A BURTON brewing giant says it has invested more than £1million in improving safety after being fined £45,000 for two separate health and safety violations which saw a total of four workmen suffering injuries including severe burns and serious fractures.
Molson Coors appeared at Cannock Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to the breaches following investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
In two incidents within six weeks of each other at the firm’s Station Street site, three contractors suffered chemical burns when 6,000 litres of caustic soda erupted from a faulty valve and a delivery driver was also hit by a forklift truck while on site.
All four men were left with a number of injuries and one has still not been able to return to work as a result, despite the fact the incident happened three years ago.
A spokesman for the firm said: “This week Molson Coors admitted that in 2008 there were two accidents at the company’s Burton brewery that were, in part, the fault of the company.
“These accidents are a matter of great regret for us. Since these incidents, however, we have taken a series of steps, which have helped ensure that health and safety is the priority it should always be, from shop floor to the board.
“In the last two years — 2009 and 2010 — Molson Coors has invested in excess of £1 million in improving safety across our breweries in the UK.
“In addition to changes to the physical environment of our sites across the UK, we have concentrated on changing the management processes that contributed to the accidents.
“A cultural shift has also been created so that health and safety issues are taken seriously and potential problems reported as soon as they arise.
“Today, nearly a third of our staff are ‘Safety Observers’ — volunteers who are there to help prevent accidents happening in future.
“These root and branch changes at Molson Coors, coupled with significant investment, have already had a dramatic impact on injuries at our sites and will help reduce risk still further.”
In addition to the combined fines of £45,000, the firm was also ordered to pay a total of £76, 716 in court costs.
INCIDENT ONE: DELIVERY DRIVER’S FOOT AND WRIST BROKEN AFTER BEING HIT BY FORK-LIFT TRUCK
IN the first incident, a delivery driver was hit by a fork-lift truck.
Peter Jackson, 64, was working on the Station Street site to unload a trailer of empty cans on May 20, 2008.
As he walked along the lines in the canning hall to find a space to deliver his load, he was struck by a fork-ift truck, which trapped his left leg beneath the forks.
His foot and left wrist were both fractured and he has not been able to return to work since the incident.
An HSE investigation found the firm had failed to follow previous advice from the HSE to devise and implement a safe workplace transport system after an inspector had visited the site in December 2007.
Molson Coors pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and was fined £31,000 and ordered to pay £33,042 costs by Cannock Magistrates’ Court.
HSE inspector Lyn Spooner said:”This incident occurred because of inadequate risk assessments, poor management and monitoring of contractors, and managers failing to understand their responsibilities for health and safety.
“It was an entirely preventable incident which highlights the importance of companies developing proper health and safety management systems that manage risks in the workplace properly, and communicating these not only to managers, but also to contractors.
“Not only had poor workplace transport arrangements persisted over many years, but Molson Coors also failed to follow previous advice from HSE. As a result, Mr Jackson was seriously injured in an incident that could easily have been fatal.
“It is particularly disappointing to see such failings at a large company, which has the resources to deliver much better standards.”
INCIDENT TWO: CONTRACTORS BURNED AND BLINDED AFTER BEING SCALDED BY CAUSTIC SODA
THE second incident saw three men suffering serious chemical burns when 6,000 litres of caustic soda erupted from a faulty valve.
The three sub-contractors from a specialist engineering company were undertaking maintenance work at the Station Street site.
They were drenched in a liquid jet of caustic soda when repairing a valve on a line running from a detergent tank on June 30, 2008.
Martin Soanes, 53, was temporarily blinded and one of his colleagues, who has asked not to be identified, suffered 25 per cent burns, which have left him with scars and continuing sensitivity, making it difficult for him to tolerate heat. The third man suffered minor skin burns and irritation to his eyes.
The court heard the men had not been given adequate instructions or the correct personal protective equipment.
Although they were given visors, the overalls provided by the company were made from cloth, and the caustic fluid soaked through these.
Molson Coors pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £43,674 costs.
After the hearing, Health and Safety Executive inspector Lyn Spooner said: “This was a preventable incident, which caused unpleasant injuries to three men. It is fortunate that the caustic soda was dilute, otherwise they would have been much more seriously hurt.
“All companies must manage contractors properly and make sure that they are following health and safety procedures.
“They must also carry out proper risk assessments for any work that contractors are required to carry out.
“Molson Coors failed to do this, and three people have been injured as a result.”
