HSE Hands Out £750,000 of Fines After Death of Floor Layer

Anybody who regularly looks at the news will have noticed a significant increase in the amount of HSE prosecutions. Companies are more frequently being taken to task by the Health and Safety Executive as stricter controls begin to take hold.

One of the most recent cases highlights the importance of fume control and saw two companies convicted in relation to the death of floor fitter Paul Tilcock. Tilcock had been working in an enclosed space with poor ventilation and had been using a glue containing dichloromethane – an extremely toxic substance that fatally overwhelmed him. The HSE's findings revealed that Tilcock's employer, T Brown Group Ltd, failed to control the risks that the he was exposed to by not providing fume control measures. T Brown Group Ltd received a fine of £250,000 and Altro Ltd, the adhesive supplier, received a £500,000 fine under the same law.

The substantial fines demonstrate that the HSE are using their full weight against companies that neglect their legal and ethical obligations.

RVT provides specialist advice and equipment to help companies achieve compliance and to enable them to protect staff from needless death and injury. Our fume control measures include extraction kits specially designed to extract a broad range of toxic substances, including fumes from cutting, burning, welding, solvent and paint application. We offer a variety of solutions that can be tailored to suit any workspace.

It only takes one poisonous substance with insufficient control measures to lead to the death of a team member, so please contact us today and our experts will be pleased to offer you guidance.