Latest news with #HealthAndSafety
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Glasgow carer put under curfew after disabled woman's escalator fall
A carer has been electronically tagged after a disabled woman she was looking after fell down an escalator and later died in hospital. Debbie McWhannell, 33, pushed 71-year-old Catherine Muir's wheelchair onto the escalator at Easterhouse Shopping Centre in July 2023 because the lift was out of order but lost control and it fell down. Ms Muir, who was non-verbal and had various medical conditions, suffered a broken jaw. She died in hospital 11 days later having contracted from Glasgow, ignored a sign that warned against putting wheelchairs on an escalator. She pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Shona Gilroy tagged McWhannell for six months, keeping her indoors between 20:00 and 09:00 as an "alternative to custody". McWhannell, a supported living assistant for Inclusion Scotland, had initially taken Ms Muir, who was prone to dizziness, up an escalator at the shopping they descended, McWhannell held onto the wheelchair with one Kristina Reilly said: "When the wheelchair with Catherine [Muir] strapped in began to descend, McWhannell lost her grip completely and the wheelchair tumbled to the bottom."Ms Muir, from Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, suffered a head injury and a fractured left jaw which required surgery, including restoring displaced bones using rods and was placed in the high dependency unit but contracted pneumonia and died 11 days later. 'Horrible mistake' Catherine's brother Donald and sister Janet said they did not want McWhannell to be jailed. "She made a horrible mistake and she will have to live with that for the rest of her days - it should never have happened," they said. "It was a sad loss - she lived 72 years and to die that way is just tragic. It's been a disaster."The family said they hoped the incident would raise awareness about escalators. They added: "I can't imagine what was in her head - Catherine was not a wee lightweight and had a bulky wheelchair."To even attempt to go down an escalator - I can't imagine why, it's shocking." McWhannell was suspended from her job pending an McCarthy, defending, said: "She deeply regrets her involvement in this matter and that it took place."Sheriff Gilroy described it as an "utterly tragic" said: "This was an isolated incident caused by a dreadful decision made by an otherwise law abiding member of society."A prison sentence of up to 26 weeks would not help rehabilitation and I am persuaded there is an alternative to custody."
Irish Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Kildare building site closed by court order to ‘reduce risk of injury, or worse'
Work on four blocks of apartments in Kilcock, Co Kildare has stalled after the Health and Safety Authority this week secured an order for the site's immediate closure. The authority said the High Court order was necessary to 'reduce the risk of injury, or worse' at The Mall, Bridge Street. This was despite work on the site already being voluntarily stopped by the operators. The closure order for the site, which includes a protected structure, The Lion's House pub, was secured on consent of the operator company. The order against Cuan Alainn Property Developments Ltd followed complaints from the public, multiple inspections, and a site inspector coming to the view he could no longer rely on assurances from the company's principal, Aristidis Georgakis, court documents show. READ MORE 'This is not a step we take lightly,' the authority's interim chief executive, Mark Cullen, said after the order was made on Wednesday under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. 'But where there is a clear, ongoing danger to workers' lives, we are legally and morally compelled to act.' Planning files show permission was granted in 2020 for 39 studios and apartments in a long-term 'build to rent' residential development on the site, with a shared accommodation development in the former pub. In an affidavit to the court, health and safety inspector Kevin Broderick said he first visited the site in August 2023 following a complaint from a member of the public. Among the matters noted was that many of the workers were not wearing safety helmets or high visibility vests, that shuttering supports for wet concrete were overhanging the public footpath on one block, and 'no protection was provided to members of the public passing by [one of the blocks] under construction which overhung the public footpath'. Mr Broderick arrived at the site at 10.30am and was told Mr Georgakis had the safety file and was on his way. When he arrived at 2.30pm, Mr Georgakis did not have personal protection equipment with him, the inspector told the court. 'He proffered several excuses for the deficiencies on site, and appeared to blame Kildare County Council for same,' said Mr Broderick. A colleague, Eoghan Moylan, visited the site in June 2024, following the receipt of another complaint from the public. As a result, Mr Moylan issued several prohibition notices. However, when the two inspectors visited the site the following month, they found work being carried out contrary to the notices. They decided that not only had the safety situation not improved, 'there had been a severe deterioration,' Mr Broderick said. Over the following period there were various contacts with the company and parties working for it, and multiple visits to the site, Mr Broderick told the court. 'In light of the persistent and repeated failure to comply with the applicable law, the authority is not satisfied that the assurances provided by Mr Georgakis, which are in any event inadequate, are sufficient,' the inspector said. The latest annual report for Cuan Alainn Property Developments, of Longford Road, Mullingar, shows its directors and shareholders are Aristidis (76), Alexander (45) and Philip Georgakis (42), all Canadian citizens, with the same address in the United Arab Emirates. The company, which was incorporated in 2021, recorded a pretax profit of €5,150 in the year to the end of March 2024. There was no response to a request to the company for comment.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- BBC News
Holt food wholesaler fined £66k after employee has leg amputated
A food wholesaler has been fined £66,000 after an employee's leg had to be amputated following a workplace accident. Osprey Foods Ltd said it was "deeply regretful" of the incident at its site in Holt, Norfolk, on 5 July 2023 and had introduced new safety measures.A worker was using a pallet truck to load a HGV when the driver pulled away, causing the man and truck to fall between the loading dock and rear of the HGV, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Peterborough Magistrates' Court on 20 June, the company was fined £66,000, ordered to pay £5,850 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge. A company spokesperson said: "Osprey Foods is deeply regretful of the incident that occurred in July 2023 and our sympathies and thoughts remain with our valued colleague."The accident left the man with injuries so severe his leg had to be amputated, the HSE HSE's investigation found a traffic light system used to tell HGV drivers when it was safe to move their vehicles had been broken several weeks prior to the incident and had not been repaired. The investigation found the broken system had remained green during the loading process meaning the driver pulled away, unaware the employee was still in the trailer of the vehicle. 'Improved safety' Osprey Foods pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company spokesperson said "After a company evaluation into the incident, Osprey Foods has improved the safety of the site and measures include implementing new safeguarding systems, carrying out more extensive staff training and reinforcing operational procedures."The safety of Osprey Foods' dedicated staff is at the forefront of the health and safety policies and remains a paramount priority. "Everyone at Osprey Foods is looking forward to welcoming our colleague back to the business in the near future." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Is it too hot to work from home or the office? UK workers' rights explained
The UK is preparing for a heatwave, both mentally and physically, which could plunge the nation into sweltering 35C temperatures. Today (Friday, 20th June) is a normal workday for most, and not everyone is fortunate enough to have the weekend off. This has led some to question if it can ever be too hot to work from home or the office, what the rules are for employers and their duty of care to their employees? Read more: Millions of UK households told to spend £49 before end of Friday William Walsh, a partner in the employment team at law firm DMH Stallard, explain: "All employers have an obligation to ensure the health and safety of their employees in the workplace so far as reasonably practicable. "Failure to do so can not only result in sanctions against the organisation, but also criminal liabilities for directors and managers. "When it comes to working in hot conditions, there is no maximum working temperature specified in the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This would be impractical, as some work environments will always involve exposure to high heat, for example those working in glass works. "From a risk perspective, there will also be a difference between those undertaking very physical tasks in the heat, compared to those with more sedentary roles. "While there is no specified maximum temperature, this does not mean that heat can be ignored. "The legal responsibilities in respect of health and safety in the workplace still apply and this means carrying out a risk assessment and ensuring that employees work in temperatures that are reasonable and do not place their health and safety at risk. "The nature of the work will be relevant, as will factors such as whether employees need to wear protective clothing as part of their job that may make it harder still for employees to keep cool. "For office workers, employers should also consider dress codes, particularly if the normal requirement is that employees wear long trousers, shirts and ties. Employers need to be aware of the health risks and the warning signs of an employee suffering from heat exhaustion or other physical effects caused by the heat. "Employers need to remember that, if employees are working from home, the health and safety obligations still apply to that working environment. "The risks should be much lower, as home workers are unlikely to be undertaking physical tasks and, even if they were told to stop working, those individuals would still be in their same home environment. But the issue should not be discounted altogether. "If, for example, it was known that an employee was working from their home office set up in a small box room up in a loft conversion, where it could get uncomfortably hot, they should be encouraged to move and, if necessary, given flexibility around their tasks to allow them to do so."
BBC News
11-06-2025
- BBC News
Edinburgh Airport fined after man dies following fall from plane lift
Edinburgh Airport has been fined £80,000 after a man died following a fall from a lift designed to help passengers with disabilities leave a Young, 81, was travelling home from a holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes with his wife when he fell about 5ft while being transported on an airport Young was said to have landed "on his hands and knees" and was rushed to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment following the fall on 28 November Airport said it accepted the decision of the court and offered "sincere condolences" to Mr Young's family. Early guilty plea He suffered a punctured lung, spine fractures and a fractured pelvis as well as a flail chest, where multiple broken ribs cause the chest wall to become unstable and interfere with Young, from Edinburgh, suffered a heart attack two days later and clinicians concluded "the totality of his injuries and medical condition were not survivable".He died on 7 December Airport Ltd, a private limited company, was prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Fiona Sharp said the "isolated incident" had been "a tragic accident" and noted the ambulift had previously been inspected twice by a third party with no defects Sharp said this was the first time the company had faced prosecution and she had been persuaded that "the culpability is low".The fine was reduced from £120,000 due to an early guilty plea.A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: "We again offer our sincere condolences to the family of Mr Young following the tragic accident at Edinburgh Airport in November 2023."We have cooperated fully with the police and regulatory authorities throughout their investigations and we accept the decision of the court."The safety of our team and passengers continues to be a fundamental priority for the business."
