Unregistered plumber handed suspended prison sentence for illegal gas work
A man from Essex has been given a suspended jail sentence after carrying out illegal gas work and breaching a HSE enforcement notice.
On 18 April 2020, Joshua Pitman, 28, undertook gas work at a house in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, which included installing gas pipework.
However, Mr Pitman’s installation at the house was found to not be up to current standards by a Gas Safe Registered engineer.
Andrew Parsons, who lives in the property with his wife Patricia Parsons, says Mr Pitman’s illegal gas work caused him and his family a great deal of distress.
An investigation by the HSE found that Joshua Pitman undertook illegal work while still serving a suspended jail sentence, having previously been convicted of the same offences.
In October 2019, Mr Pitman was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, after being prosecuted by the HSE. This HSE prosecution was in relation to illegal gas work Mr Pitman carried out in Brentwood, Essex, in November 2016, where he installed a boiler in one property and relocated a boiler at another despite not being registered with Gas Safe Register. During this prosecution, Mr Pitman was also served with a Prohibition Notice by the HSE which banned him from carrying out gas work while being unregistered. Mr Pitman breached this enforcement notice while working on Mr Parsons’ home in April 2020.
Mr Pitman has never completed the required Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) qualifications to demonstrate he is competent to carry out gas work nor been registered with Gas Safe Register.
Joshua Pitman, of Whitesmith Drive, Billericay, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 3 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, fined £22,500 and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work at Chelmsford Crown Court on 10 October 2023. He was also ordered to pay costs of £40,000 and £5,810 in compensation to Mr Parsons.
HSE inspector Connor Stowers said: “Joshua Pitman undertook gas work which he knew to be illegal and that he was not registered to do. All gas work must be carried out by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life. The sentence should highlight that HSE and the courts take illegal gas work very seriously because of the danger it can pose both to homeowners and the wider community.”
Mr Parsons, 49, said: “[Joshua Pitman] did not have a Gas Safe certificate [and this] caused a lot of disruption for myself and my family via having to put all that work right – the involvement of Cadent, HSE and various other contributary factors that have come in to get that fixed and therefore cost a fair amount of money, but also more importantly, put my family in danger by somebody purporting to be Gas Safe Registered and in fact not being and doing the work without those qualifications.
“So the result of him pleading guilty, hopefully that will encourage others who may be thinking of doing this sort of work, the sentences that he has got, the compensation he is going to have to pay, hopefully that will deter other people from doing similar work.”
“I would urge anybody out there who is going to employ a plumber, heating engineer, anybody who is going to be doing gas work, make sure you check the certificates, make sure you check those people are who they say they are, that they have got all the right qualifications and that they have all the right certifications to do that work and not putting anybody in danger.”
This is valid as of 16th October 2023.
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South Florida contractors found to have put roofing workers’ safety at risk
(United States)
For roofing workers without required fall protection, one wrong or unsteady step can lead to serious, debilitating injuries or worse, a danger to which two Florida contractors exposed 12 workers at a Davie worksite in April 2023.
Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) observed employees of A1A Roofing Contractor LLC of Loxahatchee working without fall protection on pitched roofs at heights up to 32 feet. They also found the subcontractor allowed one worker to use a broken harness and failed to train employees on how to recognize and prevent falls. OSHA cited the company for similar violations in September 2022.
During the investigation, OSHA also learned the primary contractor, Paul Bange Roofing Inc. of Davie, had not conducted regular inspections as required to prevent A1A workers from being exposed to fall hazards.
OSHA issued a citation to A1A Roofing for two willful violations, one repeat violation and three serious violations and proposed $163,044 in penalties. The agency issued Paul Bange Roofing a serious citation and proposed $10,938 in penalties.
OSHA Area Office Director Condell Eastmond in Fort Lauderdale, Florida said: “Our inspectors found the primary contractor and subcontractor at a Davie work site failing to protect workers from the risks of falls from elevation, the construction industry’s leading cause of death. Fall dangers are widely known in the roofing industry as are the protections that employers must legally use to prevent them, so neither A1A Roofing nor Paul Bange Roofing have a valid excuse for putting their workers in jeopardy of serious or fatal injuries.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports nearly one in five workplace deaths occurred in the construction industry in 2021, and just over one-third of these related to falls, slips and trips. The industry accounted for about 46% of all fatal falls, slips and trips in 2021.
The companies have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
This is valid as of 16th October 2023.
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A Norfolk woodworking company has been fined £25,000 for failing to control its employees’ exposure to wood dust.
A HSE inspection of The Joinery Yard Limited at Sweet Briar Road industrial estate, Norwich in November 2019 identified failings in the company’s control measures to prevent exposure of their employees to wood dust. As a result, enforcement action was taken.
Wood dust is a respiratory sensitiser that can cause long term health effects including occupational asthma.
A subsequent inspection in July 2022 showed that the company had failed to maintain standards and enforcement action was taken again. This inspection identified ongoing failings in the company’s control measures and found that they had failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of workers exposed to wood dust.
The Joinery Yard Ltd of Aylsham Road, Norwich, Norfolk pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were fined £25,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,681.77.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said: “The fine imposed on The Joinery Yard Limited should underline to everyone in the woodworking industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to follow the regulations extremely seriously.
“Wood dust can cause serious health problems and all businesses need to protect their workers’ respiratory health.
“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”
This HSE prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Sam Crockett and paralegal officer Rebecca Forman.
This is valid as of 16th October 2023.
A Norfolk woodworking company has been fined £25,000 for failing to control its employees’ exposure to wood dust.
A HSE inspection of The Joinery Yard Limited at Sweet Briar Road industrial estate, Norwich in November 2019 identified failings in the company’s control measures to prevent exposure of their employees to wood dust. As a result, enforcement action was taken.
Wood dust is a respiratory sensitiser that can cause long term health effects including occupational asthma.
A subsequent inspection in July 2022 showed that the company had failed to maintain standards and enforcement action was taken again. This inspection identified ongoing failings in the company’s control measures and found that they had failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of workers exposed to wood dust.
The Joinery Yard Ltd of Aylsham Road, Norwich, Norfolk pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were fined £25,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,681.77.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Natalie Prince said: “The fine imposed on The Joinery Yard Limited should underline to everyone in the woodworking industry that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to follow the regulations extremely seriously.
“Wood dust can cause serious health problems and all businesses need to protect their workers’ respiratory health.
“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”
This HSE prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Sam Crockett and paralegal officer Rebecca Forman.
This is valid as of 16th October 2023.
$40,000 fine after forklift crushes worker’s leg
(Australia)
A shipping, transport and logistics company has been fined $40,000 after a worker on a pedestrian walkway was struck by a forklift in its Port Melbourne warehouse.
Searoad Logistics Pty Ltd was fined without conviction, and ordered to pay an additional $9,870 in costs in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
The company pleaded guilty to one charge under the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing, so far as reasonably practicable, to ensure the workplace was safe and without risks to health.
The court heard that in May 2020, seconds after a forklift drove out through an open roller door, a truck driver walked into the warehouse via the same door. As he continued along the marked walkway, the forklift reversed back into the warehouse, hitting him, and crushing his left leg.
A WorkSafe investigation found it was reasonably practicable for the company to reduce the risk to health and safety by having a traffic management plan in place, and ensuring truck drivers were inducted into the workplace and advised of the plan.
It was also reasonably practicable to use physical barriers to stop people using the pedestrian walkways walking into areas where forklifts were operating, and mirrors to improve forklift drivers’ visibility.
WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Narelle Beer called on employers to proactively ensure their workplaces are safe and that employees and visitors are properly inducted: “We know that forklifts can be dangerous and there is simply no excuse for employers not doing everything possible to ensure that they operate in a way that is safe for everyone on the site.
“That means ensuring that traffic management plans are in place and up to date, and that anyone entering the workplace is properly inducted on safety, as well as practical things such as installing barriers to separate pedestrians from moving plant.”
This is valid as of 12th October 2023.
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Fines for three companies after engineer electrocuted in hospital kitchen
Three companies have been fined a total of £600,000 after an engineer was fatally electrocuted while repairing an appliance in a hospital kitchen.
Craig Stocker, working for Serviceline (part of AFE Group), died on 13 December 2017 while fixing a macerator (food waste disposal unit) at Bishops Wood Hospital, operated by BMI Healthcare (now known as Circle Health Group Limited) in Northwood, Middlesex.
The 36-year-old, who was originally from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, but lived in Letchworth, came into contact with a metal section of the macerator that had been electrified as water had entered the machine’s wiring.
The macerator was not protected by an earth wire and there was no residual current device (RCD) to prevent fatal exposure to the electrical current.
The HSE’s investigation found that Imperial Machine Company’s design of the macerator had serious flaws. The earthing wire could be connected in a way that meant it was ineffective, and the equipment was also permanently live.
When the macerator was installed by McFarlane Telfer in 2013, they had not acted on the manufacturer’s instructions, which required that a residual current device (RCD) was fitted.
BMI Healthcare did not identify that the RCD had not been fitted and the machine was operated for several years before the incident occurred.
Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court:
BMI Healthcare (now Circle Health Group Limited), of Cannon Street, London, was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. 1974. The company was fined £450,000 and ordered to pay £106,895 in costs.
McFarlane Telfer Limited, of Westacott Way, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. 1974. The company was fined £70,000 and ordered to pay £106,753 in costs.
AFE Group Limited (trading as Serviceline) were found not guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
On 2 March 2022, Imperial Machine Company Limited, of Whisby Road, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 6(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £12,945 in costs at Southwark Crown Court on 3 October 2023.
HSE inspector Kevin Shorten said: “Our thoughts today are with the family of Mr Stocker. He should have returned home safely at the end of his working day but, because of the failings of these three companies, he did not.
“The fines imposed should underline to manufacturers, contractors and building owners that the courts, and HSE, take a failure to ensure electrical safety extremely seriously.
“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.
This is valid as of 12th October 2023.
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PGL Travel Limited has been prosecuted by Waverley Borough Council and ordered to pay £1 million plus costs after two children sustained significant injuries at an organised residential stay at the company’s Adventure Centre near Hindhead, Surrey.
The company pleaded guilty to offences under Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Guildford Magistrates Court in June, and were sentenced at Staines Magistrates Court on 2 October 2023, when the fine of £1 million plus costs of £18,006 and a victim surcharge of £181, were imposed.
The offences related to accidents which took place on the 26 May 2021 and 21 October 2021, both involving children attending school organised residential stays at PGL Marchants Hill Adventure Centre near Hindhead, Surrey. The two children sustained significant injuries to their fingers following entrapment in door hinges at the centre’s accommodation blocks.
The court heard that PGL Travel Limited, which describes itself as “the UK’s leading outdoor education provider”, had been monitoring similar incidents since 2009, and that 520 children across all its sites had sustained finger entrapment in door injuries, some resulting in significant injury and amputation. Despite this, the business failed to voluntarily install finger guards to protect children staying at the Marchants Hill Hindhead based centre until officers from Waverley Borough Council’s Environmental Health (Food and Safety) Team issued them with Prohibition Notices requiring them to do so.
Councillor Tony Fairclough, Waverley Borough Council’s Executive Portfolio Holder for Enforcement and Regulatory Services, said: “The council takes breaches of health and safety legislation very seriously; this is a significant fine for a local authority prosecution and it is testament to the sterling work of our Environmental Health and Legal teams. No parent expects to send their child on a school residential trip, and for them to return injured. The children involved should have been enjoying their first independent holiday without parents but were badly wounded and traumatised by their injuries, which required hospitalisation and surgery.
“It is vitally important that businesses protect the health, safety and welfare of visitors to their business premises. They can do this by undertaking a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of work activities at their premises and implementing control measures in a timely fashion.”
This is valid as of 9th October 2023.
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From 1 October 2023, businesses in England must no longer supply, sell or offer certain single-use plastic items in England.
The single-use plastic ban follows on from the existing plastic ban on microbeads in 2018 and single use plastic straws in 2020. In Scotland, there is already a single use plastic ban that came into force in June 2022.
From 1 October, any business in England that relies on single use plastic products in any form must comply with the ban. The ban includes:
Online and over-the-counter sales and supply.
Items from new and existing stock.
All types of single-use plastic, including biodegradable, compostable and recycled.
Items wholly or partly made from plastic, including coating or lining.
“Single use” means the item is meant to be used only once for its original purpose.
If a business continues to supply banned single-use plastics after 1 October, it could be fined. Local authorities will carry out inspections to ensure the rules are being followed.
There are some exemptions to the ban, depending on the item.
Businesses can still supply single-use plastic plates, bowls, and trays if either of the following apply:
It is supplying them to another business.
The items are packaging (pre-filled or filled at the point of sale).
A business must not supply ready-to-consume food and drink in polystyrene containers. This includes in polystyrene cups. Polystyrene means expanded and extruded polystyrene. However, a business may still supply food or drink in polystyrene containers if it needs further preparation before it is consumed. For example, further preparation could mean:
adding water
microwaving
toasting.
There are no exemptions to the ban on cutlery and balloon sticks.
This is valid as of 2nd October 2023.
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Utilities company fined after member of the public died following fall into excavation site
A utilities company has been fined after a member of the public suffered fatal injuries after falling into an excavation on a footpath.
On 28 May 2017 M and S Water Services (Utilities) Ltd was digging on a footpath on Devon Road, Luton to access a stop tap that needed replacing. The stop tap could not be reached by hand and so it was left protected by plastic barriers until a deep dig team could attend a few days later.
Over the bank holiday weekend, a member of the public, Matthew Wilmot, was walking home when he fell into the excavation site. His body was found the next morning.
The HSE’s investigation found that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment had not been completed. It should have identified the need for secure fencing, back filling or covering as the excavation was to be left unattended for five days and there was no easy alternative route for nearby householders.
M and S Water (Utilities) Ltd of High Town Enterprise Centre in York Street, Luton were found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They were fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £50,238.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Alison Ashworth said: “This tragic incident could have been avoided if the risks had been properly assessed and simple precautions put in place.”
This is valid as of 16th July 2021.
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A warehouse management solutions company has been fined after an employee was electrocuted while servicing an air compressor.
Maidstone Magistrates’ Court heard that on 8 December 2017, Andrew Meade was carrying out pre-planned maintenance on an air compressor at a distribution centre in Gravesend, when he was electrocuted. He was not found for more than an hour following the incident. His injuries were fatal.
Investigating, the HSE found that the control measures in place to prevent contact with electricity during maintenance activities were not suitable or sufficient. The electrical systems had not been tested or visually inspected since installation, and an incorrect isolating switch had not been identified.
Logistex Limited of Kettering Parkway, Kettering, Northamptonshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £180,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £23,358.16.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Joanne Williams said: “Poorly maintained electrical installations and faulty electrical appliances can kill or severely injure people; and cause damage to property.
“This was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to implement safe systems of work and identify the risks. Had the company identified the correct isolation point for the compressor and ensured that employees were sufficiently trained and supervised in the lock off procedures expected of them then this fatal incident would not have occurred.”
This is valid as of 15th July 2021.
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New regulator at heart of building safety overhaul
The Building Safety Bill has set out a clear pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained, the government announced earlier this month.
The Bill was published on 5 July and aims to create ‘lasting generational change and set out a clear pathway for the future on how residential buildings should be constructed and maintained.’
The next key step, outlined by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, aims to give residents more power to hold builders and developers to account and toughening sanctions against those who threaten their safety is the next key step in an extensive overhaul to building safety legislation.
The Building Safety Regulator will oversee the new regime and will be responsible for ensuring that any building safety risks in new and existing high-rise residential buildings of 18m and above are effectively managed and resolved, taking cost into account.
This will include implementing specific gateway points at design, construction and completion phases to ensure that safety is considered at each and every stage of a building’s construction, and safety risks are considered at the earliest stage of the planning process.
Obligations
These changes will simplify the existing system to ensure high standards are continuously met, with a ‘golden thread’ of information created, stored and updated throughout the building’s lifecycle, establishing clear obligations on owners and enabling swift action to be taken by the regulator, wherever necessary.
The reforms will tackle bad practice head on, building on Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, which highlighted a need for significant cultural and regulatory change.
Under the proposals, the government is more than doubling the amount of time that residents can seek compensation for substandard construction work – from 6 to 15 years.
The changes will apply retrospectively. This means that residents of a building completed in 2010 would be able to bring proceedings against the developer until 2025.
These reforms also include new measures that will apply to those seeking compensation for shoddy refurbishments which make the home unliveable.
These new measures in the Building Safety will aim to:
ensure there are clearly identified people responsible for safety during the design, build and occupation of a high-rise residential building
establish a Building Safety Regulator to hold to account those who break the rules and are not properly managing building safety risks, including taking enforcement action where needed
give residents in these buildings more routes to raise concerns about safety, and mechanisms to ensure their concerns will be heard and taken seriously
extend rights to compensation for substandard workmanship and unacceptable defects
drive the culture change needed across the industry to enable the design and construction of high-quality, safe homes in the years to come.
The Bill will include powers to strengthen the regulatory framework for construction products, underpinned by a market surveillance and enforcement regime led nationally by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
The national regulator will be able to remove products from the market that present safety risks and prosecute or use civil penalties against any business that breaks the rules and compromises public safety.
Funding for remediation
The Bill also contains measures to protect leaseholders by providing a legal requirement for building owners to explore alternative ways to meet remediation costs before passing these onto leaseholders, along with evidence that this has been done.
This builds on the government’s commitment to fully fund the cost of replacing unsafe cladding for all leaseholders in residential buildings 18 metres and over in England, with an unprecedented £5 billion investment in building safety. This is alongside the introduction of a new levy and a tax to ensure that industry pays its fair share towards the costs of cladding remediation.
Developers will also be required to join and remain members of the New Homes Ombudsman scheme, which will require them to provide redress to a homebuyer, including through the awarding of compensation. Developers who breach the requirement to belong to the New Homes Ombudsman may receive additional sanctions.
This is valid as of 14th July 2021.
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According to a study conducted by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), fatigue among professional drivers is now the norm on European roads.
The ETF’s report, based on a survey of around 3,000 truck, bus and coach drivers, is the first EU-wide study in 15 years on driver fatigue in passenger and freight road transport. The findings include that 60% of truck drivers and 66% of bus and coach drivers have to drive while fatigued on a regular basis. Also, nearly one third of lorry drivers have reported falling asleep at the wheel while driving.
The ETF is calling on policymakers and employers to eliminate driver fatigue at the core of the EU road safety strategy, ensuring that professional drivers’ pay, working time and rest conditions are properly enforced.
The Driver Fatigue in European Road Transport report, published last month, warns, that driver fatigue could be a much greater problem than the research suggests.
There were two objectives to the study:
to describe the nature and extent of driver fatigue in the road passenger and freight transport sector in Europe
to examine the specific working conditions of professional drivers and how these conditions lead to endemic fatigue in the sector.
The researchers note that some drivers may not recognise the symptoms of fatigue and may not even be aware that they are fatigued until an accident happens.
“In drivers, it leads to a decrease in mental and physical functioning, which in turn leads to poor steering control, decreased reaction time, poor speed tracking and loss of attention and hazard perception,” the researchers note.
According to the latest data from the EU’s CARE database on road accidents, 4,002 people died in accidents involving trucks and 594 died in accidents involving buses or coaches in 2016.
Existing studies identify lack of sleep, poor quality sleep and specific sleep demands as factors that can cause driver fatigue. However, the ETF study argues that poor working and employment conditions are among the underlying reasons accounting for a shortage of sleep in the first place.
A major contributor to fatigue is the total extent of working time, the researchers argue. Bus, coach and truck drivers” work is characterised by long hours, which the researchers note leaves insufficient time for recuperation and restorative sleep.
The study revealed that 88% of surveyed truck drivers and 60% of bus and coach drivers had worked more than 40 hours per week. A significant proportion of those surveyed worked more than 50 hours per week.
The research also found that work pressure from employers or clients was identified as a significant contributor to fatigue. The researchers highlighted tight schedules and scheduling demands as particular issues as these often have a negative influence on breaks and rest times.
“Our research shows that a large share of drivers – especially bus and coach drivers – who, because of fatigue, have wanted to make an unplanned stop to take a break, have actually not been able to do so,” the researchers said.
The ETF’s recommendations include a number relating to employers’ responsibilities, notably the implementation of company-wide Fatigue Risk Management strategies from senior management level down.
These should include the provision of better equipment for vehicles, such as proper air conditioning, shift planning well in advance, and the reduction of physical labour for drivers as physically demanding work is one cause of fatigue.
The ETF is also calling for a reduction in the working hours for drivers and a reduction in the number of consecutive days that need to be worked.
“As our data analysis has shown, the way working time is documented has a bearing on fatigue; in companies where working hours are rigorously documented, drivers are less affected by fatigue,” the researchers note.
“Employers therefore need to ensure that all time spent on work-related tasks is counted as working time and is properly recorded (and paid for).”
In relation to rest time, the ETF recommends two measures – increasing the length of rest between shifts and ensuring that breaks are fully used to rest and relax.
“A very direct way in which employers can influence driver fatigue is to ensure reasonable work schedules that avoid or limit, night driving, inadequate daily rests and over-long work shifts,” the report notes.
The ETF also recommends that employers remove the pressure on drivers that arises from excessively tight schedules, most notably by reducing the number of just-in-time deliveries.
The researchers note that the existing regulatory framework does not solve the issue of driver fatigue. The report recommends strengthening the regulations and improving the enforcement of current rules through checks and sanctions.
This is valid as of 13th July 2021.
According to a study conducted by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), fatigue among professional drivers is now the norm on European roads. The ETF’s report, based on a survey of around 3,000 truck, bus and coach drivers, is the first EU-wide study in 15 years on driver fatigue in passenger and freight road transport. The findings include that 60% of truck drivers and 66% of bus and coach drivers have to drive while fatigued on a regular basis. Also, nearly one third of lorry drivers have reported falling asleep at the wheel while driving. The ETF is calling on policymakers and employers to eliminate driver fatigue at the core of the EU road safety strategy, ensuring that professional drivers’ pay, working time and rest conditions are properly enforced. The Driver Fatigue in European Road Transport report, published last month, warns, that driver fatigue could be a much greater problem than the research suggests. There were two objectives to the study:
to describe the nature and extent of driver fatigue in the road passenger and freight transport sector in Europe
to examine the specific working conditions of professional drivers and how these conditions lead to endemic fatigue in the sector.
The researchers note that some drivers may not recognise the symptoms of fatigue and may not even be aware that they are fatigued until an accident happens. “In drivers, it leads to a decrease in mental and physical functioning, which in turn leads to poor steering control, decreased reaction time, poor speed tracking and loss of attention and hazard perception,” the researchers note. According to the latest data from the EU’s CARE database on road accidents, 4,002 people died in accidents involving trucks and 594 died in accidents involving buses or coaches in 2016. Existing studies identify lack of sleep, poor quality sleep and specific sleep demands as factors that can cause driver fatigue. However, the ETF study argues that poor working and employment conditions are among the underlying reasons accounting for a shortage of sleep in the first place. A major contributor to fatigue is the total extent of working time, the researchers argue. Bus, coach and truck drivers” work is characterised by long hours, which the researchers note leaves insufficient time for recuperation and restorative sleep. The study revealed that 88% of surveyed truck drivers and 60% of bus and coach drivers had worked more than 40 hours per week. A significant proportion of those surveyed worked more than 50 hours per week. The research also found that work pressure from employers or clients was identified as a significant contributor to fatigue. The researchers highlighted tight schedules and scheduling demands as particular issues as these often have a negative influence on breaks and rest times. “Our research shows that a large share of drivers – especially bus and coach drivers – who, because of fatigue, have wanted to make an unplanned stop to take a break, have actually not been able to do so,” the researchers said. The ETF’s recommendations include a number relating to employers’ responsibilities, notably the implementation of company-wide Fatigue Risk Management strategies from senior management level down. These should include the provision of better equipment for vehicles, such as proper air conditioning, shift planning well in advance, and the reduction of physical labour for drivers as physically demanding work is one cause of fatigue. The ETF is also calling for a reduction in the working hours for drivers and a reduction in the number of consecutive days that need to be worked. “As our data analysis has shown, the way working time is documented has a bearing on fatigue; in companies where working hours are rigorously documented, drivers are less affected by fatigue,” the researchers note. “Employers therefore need to ensure that all time spent on work-related tasks is counted as working time and is properly recorded (and paid for).” In relation to rest time, the ETF recommends two measures – increasing the length of rest between shifts and ensuring that breaks are fully used to rest and relax. “A very direct way in which employers can influence driver fatigue is to ensure reasonable work schedules that avoid or limit, night driving, inadequate daily rests and over-long work shifts,” the report notes. The ETF also recommends that employers remove the pressure on drivers that arises from excessively tight schedules, most notably by reducing the number of just-in-time deliveries. The researchers note that the existing regulatory framework does not solve the issue of driver fatigue. The report recommends strengthening the regulations and improving the enforcement of current rules through checks and sanctions. This is valid as of 13th July 2021.
UK Safety Alert issued for angle grinder chainsaw disc attachment
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a Safety Alert for a chainsaw disc attachment that has been incorrectly sold for use with angle grinders.
It says these attachments are not designed to be used together and are likely to cause loss of control which could result in serious injury or even fatality. Reports have been received of injuries arising from kickback caused by the chainsaw gripping the cutting surface and forcing the angle grinder to sharply turn or jump out of the hand of the operator.
Any consumers who have these angle grinder attachments in their possession are urged to stop using them immediately. They should contact the seller for redress if they believe the product was incorrectly marketed as compatible for use with an angle grinder.
OPSS is also telling any business that sells these chainsaw discs as attachments for angle grinders to remove them from the market immediately as they do not comply with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008.
This Safety Alert is the result of a risk assessment carried out by OPSS following two previous risk alerts published by the Office in February, based on information from local regulators. OPSS is working with local authority Trading Standards to identify and take appropriate action against these chainsaw attachments.
OPSS Chief Executive Graham Russell said: OPSS has taken this important step because the chainsaw attachments are not designed to be used with angle grinders and could cause serious injury or even fatality.
This Safety Alert is the latest step taken by OPSS to help protect the UK public from unsafe products.
This is valid as of 12th July 2021.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a Safety Alert for a chainsaw disc attachment that has been incorrectly sold for use with angle grinders. It says these attachments are not designed to be used together and are likely to cause loss of control which could result in serious injury or even fatality. Reports have been received of injuries arising from kickback caused by the chainsaw gripping the cutting surface and forcing the angle grinder to sharply turn or jump out of the hand of the operator. Any consumers who have these angle grinder attachments in their possession are urged to stop using them immediately. They should contact the seller for redress if they believe the product was incorrectly marketed as compatible for use with an angle grinder. OPSS is also telling any business that sells these chainsaw discs as attachments for angle grinders to remove them from the market immediately as they do not comply with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. This Safety Alert is the result of a risk assessment carried out by OPSS following two previous risk alerts published by the Office in February, based on information from local regulators. OPSS is working with local authority Trading Standards to identify and take appropriate action against these chainsaw attachments. OPSS Chief Executive Graham Russell said: OPSS has taken this important step because the chainsaw attachments are not designed to be used with angle grinders and could cause serious injury or even fatality. This Safety Alert is the latest step taken by OPSS to help protect the UK public from unsafe products. This is valid as of 12th July 2021.
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