Recently, Leicester Crown Court heard a 50-year-old employee at Herbs in a Bottle was using cleaning chemicals to wash down a changing room when he inhaled a toxic gas, likely to have been
chlorine. He died at the scene. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred on 2 September 2014, found that Brader was not trained in the safe use of
chemicals. Herbs in a Bottle had not carried out a Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessment.The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Regulation 6(1)(a) of
the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 which covers suitable and sufficient risk assessments. It was fined £45,000 and ordered to pay full costs
of £4,842. HSE inspector Stephen Farthing said: “Karl Brader had not received any training in the safe use of hazardous chemicals and as a result died from the exposure to a toxic gas. Companies should ensure
that they assess all the risks associated with the use of dangerous chemicals and that exposure to their employees is either eliminated or minimised.”
Ensuring your employees have the most up-to-date information regarding chemicals in use and ensuring you are tracking all chemicals on site can be difficult. Engage EHS (now EcoOnline) provides you with a comprehensive, easy-to-use management system and allows you the flexibility to customise the details to your
organisation’s requirements.
To find out more information as to how Effective Software (now EcoOnline) can help you with your chemical management, CoSHH, or streamline
any of your organisation’s health and safety processes why not request a demo from one of our super-friendly product
specialists.
