Germany Track workers killed by train in Stuttgart Two rail track workers were killed on Thursday when they were struck by a train while working on the track between Sonnenberg and Mohringen in Stuttgart. The accident occurred on a 2-rail stretch of track, no immediate cause of the accident was speculated. 17th February 2012 Germany Worker badly injured in overhead chainsaw accident A worker was admitted to hospital in Suhl late yesterday afternoon with a severe head injury while cutting trees in Heubisch, Thuringia, with a chain saw, details of the accident and his condition were not known. 17th February 2012 India Accountant trampled by elephant A Karnataka accountant was attacked and trampled to death by an elephant on a plantation in Halasur, Alur, another worker accompanying him on administrative work was also injured and hospitalised with leg and abdominal wounds.16th February 2012 Austria Worker falls from unbraked mobile platform A 19-year old worker has been hospitalised with multiple injuries after falling 3 metres from a mobile platform during work at the City Gallery in Schwaz, Tyrol. He had leaned over the edge of the apparently unbraked platform when it began to move. 16th February 2012 Spain Construction deaths in Castille and Leon Two construction workers died in separate accidents yesterday in Castille and Leon. A 40- year old worker of a metallurgical company from Cuellar, Segovia, died in a fall from height accident at premises in Fuentesauco. It was initially thought that he had fallen from a roof but it was later opined that the fall came from a MEWP(mobile elevating work platform). The other accident claimed the life of a bricklayer, 41, over whom a wall collapsed on a site on Calle Real, Zambrana. 15th February 2012 Switzerland Fall from height death in dam machine room A worker has died when a temporary scaffold platform partially collapsed in a machine room at the Solis Dam site in Alvaschein. It is believed that a  chainsaw was being used to reduce timber sections and a supporting member was inadvertently weakened. 15th February 2012 Croatia Patient found hanged in Split hospital A 75-year old patient was found hanging from a radiator by X-Ray cable having apparently committed suicide in a Split hospital where he had been admitted for hernia surgery. It is believed that a kidney tumour had been found during screening with likely mestasis to the brain. 14th February 2012 USA Woman and horse killed in explosion at Florida equine rehab centre At the Kesmarc Farm & Equine Rehabilitation Centre in Ocala, Florida, a woman and a horse were killed when an explosion led to a partial collapse of a building in which a horse was undergoing treatment in a hyperbaric chamber. The high pressure oxygen chamber had a protective padded shield inside its steel walls but the horse became restless and the kicking of its hooves breached the padding and created sparks which is thought to have led to the explosion. 14th February 2012 Peru Scaffold fails in Santa Clara A scaffold board failed at 6th storey level on a building site at Torres II on Carretera Central in Santa Clara. A construction worker was killed, another is in intensive care with multiple injuries in the Montefiori Hospital in La Molina. 13th February 2012 Austria 2-year old farm girl drinks disinfectant A 2-year old child was hospitalised in Salzburg at the weekend after drinking from a bottle of disinfectant on a farm. She is being treated for burns to her throat and airways but is not in life-threatening condition. 13th February 2012 Egypt Tourists drown after sightseeing craft grounds on coral At least 3 European tourists have drowned following the sinking of a sightseeing submarine in the Red Sea off Hurghada. It struck a coral reef, breaking glass and leading to water ingress, 13 other tourists were rescued. 10th February 2012 France Worker pinned under heavy door being installed at bank A 28-year old worker was in intensive care with a depressed rib cage yesterday after a 3-tonne security door being installed at a Credit Agricole branch on Avenue d'Arches, Charleville Mezieres, became unstable during handling and fell on him. 10th February 2012 Canada Worker severely injured as tyre explodes during inflation A worker was listed in critical condition in hospital in Montreal last night with multiple fractures following an accident on Wednesday at the Normandin lorry depot in Napiersville. It is believed that he was inflating a giant tyre which exploded, the force of the blast impaled him against shelving, fire crews deployed jaws of life to release him. 9th February 2012 India Two workers killed in textile unit boiler explosion Two workers died in a boiler explosion at a textile plant near Erode. A boiler worker was one of the deceased, the other was a worker of the cloth calendering unit who was struck by the boiler's flying lid. Four other workers are being treated for injuries. 9th February 2012 Portugal Wall collapse kills 5 workers at Setubal renovation site Five construction workers died and another survived with severe injuries when an 8-metre high wall collapsed yesterday evening during renovation work at the Mercado do Livramento on Avenida Luisa Todi, Setubal. The victims are believed to have been employees of ABB (Alexandre Barbosa Borges), ACT(Autoridade para es Condicoes de Trabalho) has launched an investigation of the accident. 8th February 2012 South Africa Female worker raped and murdered in mine A murder inquiry is ongoing at the scene of an incident at Anglo American Platinum's Khomanani mine in Rustenburg where a female worker was found dead at an underground location having been assaulted and raped. 8th February 2012 Pakistan Lahore factory collapse leaves 13 dead Ten women and 3 children have died and dozens were trapped when the 3-storey Orient Labs(Private) Ltd premises on Multan Road, Lahore, collapsed yesterday. Rescuers with heavy plant had to negotiate narrow access roads in the vicinity of the plant which manufactures veterinary medicines. Lahore police have alleged that the plant was operating illegally without planning permission. 7th February 2012 Italy Calabrian farmer electrocuted; Tuscan worker's finger severed in lathe A Calabrian 36-year old farm worker received a fatal electric shock when he contacted a live copper cable while trying to repair a cable in an electric junction box in Rizziconi. Elsewhere on Monday, a worker's finger was severed while he worked with a lathe in a workshop on via Guinizelli, Prato. The finger was retrieved and packed in ice but surgical re-attachment was not possible and surgery on Monday afternoon aimed to limit the amputation damage. 7th February 2012 Italy Worker's hand crushed in cardboard press The proprietor of Scatolifico Veneto is recovering in hospital in Padua after losing his hand in a crush accident while operating a press which crushes cardboard at the box and carton manufacturing premises in Veggiano. 6th February 2012 Australia Dozens missing in Papua New Guinea ferry sinking Dozens of people are missing feared drowned following the sinking of  the ferry MV Rabaul Queen of Star Ships which sank off the east coast of Papua New Guinea as it sailed from Kimbe, New Britain, to Lae. By late Thursday 219 people had been rescued but more than 300 people may have been on board. 3rd February 2012 Canada Crush fatality on Alberta oilfield site A worker of Kos Oilfield Transportation has died of blunt force trauma injuries after being struck by a pipe tub being loaded on to a winch lorry at an oilfield site 20 miles west of Swan Hills, Alberta. The container slipped off the lorry during the attempted loading, it was not initially clear whether a sling had failed during the operation. 3rd February 2012 Egypt Scores killed in Port Said football riot Scores of people may have died following a riot at a football match between Al Masry and Ahly in Port Said, many of the dead and injured sustained head injuries. Parliament will sit today to discuss the issue of football violence. 2nd February 2012 USA Indiana worker pinned between rail wagons Investigation of a crush fatality has been ongoing at US Steel's works in Gary, Indiana, where a worker died after becoming pinned between 2 railway wagons. 2nd February 2012 China Confined space triple fatality at copper smelters Three workers of the Zijin Copper Corporation died in a confined space accident in the copper smelting plant while engaged in maintenance work on a chemical tank. The first worker was overcome quickly upon entering the oxygen deficient atmosphere, of 3 others who subsequently entered to attempt a rescue of their colleague, only 1 survived. 1st February 2012 USA Shipyard fatality involving sandblaster A 66-year old Mississippi worker died in a blunt force trauma accident involving a sandblaster at the VT Halter Marine's shipyard in Pascagoula, he was not believed to have been working on a boat at the time. 1st February 2012

China 15 miners killed in underground train accident Fifteen Hunan miners were killed when a pit train derailed and overturned in a mine shaft near Leiyang, these trains are designated to carry coal and material and not personnel.17th February 2012 Chile Worker killed in fall into machinery at refrigeration unit A 17-year old worker fell into machinery at the Congelados San Rafael on Pedro Montl Street, Talcahuano, and made contact with the blades of an auger which inflicted fatal injuries. 17th February 2012 Germany Worker's head crushed in machinery A worker has died of severe head injuries at a machine tool works in Kraichtal, Karlsruhe, it is thought that his head became trapped in a milling machine into which he head leaned to retrieve a tool. 16th February 2012 Australia Woman killed in abattoir machine accident WorkSafe inspectors from Perth are undertaking an investigation of a fatal accident at a meat manufacturers in Esperance, Western Australia, where a 31-year old female worker has died in an accident involving machinery.16th February 2012 South Africa Parachutists collide during military exercise A fatal accident occurred yesterday during a military training exercise in which a parachutist died and another managed to land but broke a leg following a mid-air collision. Both soldiers from the Tempe Military Base managed to open their parachutes just prior to the collision. The dead soldier had a broken neck, it was unclear whether this was the result of the collision or impact at the fall locus in Groenvlei. 15th February 2012 South Africa Keeper mauled by loose lioness Human error is speculated as the likeliest cause of the accident which saw a 63-year old worker mauled to death by a lioness at Johannesburg Zoo's Rietkuil conservation farm in Parys where cat enclosure gates had been inadvertently left open. 15th February 2012 Samoa Worker crushed under container on wharf A 35-year old docks worker of Pacific Forum Line was killed in a crush accident during the unloading of containers at Mataufu wharf in Apia. His body had been partially pinned by a container and was not discovered until some time after the accident. 14th February 2012 USA Texas City accident A 26-year old worker has died in an accident involving packaging equipment on a Dallas Group of America Inc site in the Port of Texas City. 14th February 2012 Germany Two killed in Hessen flight lesson crash A pilot instructor and pupil were killed when their light aircraft from the Kurhessisch Verein fur Luftfahrt crashed on Saturday on to the Bernsdorf golf course, Colbe, shortly after take off from Marsburg-Schonstadt airfield. 13th February 2012 New Zealand Window cleaners need double safety lines An 18-year old window cleaner of At Height survived a 4-storey fall when she fell while working at the Lion Breweries building in Auckland. Industrial standards for rope work would require 2 safety anchors, one acting as back-up, with a 60cm maximum drop. 13th February 2012 USA Transport fatality on Georgia site On Thursday morning a construction worker died in a transport accident on a dwellinghouse site on Bramble Bush Way, Suwanee, where heavy plant he was operating  on a gradient struck a tree. This did not appear to have been a rollover accident, rather the driver sustained severe blunt force trauma from the impact. 10th February 2012 Japan Falling display injures snow festival visitor A 61-year old female visitor to the Sapporo Snow Festival in the city's Odori Park was hospitalised with a broken pelvis after she was struck by a 3-metre tall snow sculpture which fell from a pedestal, fluctuating temperature was speculated as the cause of the accident. 10th February 2012 USA Window cleaner's ladder contacts power source at wind farm A Californian window cleaner was hospitalised yesterday following an accident in which he sustained electrical shock injuries and fell 2 metres when his ladder contacted a live power source at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District wind turbine project in Solano County. 9th February 2012 Venezuela Mechanic killed in petrol tanker cylinder explosion A motor mechanic died when a petrol tanker's cylinder exploded during maintenance work in a workshop of Petroleos de Venezuela in the Matanzas industrial estate in Ciudad Guayana. Initial investigation of the accident found that a gas rich atmosphere had developed within the tanker's cylinder. 9th February 2012 Canada Crush accident on Nova Scotia site A 43-year old worker was killed in a crush accident on Tuesday at Hall's Maritime Welding in Billtown, Nova Scotia. Sandblasting was being undertaken on the raised rear box of a lorry when instability occurred and it toppled over, pinning the worker. 8th February 2012 Austria Arm virtually severed in drill press accident A 40-year old worker was hospitalised in Klagenfurt where he underwent surgery after his lower arm was almost severed in a drill press in which his gloved hand became caught at an iron works in St Marien, Styria. 8th February 2012 Bulgaria 9 killed in dam bursts Severe weather has led to dam bursts in southeast Bulgaria which have claimed at least 9 lives. Five people have died in Biser, 2 others on Haskovo and a couple died in their car which was struck by a large wave from a reservoir in Ivanovo. 7th February 2012 New Zealand Fingertip severed in unguarded fruit peel dicer At Waitakere District Court Tasti Products was fined $28,125(314,825) plus $7,500(£3,953) compensation over an accident 2 years ago at its Te Atatu peninsula premises where the tip of a worker's finger was severed in the auger blade of a fruit peel dicer which Department of Labour investigation found to be unguarded.  7th February 2012 The Netherlands Handicapped man missing during accompanied walk Concern was being expressed on Sunday evening over a 69-year old handicapped man who went missing during an accompanied afternoon walk on Sunday on Maccabiadelaan in Amstelveen Noord, Amsterdam, police released a description of him to the media in the hope that the public might spot him quickly. 6th February 2012 Malta Swinging crane jib kills site worker A 59-year old construction was killed on Thursday on a site on Sir Arturo Mercieca Street, Sliema, when a crane cable failed and he was struck on the upper body by the jib. 3rd February 2012 Canada Injured worker airlifted from Fraser Valley plant An air ambulance was called at midday on Thursday to the Rimex plant in Agassiz, British Columbia, to take an injured worker to the Royal Columbian Hospital to treat a head injury after apparently being struck by moving equipment or machinery. 3rd February 2012 Peru Callao worker crushed by falling container A foreman at the HC premises in Callao was killed yesterday when a container fell during unloading from a ship, 2 workers have been questioned by police over alleged negligence. 2nd February 2012 Australia Worker sprayed with scalding tallow A Melbourne worker is in intensive care in the burns unit of The Alfred Hospital after being sprayed with tallow at 140°C at a factory in Laverton North. He was working up a ladder trying to clear a blockage when he slipped, an action which saw a pressure valve pulled from the pipe. 2nd February 2012 Cyprus Transport crush fatality at fruit packers A 22-year old Romanian national has died in a transport accident at a fruit packers in Kokkinotrimithia, west of Nicosia, where he died of multiple injuries after becoming pinned between a lorry and mobile crane, the 45-year old driver of the latter was detained by police for questioning. 1st February 2012 Argentina Falling concrete kills site worker A 28-year old construction worker was killed yesterday when a heavy concrete section fell on him at the site of the new Community Hall on 8 de Oeste Street in the Almafuerte II district of Neuquen. 1st February 2012

The Netherlands Kinderdijk miller dies in industrial accident On Thursday police reported that a miller of one of the Kinderdijk windmills has died in a workplace accident, a neighbouring miller of the Overwaard windmill had noticed that there were no signs of normal activity and advised the authorities. 17th February 2012 Sweden Crew of cargo ship rescued from Baltic All 6 Russian crew members of the Gibraltar-flagged cargo ship, Phantom, were safely rescued from the Baltic after a mayday was issued when the ship began developing a dangerous list shortly after sailing from Oskarshamn, Sweden, for Morocco. The crew is recovering in hospital from hypothermia, having had little opportunity to don their survival suits, so rapidly did the incident develop. 17th February 2012 Italy Worker injured in fall from lorry A 67-year old worker was listed in critical condition in intensive care in hospital in Perugia following surgery on Wednesday afternoon to reduce a large haematoma after the worker sustained head and abdominal injuries in a fall from a lorry on the Macchie industrial estate in Castiglione del Lago. 16th February 2012 Canada Heavy door kills  Newfoundland shrimper OHS Newfoundland and Labrador inspectors are investigating a fatal accident which claimed the life of a fisherman on board the shrimp trawler Katsheshuk II at sea off the Northern Peninsula where he was struck by a steel door. 16th February 2012 Italy Puglia worker clearing snow falls from roof A worker was killed in a 10-metre fall from the roof of a warehouse at an engineering company in San Severo, Puglia, where he had been clearing snow from the roof yesterday. 15th February 2012 Austria Recoiling chainsaw injures worker's leg A Perg worker was hospitalised in Linz yesterday with a severe injury to his lower leg when a chainsaw he was using to cut beech trees recoiled violently against his leg. He was cutting very close to the base of a tree at the time of the accident, heavy protective leg padding helped staunch the blood loss which was none the less quite visible. 15th February 2012 UAE Worker run over on roads site A 32-year old roads worker was knocked over and killed by heavy plant during resurfacing work in the Muhazab area of Umm Al Quwain. He was cleaning and preparing the surface with aggregate when he  was struck unsighted by the vehicle.  14th February 2012 Haiti US church worker killed on clinic construction site A 53-year old man working with a team of people from the Church of Nazarene, Minnesota, has been killed in a construction accident at the site of the rebuilding of a hospital in Bleck in southeast Haiti. 14th February 2012 The Netherlands Huizen CO incident Six people were hospitalised in Hilversum last night for carbon monoxide poisoning from a malfunctioning gas cooker in a house in Huizen. 13th February 2012 Rep Ireland Faulty castor damages case dismissed The Circuit Civil Court dismissed a damages claim for €38K by an injured employee against Sonopress Ireland Ltd. The 43-year old screen operator sued for negligence and claimed to have fallen from a chair with castors during movement and broke her wrist in the fall on 12th January 2009. The chair was isolated after the accident but no fault was found, the judge indicated that no evidence of a loose castor was produced to the court, nor mentioned at any time prior to the hearing. 13th February 2012 Paraguay Exploding air compressor kills barge worker A worker has died and another was severely injured with burns when an air compressor exploded on the Fliper III barge of the Sur company which they were cleaning at the Primero de Marzo wharf in the Candida Achurro district of San Antonio on the Paraguay River. 10th February 2012 Peru Painter electrocuted as extension pole contacts power line A 37-year old painter working at 4th storey level of a building on Pedro Ruiz Street, Chiclayo, when an extension pole being used accidentally contacted an overhead power line. 10th February 2012 Rep Ireland Company fined over severed arm accident At Limerick Circuit Court Derry White Skip Hire has been fined €12K(£12,571) after pleading guilty to 8 breaches of the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act over an accident in June 2009 in which a worker lost an arm at the company's recycling plant at Mountplummer, Broadford. A fine of €5K(£4,190) was also levied against a company director. 9th February 2012 Italy Worker severs 3 fingers in machine accident An employee of General Cable has had 3 fingers amputated in an accident at Petrolchimico, Ferrara, during work to remove solidified plastic from within machinery. 9th February 2012 USA Tennessee worker killed in fall through roof A worker fell through the roof of a warehouse at the Five Rivers building in Greeneville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, the employee of Ron's Millwright sustained fatal head injuries in the accident. 8th February 2012 Malta Worker compensated for eye injury A worker has been awarded €23,525 (£19,616) after sustaining permanent eye damage when he was struck by a flying metal shard while working on a roof for Attard Bros Co Ltd. Steel reinforcement mesh had been laid on a roof and cutters had trimmed overlapping mesh but not projecting poles. A chaser cutter was used to reduce the poles and the accident occurred as the chaser was being used on metal. The company was deemed to have failed to provide a safe system of work. 8th February 2012 Spain Crane collapse on Galician site A Galician crane operator was killed yesterday when his crane boom collapsed on him during the unloading of concrete sections at a site on the Sete Pias industrial estate in Cambados. 7th February 2012 USA Slip fatality at Californian dairy An investigation is ongoing into a fatal accident at the Bar20 Dairy premises in Kerman, California, where a worker sustained fatal head injuries in a slip accident. 7th February 2012 England Search abandoned for missing trawlerman A Belgian trawlerman fell overboard in Bideford Bay 12 miles off Hartland Point, Padstow lifeboat attended the incident but later on Sunday Falmouth coastguard reported that the unsuccessful search had been abandoned. 6th February 2012 Germany Falling steel kills worker on Frankfurt bridge A 26-year old worker was killed by a steel beam yesterday at a site on a Frankfurt bridge. The worker was releasing a rope when he lost his balance and fell backwards on to the ground, with the 280Kg section falling on top of him. 3rd February 2012 Italy Basilicata worker crushed by shovel during excavator repair A 77-year old man died in a crush accident on Thursday in a shed on via Puglia, Policoro, where he was undertaking maintenance on an excavator at his son's business, he was found pinned under the excavator's shovel. 3rd February 2012 France Worker killed when tyre explodes during inflating An employee of DM Services of Esch, Luxembourg, was killed and a colleague badly injured when a giant tyre exploded during inflating at the Arcor Mittal plant in Florange, Lorraine. The company was subcontracted to Hrasco who are responsible for plant and engine maintenance there. 2nd February 2012 Germany Bavarian worker rescued from excavation A worker was badly injured after falling into an excavation in a workshop at premises in Genderkingen, Bavaria, it was half an hour before he was noticed missing, his injuries included concussion and rib and spinal injuries. 2nd February 2012 Switzerland Worker falls 4m through weak railing A 52-year old worker was hospitalised yesterday after falling 4 metres yesterday at a factory in Adliswil when a railing against which he was leaning on a platform failed. 1st February 2012 Belgium Flanders worker badly injured under falling panels A 21-year old worker was listed in critical condition in hospital last night after being pinned under falling construction panels at a site on Werkhuizen Street in Vilvoorde(Vilvorde), Brabant, the reason for the instability of the panels was not initially clear. 1st February 2012

England Sheltered housing residents rescued A fire in the early hours of yesterday at a large flatted sheltered housing complex in Maidenhead, Berks, required 10 elderly residents to be rescued and more than 20 to be evacuated. No one was injured, the fire is believed to have ignited at an electrical fault on the ground floor. The fire service said that an early warning from detection apparatus prevented possible loss of life. 17th February 2012 Wales Train strikes vehicle on crossing A van driver was air lifted to hospital after his vehicle was struck by a train on the Pikins Crossing near Llanbrynmair, Powys, yesterday afternoon. The man sustained upper body injuries at the crossing which is user-operated. The train did not derail. 17th February 2012 England Accidental death of farmer At Portsmouth Magistrates' Court an inquest jury has determined a verdict of accidental death having listened to evidence and opinion concerning the fatal crushing of a 58-year old farmer by a bull at a farm in Clanfield, Hampshire, in November 2010. The deceased was experienced with handling bulls but opinion was expressed that the bull did not recognise him for a variety of reasons and this provoked the hostile attack by the animal. 16th February 2012 England Worker fell 7 metres after scaffolding had been removed A 28-year old construction worker fell from the roof of a building being refurbished in Belgravia, London, after scaffolding which had protected employees and subcontractors from falling had been removed weeks earlier. The accident victim had been on the roof clearing up debris left over from construction work. He was using a ladder to access the lower part of the roof, but as he descended, the ladder fell away from the building and he lost his footing. He fell 7 metres, fracturing his leg, heel and wrist, as a result of which he is now registered disabled. His employer, R & G Construction Ltd of Harrow, admitted breaching r.4(1)(a), r.5 and r.6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £30,000 plus costs of £7,515. An HSE official commented: "This was an appalling and entirely preventable incident which has severely affected a young man's life. Companies have a duty to take steps to reduce risks and prevent falls using equipment such as guardrails and working platforms, or even nets and airbags if needs be. If the company had properly planned and organised the work and sufficiently assessed the risks of working at height, along with the use of appropriate work equipment, the likelihood of this happening would have been much reduced." 16th February 2012 England Serious head injury after ladder fall It is reported that a workman has fallen from a ladder while working at a television aerial and sustained a serious head injury. The accident occurred at a property in  Rusper, Sussex, on Monday afternoon, the man is listed in serious condition.15th February 2012 England Worker trapped in machine A worker in his 20's was taken by air ambulance to hospital on Monday morning after becoming trapped by the arm in a machine at the Hinckley premises of Hammonds Furniture Ltd. The man sustained several fractures to his arm. 15th February 2012 England Fatal industrial accident It is reported that a man in his 40's has died following an industrial accident at a site in Flaunden on the border of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The accident occurred yesterday morning and involved an excavator. 14th February 2012 England Fatal accident at Leeds industrial unit A worker died in an accident on Saturday after railings fell on him at the premises of Ashton Metal Fabrications on the Ashton Road Industrial Estate in the Harehills area of Leeds. 14th February 2012 England Fatality at builders' merchants It is reported that a 60-year old man has died after being struck by a forklift truck at Jewsons premises in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on Friday afternoon. 13th February 2012 Fisherman's life threatening injuries The Maritime and Coastguard Agency airlifted a commercial fisherman to hospital in Inverness on Friday after he fell from a vessel in Ullapool Harbour, Wester Ross. His head injuries are described as life-threatening. 13th February 2012 Scotland Forestry worker killed in accident It is reported that a 59-year old forestry worker was killed in an accident during tree felling near Callander, Stirlingshire, on Wednesday afternoon. One account states the incident involved an item of timber transporting plant called a forwarder. 10th February 2012 England/Northern Ireland Refuse collection incidents An explosion and fire occurred in a refuse collection vehicle on Wednesday as it collected household waste in Grimsby. The vehicle operated by North East Lincolnshire Council was emptied on to the road by the operatives and the waste extinguished by the fire service. It was speculated that a pressurised container may have been the cause of the explosion. In Londonderry an operative of Derry City Council was injured last week after apparently climbing inside the refuse wagon to free a bag but activated the compactor, injuring his leg. 10th February 2012 England Bus company's risk assessment failure A 58-year old employee of The Original London Sightseeing Tour Limited, registered in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, was seriously injured when a vehicle which had been raised 60cm off the ground dropped suddenly because a wooden block resting on a column vehicle lift failed, allowing the axle to fall and crush him. The incident occurred at a bus depot in Rainham, Essex, HSE investigation found risk assessments for the site had not been adequately reviewed. The company could have used another set of available vehicle lifts or taken it to another depot where there were numerous vehicle pits. The company was fined £10,500 with costs of £10,000 for breaching S.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. 9th February 2012 England Fatal accident was preventable A man died after a steel section fell on him during unloading from a lorry on a construction site in Brentford in June 2008. The deceased was a cleaner on the site, he was killed when the section fell from the lorry onto the pedestrian walkway of the site. The lorry was parked in a position not designated as a place for unloading, and a director of steel erection company CM Structural Services Ltd was aware one section was projecting over the side of the lorry, but no measures were taken to restrain the load or to prevent the section from falling. CM Structural Services Ltd began unloading the steel using a forklift truck but it did not prevent people walking down the walkway or erect signs warning that unloading was taking place. Both companies were prosecuted under S.3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. CM Structural Services Ltd of Carryduff, Northern Ireland, was fined £15,000 plus costs of £12,692. Fisher Engineering Ltd of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, responsible for the manufacture, delivery and installation of the structural steelwork, who had contracted CM to erect the steel, was fined £50,000 with costs of £16,595. 9th February 2012 England Asbestos work was uncontrolled An Asbestos Insulating Board ceiling was removed in an uncontrolled manner by a contractor, putting employees, subcontractors and homeowners at risk of asbestos exposure. D B Construction (West Wilts) Ltd of Bradford-on-Avon admitted breaching r.5 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 in connection with the work and was fined £7,000 with £3,617 costs. The unsafe work was conducted during refurbishment of a house in Bradford-on-Avon during November and December 2010. The company failed to investigate whether asbestos was present in the building before work started.  Employees and sub contractors failed to identify the material and broke up the boards, releasing airborne asbestos fibres. 8th February 2012 England Business before lives Haslington Hall Ltd, operators of a 14th Century Cheshire wedding venue near Crewe, has been fined £23,815 including costs for serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. A Prohibition Notice was served on the company on 1st October 2009 but lifted on 30th October 2009 following completion of works. However, it was established that the venue had been used whilst the notice was in force, on the weekend of 24th October 2009, placing people at serious risk if a fire had occurred at the venue. The company pleaded guilty to failing to: provide appropriate fire detectors and alarms; ensure that escape routes and exits could be used as quickly and as safely as possible; provide adequate fire resisting doors on the escape routes; make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; provide adequate and sufficient fire safety training to employees; comply with an Enforcement Notice; comply with a Prohibition Notice;  provide emergency routes and exits with signage, as required; provide emergency routes and exits with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in case of failure of normal lighting; make and give effect to such arrangements as were appropriate, for the effective planning, organisation, control monitoring and review of the preventive and protective measures. The Community Fire Protection Manager for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service commented: "This was an extremely serious case of a business putting people's lives at considerable risk from fire. Fire safety is a key part of good business management and Haslington Hall Ltd showed little or no regard for the safety of their guests or employees and the result was a prosecution, which came to light after information was received saying that the premises was being used as a wedding venue." 8th February 2012 England 10 affected by chemical exposure A Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Hazardous Material Unit dealt with a chemical spillage at the Royal Seaforth Container Base in Seaforth, Merseyside, yesterday afternoon. It is reported that 10 persons were taken to hospital and were treated for the effects of inhaling the chemical, the details of which have not been released. 7th February 2012 England Structure collapsed under workmen Two workmen survived a fall of 8 metres at a factory in Coleford, Forest of Dean, in 2009 after an anchor point supporting climbing formwork apparatus they were standing upon failed. The failure resulted when they substituted a bolt, unsuited for the purpose, and inserted it at an acute angle when the section of formwork went out of alignment. An HSE inspector explained that it is vital for safety-critical parts of temporary work equipment to be checked before use. Principal contractor Chalcroft Ltd had no formal procedures in place to make these safety-critical checks which would have revealed that the working platform was not secure. Chalcroft Ltd of Pershore, Worcestershire, admitted breaching r.22(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and was fined £14,000 with £23,236 costs. 7th February 2012 England Hants and Yorks gas incidents Twenty homes were evacuated in Basingstoke after a gas explosion occurred when gas leaked into the wall cavity of a house in Abbey Road, a woman was injured in the accident. Earlier in the weekend a gas explosion left 2 residents requiring treatment for burns and smoke inhalation following an explosion in Brook Row, Keighley, which saw 10 homes evacuated. 6th February 2012 England Worker dies in Yorkshire industrial accident A man in his 30's has died in an industrial accident at the premises of Felt Supplies Ltd in Bradford. The accident occurred on Wednesday morning and accounts state the deceased worker had become trapped in machinery and died at the scene. 3rd February 2012 England Incident at steel tube company A worker at Steel Tubes Ltd of Wednesbury was airlifted to hospital on Wednesday morning after he was injured in an industrial accident. His hand was trapped in machinery for some time before emergency services released him. 3rd February 2012 England Lax attitude to maintenance An accident in which a 13Kg counterweight fell from a height of 4 metres on to a man's foot and fractured it revealed a laxity in maintenance of the cranes being used at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire. The incident last March at Drax Power Ltd also implicated  Konecranes UK Ltd, its permanent on-site contractor responsible for maintaining all the cranes and hoists. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) instigated a prosecution after specialist HSE engineers found that the 13kg weight was not suitably secured in place and was attached with only a single nut or bolt. They also discovered the crane involved had missed 2 of its 4-monthly services. Furthermore, all 6 cranes in the mill bay area of the plant were taken out of use, 3 of them were also behind schedule for servicing and numerous defects were found. Drax Power admitted breaching r.5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 by failing to ensure the crane was in good working order. Konecranes UK Ltd of West Bromwich admitted a breach of S.3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Each company was fined £13,300 and ordered to pay costs of £3,151. 2nd February 2012 Northern Ireland Man dead after police van incident A 21-year old man died yesterday from his head injuries he suffered last Friday when he fell from a police van as it drove along Church Street in Maghera, County Londonderry. The Police Ombudsman's Office is conducting an investigation, the deceased was in police custody at the time. 2nd February 2012 England Reckless lifting operation A mini-crawler crane lifting a skip containing liquid concrete onto a building site overturned, the boom of the crane striking a 26-year old worker's upper body, inflicting fatal injuries. The lifting operation on the poorly managed site had not been adequately planned or supervised by employer Harris Calnan Construction Co Ltd and one of its directors and both were prosecuted and fined. An HSE inspector commented: "The attempted lift of a liquid concrete load at a distance far in excess of the crane’s safe working parameters was wholly inappropriate. The potential for overturn in these circumstances is well known, entirely foreseeable and could have been simply prevented." Harris Calnan Construction Co Ltd, of Winchester, admitted breaching r.8(1)(c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 for which it was fined £80,000 with costs of £66,244. Its director  pleaded guilty by virtue of S.37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to r.8(1)(a) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, and he was fined £7,500 with costs of £25,000. 1st February 2012 England Safety fence gap too big at 150mm An inquest jury has determined a narrative verdict over the death of a 2-year old child attending a fair in Wood Green, North London, in May 2009. It was stated that, on the balance of probabilities, the boy squeezed through a gap between 2 unconnected fence panels before making his way to the Go-Gator ride which struck and fatally injured him. The Coroner is to write to the Health and Safety Executive concerning reducing the minimum gap between safety fences and the ground to 100mm from 150mm after hearing opinion from experts. 1st February 2012