On November 24, 1999 the UK Health & Safety Executive announced
that they will actively pursue a policy of naming companies that
disregard occupational health and safety laws.
HSE SET TO NAME COMPANIES THAT FLOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY LAW
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is to pursue an active policy of
naming companies that flout health and safety law.
From next year, HSE will publish a special annual report which will
name companies and individuals convicted in the previous 12 months.
The names of those convicted will also be listed on HSE's Internet
website so that those who flout their legal responsibilities and put
people's lives at risk face the full glare of publicity.
End press release.
QNET has retrieved some of those prosecutions and listed them below.
Arena Supplies Ltd. Accident in which an employee amputated tips of his fingers. Two employees using hydraulic folding machine with single hold to run button. Fined $6,070. Machine supplier Morgan Rushworth Ltd also fined $2,255. Machine was CE marked with a closing ramp speed too fast (28mm/s rather than <10mm/s). Machine did not meet the essential health and safety standards of the Supply of Machinery Regulations.
Brian Selley. Employee injured while working at the conveyor produced by the defendant. Machine did not meet essential health and safety requirements, no risk assessment done, no CE Mark and the machine was unsafe. Fined $4,843.
Stoves Ltd. Employee lost three fingers and part of right hand when he made contact with unguarded toothed gears while undertaking commissioning work on a production line. Serious because the company is responsible for awarding the CE mark on completion of commissioning and testing of the equipment. Fine $9,420.
Tim Crowley Ltd. HSE inspection found several unsafeguarded press-brakes. Fined $12,191.
Maurice Fitzmaurice. Employee of the defendant had his hand caught in an unguarded Vee Belt drive. Fined $1,000.
United Kingdom - Machinery Directive & Puwer Directive
A woodworking machinery supply company was recently prosecuted and
fined £2000 plus costs for failure to comply with the Supply
of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992. The charge related to an
American-made automatic pallet assembly machine which the company
had supplied to a UK firm. The suppliers pleaded guilty to an offense
under regulation 12 (1) (a) which makes it an offense to supply
machinery unless it satisfies the relevant essential health and safety requirements (EHSRs) of the Machinery Directive.
The machine was supplied with unguarded chain drive sprockets which
presented a dangerous in-running nip. The machine was CE marked and
supplied with an EC Declaration of Conformity. There had been no
accident on this machine.
The Netherlands - Machinery Directive & Puwer Directive
The Ministry of Social Affairs & Labor released the following
non-compliance report for 1998:
Non-compliances in accordance with the Machinery Directive
and Puwer Directive totaled 2228 in 1998. In 41 instances
this resulted in the machine being taken out of service.
Follow up inspections showed that in 212 instances the non-
compliances had not been corrected. In 150 repeat inspections
fines were imposed because no corrective action had been taken.
In addition the November 12, 1999 press release #190 by the
Ministry of Economic Affairs referred to discussions among
Several Ministries focusing on the optimizing of compliance
inspections in accordance with ce-marking requirements i.e.
Machinery Directive.
The Swedish Electrical Safety Ministry has made formal notification under Article of the EMC Directive that a sales ban is in effect for the following products:
Reference No. 99-15/SE
Date of Notification: 27 July 1999
Identification of Equipment: Power Inverter/DC/AC Inverter Type PDA 150
Manufactured By: Chinfa Electronics Ltd, Taiwan
Imported By: Jula, Postorder AB, PO Box 532-24 SKARA, Sweden
A sales ban was implemented due to the failure to meet the protection requirements in
Article 7(1) of the EMC Directive due to a deviation from Standard EN 55014 exceeding the
standard limits on several frequencies.
Reference No. 99-16/SE
Date of Notification: 21 July 1999
Identification of Equipment: Radio Controlled Dimmer for Luminaries
Brand Type: Micro Electronic LS-80-2
Manufactured By: Micro Electronic
Imported By: Bauhouse AB, Stortorget 29, 211-34 Malmo
Sales ban implemented due to failure to satisfy EN 300-220-1 V1.2.1 exceeding standard
limits.
Reference No. 99-14/SE
Date of Notification: 21 July 1999
Identification of Equipment: Cromag Angle Grinder
Brand Type: MA-115M
Manufacturer not known
Imported By: HP Verktoj A/S, Borkop, Denmark
Failure to satisfy Article 7.1 due to deviation from EN 55014 exceeding standard limits on
Band C QP top plus 7 DB at 30 megahertz sales ban implemented.
Reference No. 99-13/SE
Date of Notification: 21 July 1999
Similar problems to previous notification exceeding standard limits on several frequencies
Band B QP top plus 10 DB at 0.015 megahertz.
Reference No. 99-12/SE
Identification of Equipment: Biltema Planer Type 17-113
Manufacturer not known
Imported By: Biltema, Sweden AB 58190 Lincoping
Sales ban implemented due to failure to meet Article 7.1, deviation from frequency EN
55014-1 Band C QP top plus 22 DB at 30 megahertz.
Reference No. 99-10/SE
Date of Notification: 21 July 1999
Identification of Equipment: Biltema Energy Saving Lamp Type EL20
Manufactured By: Jiavian Lighting Company
Imported By: Biltema, Sweden AB
Sales ban implemented due to deviation from EN 55015 exceeding standard limits on two
frequencies average plus 9 decibels at 0.486 megahertz.
Reference No. 99-09/SE
Identification of Equipment: Biltema Energy Saving Lamp Type EL19
Manufacturer as per previous notification
Failure to meet standard EN 55015 due to exceeding standard limits on two frequencies
average plus 10 decibels at 0.015 megahertz.
Reference No. 99-08/SE
Identification of Equipment: Best Tools Drill Type XIJ-XL-13/300 931
Manufacturer/Importer: BVA Maskin AB, Malmo, Sweden
Sales ban due to deviation from EN 55014 exceeding standard limits on several frequencies
EN 55014-1 Band C QP top plus 17 decibels at 150 megahertz
Reference No. 99-07/SE
Identification of Equipment: Fiferm Angle Grinder Type WF15
Manufactured By: Fiferm Postbus 134-8280 AC, Genemuiden, Netherlands
Imported By: Dula Postorder AB
Failure to meet Article 7.1 due to deviation from standard EN 55014 exceeding standard
limits on several frequencies EN 55014-1 Band B QP top plus 6 decibels at 2.22 megahertz
Arena Supplies Ltd. Accident in which an employee amputated tips of his fingers. Two employees using hydraulic folding machine with single hold to run button. Fined $6,070. Machine supplier Morgan Rushworth Ltd also fined $2,255. Machine was CE marked with a closing ramp speed too fast (28mm/s rather than <10mm/s). Machine did not meet the essential health and safety standards of the Supply of Machinery Regulations.