Esken Renewables, a recycling company specialising in generating biofuel from renewable waste, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002. The company was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay over £5,000 in costs at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
A HSE inspector visited the wood waste recycling centre owned by Esken Renewables in April 2022 to investigate reports of dust exposure.
The inspector wrote to the company with the evidence they collected, demonstrating the extent of wood dust exposure to staff. Esken Rewenables replied explaining that the dust exposure was “mainly due to four storms in quick succession”.
However, the HSE reported that the measures to control the amount of wood dust the employees were exposed to was “not adequate”. It reported that one solution the company could employ was the through the use of exhaust ventilation.
Awareness
HSE inspector Matthew Dundas said: “The expected standard is to control exposure to as low a level as is reasonably practical. We hope this serves to raise industry awareness for the expectation of control of hazardous substances, namely wood dust, in the wood waste and recycling industry.”
T”he HSE stated breathing in wood dust excessively can cause asthma and nasal cancer. In particular, dust from softwood wood dust is a known asthmagen while particles from hardwood are a known carcinogen.
‘Disappointed’
A spokesperson from Esken Recyclables said: “We take health and safety very seriously and the wellbeing of all of our employees is a top priority for us.
“We were very disappointed to learn that on this occasion we didn’t meet the regulatory requirements and our own high standards of care and protection that we aim to provide for our employees.”
“We accept the HSE’s findings, and we’ve cooperated with them at every stage of their investigation. We’re constantly revising our policies and procedures to ensure that we comply with all regulations and that we provide the highest standards of protection for everyone who works for us. In particular, health and safety is a core principle of the company’s new owner.”
*Story amended 30/05/2024 to include a statement from Esken Recyclables
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