A global chemical firm has admitted that it failed to identify that its glove-wearing policy created entanglement risks for workers at its factory in Runcorn.
Ineos Enterprises Ltd introduced a policy at its site in Weston Point Salt Walks, which required workers to wear gloves when using machinery. On 21 September 2010, a 58-year-old worker was operating a metalworking lathe to remove rust off a hitch pin, which is used to connect a trailer to a vehicle.
He was holding a metal file while the rotated the pin, when his glove snagged on it and his hand was pulled round the rotating mechanism. He suffered damage to three fingers, one of which needed to be amputated.€
The Safety Conversation with SHP (previously the Safety and Health Podcast) aims to bring you the latest news, insights and legislation updates in the form of interviews, discussions and panel debates from leading figures within the profession.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, subscribe and join the conversation today!
A classic example of a site-wide PPE policy being wrong, imposed for supposedly good reasons but a failure to understand that one-sixe rarely fits all and not listening to employee feedback.
A warning to all arrogant safety departments to get out and look at what is really going on.
The machine looks a bit suss too!! But why is that safety professions (as you say sit at their desk all day) do not actually see what is going on down on site? I am actively involved the risk assessments, the employees need to understand risks, but as a s safety professional I need to understand and see the job at hand. Not just enforce policy without justification.
Spot on again Steve
They must be Chartered Members of the Posterior Coverers and Box-Tickers Society (CMPCTBS)!
I am a SHEQ Manager, who is a time served fabrication engineer. I am deeply saddened by some of the comments made in regard to the article. Like most H&S pro’s I am a one man band and do find it difficult to cover everything and do make mistakes. I rely on feedback from RA’s as when involving operators they rarely say anything.
It would seem it is the managments fault for not feeding concerns back to the right department. just another point of bashing the H&S guy without knowing the details.
More to the point, what did the RA say about the hazards and appropriate PPE when working the machinery? Where was the employee input via a health and safety committee? I could say a lot more…
Sadly many of the and mandatory policies are dictated by those in the ivory tower, without any proper thought for those on the ground implementing the policies or the residual risks.
obviously a case of so called experts who sit behind desks making rules for guys who actually do the job. no wonder the safety industry is at times seen as a joke. Anyone who understands machinery of this kind knows that you dont wear gloves, have loose clothing or loose hair. I have notiuced a sad trend in safety over recent years of people in our industry best summed up as “They know the law but they dont know safety”. There is a profound difference between the two.