“With its South Yorkshire inspection campaign drawing to its conclusion, the Health and Safety Executive has found that 65 per cent of businesses visited were in breach of the law.”
Last week 22 inspectors from HSE’s Yorkshire and North East Field Operations teams inspected 71 businesses in the area. Of those visited 46 companies needed to make improvements to better protect the health, safety and wellbeing of workers in metal fabrication, engineering, general manufacturing and waste and recycling sectors.
During the course of the week inspectors served three prohibition notices and 3 improvement notices. Examples of some of the breaches found included poor controls of welding fumes and metal working fluids.
In addition to where notices have been served, HSE has formally written to a further 23 local businesses to compel them to improve various aspects of health and safety.
A Health and Safety Executive inspector Acting Head of Operations said: “Protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of workers is of paramount importance and at the heart of what we do.
The high proportion of breaches identified during this initiative indicates that the risks were not being adequately controlled.
Inspectors’ have taken robust proportionate action to deal with serious risks and to ensure companies are complying with the law.
I hope businesses will take note and understand that they will be held to account if they fail in their responsibilities.”
Source: Health and Safety Executive (HSE)