Turboville Garage in South Wales was completely destroyed by fire.
Fire crews were called to the workshop in Maesteg shortly before 5pm on Friday evening (18/01/19).
Both Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service took part in the operation to bring the fire under control.
The fire was so intense that the buildings metal structure and vehicles inside buckled beyond recognition.
Gladly nobody has been reported as injured during the incident.
This is the third UK garage fire in as many months and shows the importance of carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment.
The Law requires all garages to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
SCS have carried out hundreds of FRA’s for garage throughout the UK so contact us today for expert advice.
The sound of “huge” explosions has been heard in southeast London after fire broke out at a bus depot.
Dozens of firefighters were “working hard” to tackle the blaze, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. Eleven buses have gone up in flames so far at the garage at Farnborough Hill, Orpington.
Locals reported hearing several loud bangs as the vehicles were engulfed in the early hours of Thursday morning.
One wrote on Twitter: “Woken up by 10 huge explosions and what looks like a big fire near Sevenoaks road in Orpington.”
The LFB said it was called to the scene at 3.36am.
“Around 60 firefighters are dealing with a bus depot that is alight on Farnborough Hill, Orpington,” the brigade said.
“Eleven buses are alight and Brigade control officers have taken around 40 calls to the incident which is very visible.
“Firefighters are working hard to tackle the blaze but travel in that area will be difficult due to the number of appliances in attendance, avoid the area if you can.
“Eight fire engines are in attendance from stations including Orpington, Bromley, Sidcup and Biggin Hill.”
By Law all work premises are required to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If you would like a FRA carried out or would like your existing FRA refreshing then contact us today.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service has revealed the result of an investigation into a huge fire which led to the evacuation of Normanton homes and roads at the weekend.
More than 100 homes and businesses were evacuated due to the fire which started at Twyford Auto’s, Twyford Street, just before 7pm on Saturday.
A fire service spokeswoman said: “A joint police and fire investigation into the cause of a fire at a commercial garage on Twyford Street, Derby has concluded that the most probable cause of the fire was accidental.”
She said the fire service could not give any further information but if a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) had been carried out then this would most likely not have occured.
Fire service manager Sean Wells said at the time that road closures and evacuations were “due to the presence of commercial cylinders”.
By Law all work premises are required to carry out a FRA under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, therefore if you would like a FRA carried out or would like your existing FRA refreshing then contact us today.
Due to the hard work and diligence of Health & Safety professionals such as Safety Consulting Services, Great Britains health and safety record is something we should all be proud of, but, as the numbers published today serve to remind us, there is still much to be done to ensure that workers go home at the end of their working day safe and healthy.
For a free copy of this document sent via email then contact us today
Loosemores Transport has been fined £18,000 after an agency worker received injuries while working on a waste sorting conveyor.
Telford Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 27 September 2016, the 18-year-old was attempting to clear a blockage beneath a waste conveyor belt at the firm’s facility in Battlefield, Shrewsbury. He tried to remove the material causing the blockage when his hand was drawn in by the in-running nip on the conveyor system.
He suffered partial amputation of his finger and a fractured elbow. An HSE investigation found there was inadequate guarding around the conveyor belt to prevent injury. Loosemores Transport, which pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, was ordered to pay costs of £2,026.
Following the hearing, HSE inspector Wendy Campbell said: “A young man’s life has been changed because the company failed to ensure there was correct guarding on the conveyor belt. This should serve as a reminder to all firms to check their machinery guarding is adequate and prevent access to dangerous parts.”
If you are unsure if your business is currently compliant then contact us today for a free, no obligation, on site workplace inspection
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Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 29 November 2013, an employee of Pirelli Tyres Ltd was loading the stripline machine when his left arm was pulled in by a roller. On 31 August 2015 a second employee had his left arm pulled in by the same roller whilst trying to make an adjustment during a production run.
Both incidents occurred at Pirelli’s tyre factory at Dalston Road, Carlisle.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the machine, which was manufactured by Pirelli in 2003, was not properly guarded, despite the first incident.
Pirelli Tyres Ltd of Derby Road, Burton-on-Trent pleaded guilty to two breaches of Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £512,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,820.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Matthew Tinsley said: “Dangerous parts of machinery must be guarded to prevent access. Machines that are built in-house for a company’s own use must meet modern guarding standards, just as if they were going to be placed on the open market.
“This machine should have been appropriately guarded from first use but, failing that, the first incident should have prompted a thorough review of the machine to identify what additional guarding was needed and appropriate action taken.”
Other recent prosecutions brought by the HSE against the UK arm of Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli include a fine of £28,000 fine imposed in 2015 after a 17 year old apprentice suffered serious hand injuries while using a lathe at the company’s Burton-on-Trent plant in 2014.
In 2015 Pirelli was fined £150,000 following the death of an employee in an industrial oven at its Carlisle plant on a fatal accident in 30 September 2012.
A £20,000 fine was imposed in 2013 after an employee at the Carlisle factory trapped and broke his arm in a testing machine.
In the year to 31 December 2016, the company had 1,216 staff and a turnover of £349.8m.
If you are unsure if your business is currently compliant then contact us today for a free, no obligation, on site workplace inspection
A Director has been sentenced to 8 months in custody after pleading guilty to a health and safety breach that resulted in the death of two brothers.
Luton Crown Court heard how Mr Thomerson, the sole owner and director of Clearview Design and Construction Ltd, had been contracted by the owners of an industrial park in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire to refurbish several of the units.
Brothers Ardian and Jashar Lamallari had been employed as labourers and were working inside the unit at 16:45 on 3 October 2015 when an explosive fire occurred within one of the units. Both brothers suffered near 100 per cent burns and died within 12 hours of the incident. A third man who was working with them also suffered severe burns, but survived.
A joint investigation by Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Mr Thomerson had supplied the three men with several litres of highly flammable “thinners”, which they then poured onto the floor of the unit to remove old dried carpet tile adhesive.
The investigation found that Mr Thomerson had given no serious consideration to the safe use of the thinners, despite the obvious warnings on the containers. The vapour spread over an area up to half the size of a tennis court and was ignited by one of several possible ignition sources that were in the area.
Sole owner and director of Clearview Design and Construction Ltd, Simon Thomerson of Sutherland Avenue, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He received a custodial sentence of 8 months and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170.
Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit who led the investigation said:
“This was a tragic event that led to the death of two men in absolutely horrific circumstances. We have worked closely with HSE and our other partner agencies to ensure that the failings by those in control of the site were identified and prosecuted and are satisfied that the sentence delivered today reflects the seriousness of those failings.”
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Paul Hoskins said: “This tragic incident led to the wholly avoidable death of two brothers, Ardian and Jashar, destroying the lives of their young families.
“The risks of using highly flammable liquids are well known, and employers should make sure they properly assess the risks from such substances, and use safer alternatives where possible. Where the use of flammable solvents is unavoidable, then the method and environment must be strictly controlled to prevent any ignition.”
In a victim impact statement, Zana Lamallari, wife of Jashar said:
“After the death of my husband, my family life has completely been destroyed. My children’s and my future has been completely destroyed. He was everything to me.”
In a victim impact statement, Ismete Lamallari, wife of Ardian said:
“The impact in my life is so big. My family has been destroyed; my home, everything. My husband was very loving towards the children and everyone. He was an honest worker.”
If you are unsure if your business is currently compliant then contact us today for a free, no obligation, on site workplace inspection
Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how the company was unable to produce a certificate of insurance during an inspection which was part of an initiative with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the discovery in January 2018, found that the company did not have employers’ liability insurance in place so was unable to produce a certificate. Employers’ liability insurance ensures employers have at least the minimum level of insurance to cover against claims brought by employees that are injured at work or become ill as a result of their work.
GMG Car Wash Ltd of Exeter Street, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4(2)(b) of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 and has been fined £650 and ordered to pay costs of £500.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Christopher Maher said: “Employers carrying out a business in the United Kingdom must have Employers’ liability insurance in place. Should an incident have occurred at the premises the failure to have insurance would mean that employees may not get any compensation for any injuries or ill-health attributable to their work.”
If you are unsure if your business is currently compliant then contact us today for a free, no obligation, on site workplace inspection.
A Tuffnells Parcels Express Limited employee was fatally injured whilst attempting to attach a trailer to his vehicle. The trailer was parked upon a slight slope, which was enough to allow it to roll forward trapping the employee.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found safety management arrangements for coupling trailers to vehicles failed to take account of the slope.
Tuffnells Parcels Express Limited of Wallows Industrial Estate, Dudley pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and has been fined £1.5 million and ordered to pay costs of £32,823.35
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Karl Raw said:
“Had Tuffnells taken the slope into account, simple measures could have been taken that would have prevented this incident. Workplace transport remains a high risk environment, and this case serves as a reminder to industry that assessments of sites should be specific and identify the hazards unique to each yard. It is also a reminder that the slope a vehicle is parked on does not need to be steep for incidents to occur.
“This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to adopt robust management action in both planning and monitoring of the workplace and workplace actions at this site.”
If you are unsure if your business is currently compliant then contact us today for a free, no obligation, on site workplace inspection.
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