HSE prosecution shows importance of health and safety courses

Category: Health and Safety Courses
Tuesday 5th of January 2010

An incident which led to three companies being fined a total of £283,332 after an employee sustained serious injuries has demonstrated the importance of health and safety courses in the UK oil industry.

Stephen Rizzotti was paralysed from the waist down after a container holding 500 kg of waste materials fell on top of him while he was working at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, an oil refinery near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Shell UK Oil Products, Dalprop (formerly SG Blair and Co) and Hertel UK after finding several health and safety breaches at the site.

HSE inspector Alan Graham commented: "This case clearly demonstrates why it's so important for companies to put the safety of their employees first."

He added that the incident, which has confined the 42-year-old Mr Rizzotti to a wheelchair, was "totally avoidable".

The HSE said that scaffolding should have been erected to ensure that lifting equipment was kept separate from areas where people were walking, while the landing area also needed more adequate protection.

According to the latest HSE statistics, 4.7 million days were lost due to workplace injury in the UK in 2008/09.

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