EigenAnalysis

A company was fined after HSE found that it had been storing aerosol products in large amounts in its Hilltop Industrial Estate site in Leicestershire.

The company, A. M. Widdowson & Son Ltd, was found guilty for breaking Regulation 6(2) of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) and Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. the hearing took place at Coalville Magistrates Court.

The company was fined £5,000 and asked to pay a sum of £4,900 as costs after it was found that it had not properly evaluated the risks related to storing such huge amounts of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) at the site.

The company also had not informed the authorities about its operations at the work site. It also failed to conduct a risk assessment and then did not follow the accepted safety norms required to be followed for storing aerosol products.

HSE Inspector James Wright said that the company’s arrangements for the storage of LPG had failed to meet the accepted standards set by HSE. He also pointed out the risk of a possible fire due to the inappropriate storage conditions at the site, which could have jeopardized the lives of the workers at the site as well as the public.

The company also did not tell HSE that their operating site came under the COMAH Regulations. Wright said that businesses that deal with storage of aerosol products should keep this case in mind and remember that HSE would not think twice in future before taking legal action against such irresponsible companies.

Companies need to be sure that they are giving the correct instructions with effective policies around health and safety decisions. Fire Risk Assessment will benefit organisations in enabling them to understand their responsibilities for fire safety, and put in place measures to control the risks of fire as required under legislation.