A sanitation firm failed to provide adequate training or instruction for a worker who fell seven metres into a sewage well at a construction site in Halesowen.
Tardis Environmental UK Ltd had been contracted to clear a sewer blockage at a partially competed housing development. A pump at the bottom of the sewage well had stopped working, as it had become blocked with bulky waste material like nappies.
A 34-year-old worker from the firm visited the site on 26 August last year and decided to use a road tanker with a pump and hose attachments to remove the blockage. He opened a grid at the top of the well and stood over it to support and manipulate the hose.
During the operation, the hose kicked back and hit him, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the well. He grabbed the hose as he fell and slid down into the waste at the bottom. He ingested raw sewage during the fall, and stood disorientated inside the chamber for more than 20 minutes before realising he had his mobile phone and was able to call for help.
He suffered friction burns to his arms, and bruising to his elbows, knees and head. He was off work for a number of days owing to his injuries.
The HSE investigated the incident and learned that the worker had been trained to use the pumping equipment but had not received any instruction or training in how to empty deep, below-ground sewage wells. As a result, he was unaware of the risks involved with working at height.
HSE inspector Anthony Woodward said: “The incident was entirely preventable. The nature of the work meant the worker was right next to, and leaning over, the deep well. Although he was working at ground level the depth of the pit meant he was working at height so reasonable precautions to prevent a fall should have been provided by the company, such as a worker’s restraint, or harness.
“He was lucky to escape serious injury, or further harm. If he had not grabbed on to the hose to slow his fall, he might even have been killed. It was an extremely unpleasant experience that he should have been protected from.”
Tardis Environmental UK appeared at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on 14 November and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974. It was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £3000 in costs.€
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Where do you get the ‘high standard of education’ idea from? My wife taught literacy and numeracy to soldiers seeking promotion some years ago. She did not need any course material above that used by an 11 year-old in Year 6.
Where you work now I assume the sewage truck guy is a rocket surgeon on a sabbatical.
In UK, he’s pumping pooh because he lacks the mental capacity or transferable skills for other employment and shovelling shhh pays better than other jobs he’s capable of.
Bob, I think Pete was being ironic; weren’t you, Pete?
Pete?
PETE!
I wonder if he came out smelling of roses?
So people are simple, so they therefore require less regulation?
Or are they just less deserving for being simple?
Is that what you are saying?
How does this approach prevent the incident above?
The regulations failed so lets do away with them shall we, or would better effort at compliance not be more beneficial to all concerned.
Raising awareness of the chap above required minimal effort really, and now he will no doubt have recourse to a nice civil claim. Which affects us all?
His irony went over my head by some margin??
UNLIKE ME TO MISS THAT, must be an age thing?
Sorry, but how could he not know the risks of working at height and above raw sewage! How far do we need to go regarding training for these people.Is it really rocket science not to stand above a 7 metre hole in the ground?
Thank god I now work outside the UK where some amount of sense is considered when we look at hazard and risk. From a country with high standards of education, not a third world, should employees also not be able to see the blatantly obvious!
Toolbox talk !!
People are often oblivous to the risks for whatever reason, that said, it required a kick back to knock the operative into the well, not a common occurrence for most people. Training and awareness should have been provided by the employer.
Working with hydraulic equipment presents its own risks. Moreover, people in the industry know that when working adjacent to open wet wells you should be clipped on with a harness and lanyard. Raw sewage is a dangerous substance, it gives off toxic gases!
The standard of education in the UK is now 7 places below Poland and 1 above Hungary,(see world education league table)so probably, we should treat people as being simpledons. Joking aside, this is exactly why Cameron must keep up his work with more deregulation.