Veolia fined 5,000 after worker burned by ash

The employee, who did not wish to be named, sustained 17% burns to his body whilst cleaning ash from a filtration hopper at a Veolia plant on Landman Way on December 29 2009.

The ash fell onto him when he entered the hopper and started prodding it with a rod in order to clear a blockage. He was hospitalised for almost a month as a result of the burns he sustained.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found Veolia did not follow its own policies and procedures for the management of dangerous tasks of this nature. The HSE said this put a vulnerable worker at risk by failing to provide him with adequate information or supervision.

The City of London Magistrates court heard on Thursday (April 26) that the employee, from Eastern Europe, spoke little English and had not been properly briefed in the working practices at the incineration plant.

Veolia ES SELCHP Ltd, of Pentonville Road, London, N1, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for supervisory failings that led to dangerous working practices. The company was fined 5,000 and ordered to pay full costs of 12,243.

Vulnerable

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Kerry Williams said: “The victim was a vulnerable worker who should have been protected whilst working for Veolia Environmental Services. However, he wasn’t provided with the basic information, training or supervision to allow him to complete his job safely. As a result he was badly exposed and he sustained severe burns in an incident that could easily have been avoided.

“Veolia operates a high hazard site in Deptford and as such should ensure its systems are sufficiently robust to ensure people are not placed at unnecessary risk.”

Regret

Commenting after the hearing, a spokesperson for Veolia said: On Thursday April 26, the company pleaded guilty to one health and safety breach under the Health & Safety at Work Act etc 1974, relating to an incident involving a contractor working at our SELCHP energy recovery facility on 29 December, 2009.

We deeply regret this incident and the injuries sustained by the person concerned and immediately put in place changes to our operating procedures to further improve our safety systems relating to any work carried out by contractors on site. As a company we are committed to the highest standards of health and safety and this remains our first priority as is evidenced by continual improvements in our safety performance.