Employee suffered serious burns when a gas pipe ignited in his face.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted Birstall Demolition and Plant Services Ltd of Birstall, West Yorkshire over an incident in 2010 at a warehouse in Burton-on-Trent in which a 37-year old worker cut into a metal gas pipe that ignited in his face. He received serious burns to his face and forearms.
The HSE told Burton-on-Trent Magistrates’ Court on Friday 25 May, how the worker could have died in the incident at Centrum 100 Business Park, Burton on Trent on 16 June 2010.
The court heard he was using an angle grinder to remove hardware from a mezzanine area when he cut into a metal gas pipe, unaware it was still live. It then ignited sending flames into his face and forearms.
After the hearing HSE Inspector Alastair Choudhury said: “Injuries to workers in the demolition industry are all too common. Demolition activities need to be planned, supervised and monitored rigorously. However, Birstall Demolition and Plant Services Ltd failed to perform the simplest of checks to protect their employee by not making sure that the pipes were safe. This employee suffered serious burns, which would have been worse if he had not been wearing goggles and safety gloves. For a lengthy amount of time after the incident, he was not able to return to work. However he is now working again, for a different employer, still bearing the scars from his ordeal. This incident could easily have resulted in even more serious injuries; in fact he could have died.
Birstall Demolition and Plant Services Ltd of Gelderd Road, Birstall, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,256.
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