back out.
This preventable accident led to permanent scarring and a painful recovery.
HSE investigation reveals no risk assessment was undertaken
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed a lack of risk assessment and a safe work system at the company. The absence of secure grating and safety barriers directly contributed to the incident. HSE guidelines emphasize the importance of hazard identification, risk assessment, and control measures - steps the company neglected to take.
Legal repercussions
The company admitted to breaches of health and safety legislation and was fined £400,000 on March 8, 2024. HSE inspector Lindsey Stein highlighted the avoidability of the accident, stressing the legal and moral obligations of employers to maintain a safe working environment:
"The dangerous properties of caustic are widely known and this incident could so easily have been avoided with the implementation of straightforward control measures identified through assessment."
A preventable tragedy
This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of overlooking workplace safety. It underscores the need for rigorous risk management and the implementation of effective safety measures to protect employees.
Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), added:
"This prosecution should remind dutyholders that a failure to manage and implement effective measures can have serious consequences and they will be held accountable for this failure."
Sources
INEOS fined after employee seriously injured by HSE, 8th March, 2024.
