Turner Brothers are the Largest Independent Garage client we assist.

Its great to be working alongside the incredibly busy & popular Turner Brothers Garage. It is not an understatement when we say this independent garage in gigantic. On our initial visit to carry out their Health & Safety audit we reckon they had every vehicle in Huddersfield in the workshops or yard. Their customer care is second to known. Well done to all the ladies and gents at Turner Brothers.

A local council, and a bus company were fined after a passenger was killed when run over by a lorry at the bus station.

St Albans Crown Court heard how on 13 February 2015, Nicola Berridge stepped off the bus and was run over by a grab lorry as she walked across a pedestrian crossing at the bus station. She suffered fatal injuries. The grab lorry was delivering sand to a contractor as the bus station had been demolished and was being reconstructed at the time.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the visibility at this crossing was obstructed by buses which had been permitted to park on double-yellow lines between the crossings for several years. Bedford Borough Council and Cambus Limited, a bus station operator failed to coordinate and cooperate with one another to manage pedestrian and vehicle interaction within the bus station. They had joint responsibility to assess the risk to members of the public from vehicle movements within the bus station and to put in place reasonably measures to reduce that risk so far as was reasonably practicable.

Bedford Borough Council of Cauldwell Street, Bedford pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of Health and Safety at Work Act, was fined £300.000 and ordered to pay costs of £ 16,803.59.

Cambus Limited of Cowley Road, Cambridge pleaded not guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of Health and Safety at Work Act, was found guilty and fined £350,000 and ordered to pay costs which are still to be agreed

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Emma Page said: “There were inadequate control measures in place to segregate vehicles and pedestrians at the site and lack of proper planning in terms of pedestrian access and egress to the bus station.

“Hazards associated with vehicles and pedestrians in the same location, particularly the case in a facility such as a bus station in the centre of a busy town, are well known and easily controlled using reasonably practicable precautions.”

For further information on avoiding serious incidents then contact us today

Three ambulances are among ten vehicles that have been destroyed in a fire at a service centre in Basingstoke.

Emergency services were called to the scene of a major fire at Houndmills Industrial Estate.

A blaze had taken hold of a number of vehicles on the forecourt at Snows Peugeot Garage on Aldermaston Road South.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 8.46pm.
Three crews from Basingstoke, plus a water tanker from Alton, were in attendance and remained on site until 11.09pm when the blaze was brought under control.

Ten vehicles were reported to have been destroyed.

The fire service has said that the exact cause of the fire remains unknown.

Residents and eyewitnesses reported a number of explosions during the incident.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue says these would have sounded as the fire spread to engulf more vehicles, and that “the explosions would have been caused by the fire,” rather than the explosions causing the fire to break out in the first place.

Officers were in attendance last night while the blaze was tackled by the fire service. They too recieved the call at 8.46pm.

Oakridge Road was also closed for an hour while firefighters dealt with the fire.

Hampshire Constabulary has since said it is not treating the fire as suspicious at this stage.

No one was hurt as the fire taking place outside of business hours, no nobody was on site at the garage.

SCS have carried out hundreds of FRA’s for garage throughout the UK so contact us today for expert advice.

A Liverpool port operating company has been sentenced after a worker was struck by a load falling from two fork lift trucks (FLTs) at the Port of Liverpool in Seaforth.

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard that on 28 May 2015, three agency workers performing work for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company were loading bundles of rebar onto HGV trailers for onward transfer. The injured employee was acting as banksman whilst his two colleagues were operating their FLTs as part of a tandem lift manoeuvre. During the loading procedure a single bundle of rebar weighing 1,924 kg, suspended on the forks of the two trucks, was struck by the reversing HGV’s headboard causing it to fall onto the employee stood on the far side by the HGV’s cab.

Following the incident, the operative sustained multiple fractures, lacerations, scarring and abrasion, ligament reconstruction to his left knee and has undergone four operations which resulted in the amputation of two toes of his left foot. He has been unable to return to work since the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found no suitable risk assessment relating to the hazards arising from loading bundles of rebar onto reversing flatbed trailers had been carried out. The tandem FLT lifting operation was also not properly planned, supervised or carried out in a safe manner.

The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company Limited of Maritime Centre, Port of Liverpool pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,593.55.

After the hearing HSE inspector Rohan Lye said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to ensure they provide safe methods of working and a safe working environment. If suitable controls had been in place the serious physical injuries sustained by this worker could easily have been prevented.”

For further information on avoiding serious incidents then contact us today

The director of a waste management company has been ordered to carry out unpaid work after an employee was critically injured.

Poole Magistrates’ Court heard that on 18 April 2017 Justin Tinsley, then aged 33, had only been employed by Mike Toon Ltd for a few weeks when he was trapped between a telehandler and a gate post at the company yard on Dawkins Road in Poole. Mike Toon Ltd processed and recycled builders’ waste and soil at the yard.

Justin was struggling with a manoeuvre and the machine became stuck. With the engine running and the door blocked Justin climbed out through the window to allow Mr Toon to free the machine. However, the machine moved unexpectedly, and Justin was crushed between the machine and a gate post. Justin was unconscious in hospital for some weeks and has never fully recovered from his crush injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Justin was being trained to drive a telehandler by the company owner and director Michael Toon. The investigation found several serious long-term faults with the telehandler including some relating to braking.

Michael Toon of Poole Road, Bournemouth pleaded guilty breaching section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974; that being a director of Michael Toon Ltd he failed to discharge his duty under section 2(1), the offence being committed with his consent or connivance or being attributable to his neglect. He was given a 120 hours unpaid work community order and ordered to contribute to costs of £1500.

HSE inspector Ian Smart said: “Michael Toon was well aware of the unsafe condition of the telehandler yet allowed it to be used by an inexperienced employee.

“HSE promotes safe-stop procedures where drivers should apply the parking brake and turn off the ignition before exiting any mobile machinery. Justin could not do this as the telehandler was in such poor mechanical condition. The law requires mobile machinery to be in safe working order at all times. Maintenance is not optional. This accident could easily have been prevented.”

For further information on avoiding serious incidents then contact us today

AN investigation has been launched after a fire broke out at a garage unit in George Street, Chorley.

Firefighters from across Lancashire and Greater Manchester were called to the blaze at George Street Garage at around 8.45pm on Saturday.

A fire service spokesman said the electricity and gas were isolated in the building after cylinders were found inside.

Shaun Walton, group manager at the fire service, tweeted: “The fire crews successfully prevented fire spreading to adjoining buildings and reduced the risk of cylinders inside the garage exploding due to heat and fire.

“Crews attended quickly but unfortunately the fire had already spread throughout the garage, we are investigating cause.”

The stinger appliance from Blackburn was called to the scene.

A fire service spokesman said: “Residents were affected by a loss of power but it is hoped that it will be switched on again by the morning.

An Electricity North West spokesman said: “All supplies should now be restored to the area, as of 2.30am, with the exception of the premises involved in the fire.

SCS have carried out hundreds of FRA’s for garage throughout the UK so contact us today for expert advice.

Unfortunately, thousands of garages & dealerships I visit still have unguarded letterboxes and key drop off points in which flammables & accelerants can be poured and set alight. Don’t give an opportunist pyromaniac or vandal the chance.

Here is what happed back in January 2017 ………..

A Robins and Day Citroen dealership has been severely damaged by an arson attack which tore through the main showroom and workshop – causing an estimated £100,000 worth of damage.

Seven showroom vehicles were damaged along with additional vehicles in the workshop and extensive damage was caused to the fabric of the facility in Small Heath, Birmingham, after fire broke out at around 9pm January 16th 2017

Around 40 firefighters tackled the blaze and police arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of arson, the Birmingham Post reported.

A lane had to be closed on the A45 ring road that loops the showroom as the clean-up got underway.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “We were alerted by fire service colleagues at 9.10 to a fire at the Citroen car dealership in Small Heath Highway.

“One lane of the highway remains closed while fire investigators and forensic examiners assess the scene.

“A 33-year-old man of no fixed address has been arrested on suspicion of arson.”

Speaking to the Birmingham Post, Highgate Fire Crew commander Mark Clifton said that his team had responded to the blaze within four minutes but confirmed that the building had been “deemed unsafe” as a result of the fire.

SCS have carried out hundreds of FRA’s for garage throughout the UK so contact us today for expert advice.

A manufacturer of steel water storage tanks and supporting towers has been fined after a worker suffered multiple fractures following a fall from height.

Cwmbran Magistrates Court heard how, on 25 October 2017, a Braithwaite Engineers Limited employee was injured when he fell from a lorry bed whilst unloading the lorry at their site in Risca, resulting in multiple fractures of his head, ribs, shoulder blade and fingers, causing him to miss over five months of work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to provide employees with suitable and clear instructions and training so that employees did not access lorry beds in an unsafe manner.

Braithwaite Engineers Limited, of Units A&B Leeway House, Leeway Industrial Estate, Newport pleaded guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company has been fined £9,400 and ordered to pay costs of £1,680.75.

Speaking after the case HSE inspector Will Powell said: “Falls from vehicles can be overlooked by employers when considering risks from work at height. Simple measures would have prevented this accident.”

For further information on avoiding serious incidents then contact us today

 

Post-mortem to establish the exact cause of death as part of HSE investigation.

A man has died after a car ramp collapsed as he worked on a vehicle in a garage, Wales Online has reported.

An inquest has been opened into the death of John Anthony Steven Rees, 54, in Swansea, on July 18.

A post-mortem examination will now be held to establish the exact cause of Mr Rees’ death, whose death is being investigated by the police and Health and Safety Executive.

Emergency services were called to the scene when Mr Rees died after the ramp apparently collapsed as he worked on a car.

A South Wales Police spokeswoman said: “We were called to a sudden death at about 6.20am on July 18 in Penclawdd.

“Inquiries are ongoing into the incident in consultation with the HSE.”

An HSE spokesman confirmed they are aware of the incident and were investigating with the help of South Wales Police.

The inquest was adjourned until 23 January 2020.

For further information on avoiding serious incidents then contact us today

Fire ignited and was contained to the services and parts area of building

Firefighters have brought a fire under control after it broke out in the services and parts department of a Renault main dealer in Stockport during the early hours of yesterday morning (Monday 2 September).

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said 14 engines were present at the fire’s peak and crews managed to contain the fire, “saving a significant part of the building”.

Fire investigation will be liaising with Greater Manchester Police to determine a cause.

Ben Levy of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews were focused on protecting the assets inside the building and the majority of the fire was contained to the services and parts area.

“Thanks to their hard work a significant part of the building was saved.

“Fortunately, the fire happened in the early hours of the morning and this was when the smoke was at its worst.”

SCS have carried out hundreds of FRA’s for garage throughout the UK so contact us today for expert advice.