Manufacturing Sector
Company fined for molten metal incident
Health & Safety update 20/01/2012
Aluminium casting company, JVM Castings Ltd, is facing a payout
of £10,000 after being prosecuted for an incident in which a worker
was burned by molten metal.
The incident took place at the Worcester factory of the company
in July 2010. Asim Qureshi, 41, from Worcester, was working on a
die cast machine when molten metal – at a heat of 650 decrees
Celsius – sprayed from the back of the machine.
The metal caught him in the face and on his right arm, shoulder
and leg. It burned through his clothing, leaving him with severe
burns and scarring on his hand and leg, for which he is still
receiving treatment.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 before Worcester
Magistrates’ Court, after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
investigation found that the rear of the machine was unguarded and
the overall and eye protection worn by the worker were unsuitable
for withstanding molten metal spray.
The court also heard that there had been three similar incidents
at the factory, one of which – seven months previously – had
seriously injured another employee.
HSE inspector, Tariq Khan, said the company had failed to learn
from the previous incidents.
"Although blow backs of molten aluminium are potentially
foreseeable, when they do happen, they are unpredictable events,”
he said. "The company's risk assessment had identified blow backs
as a danger but did not include any measures to remove or reduce
the risk.”
JVM Castings Ltd was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 in
costs
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