SHEQWs Newsletter August

Controlling the movement
of plant
Remember the following
when managing
machinery on trailers;
• Leave the trailer attached to the
vehicle where possible
• Use chocks (wooden stoppers)
underneath wheels of trailer
• Park trailer in a safe place
• Ensure hand break is on
• Be vigilant of the location/ risk of
unhitching trailers - e.g is it on a
slope, is it a safe location etc.
Incident Example:
Uncontrolled movement of
plant, Nottingham
Whilst delivering a mini digger for
deep excavation works, an operative
unhitched the trailer with the mini
digger still loaded. The trailer became
uncontrolled and free wheeled down
the incline.
After travelling for approximately
25-30m down the incline, the trailer
struck a parked vehicle causing
damage.
Action taken;
• Trailer made safe
• Supervisor informed
• SHE team undertook
investigation
In the courts
Water Company &
subcontractor fined
almost £1 million
A water company has been fined
£600,000, its contractor £333,000
and additional clean up costs of
£45,262 after polluting a brook.
The contractor was carrying out
works on a treatment works, which
involved emptying and removing
a tank used to store sodium
hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlorite
is used in the water purification
process and is also the principle
ingredient of household bleach.
In 2013, the majority of the contents
of the tank had been removed, but
up to 300 litres of the highly toxic
chemical was left in the bottom
awaiting emptying. The Environment
Agency stated that instead of
pumping the remaining liquid out,
a hosepipe was used to dilute the
sodium hypochlorite with water.
The hosepipe was then left running
unattended overnight, letting it flow
into a bunded area. This was carried
out without any risk assessment or
method statement.
Neither company had surveyed the
drainage to identify faults in the
drainage system. This meant that the
diluted toxic chemical entered the
surface water drainage system and
discharged to Bradshaw Brook.
Two days later the Environment
Agency were alerted that a 1.7km
stretch of the brook was so badly
polluted, killing virtually all aquatic
organisms, including up to 900 fish,
shrimp and earthworms.
This case should bring home the
message to all company directors
and shareholders that environmental
offences are taken seriously both by
the regulators and the courts.
(The Environmentalist, 2016)
Page 4 | August 2016 SHEWQ Newsletter
SHEWQ Newsletter
July 2016 | Page 5