December

Fireworks cause many deaths at Russian Nightclub

At least 109 people have died following an explosion at a nightclub in the Russian city of Perm, 1,400km (870 miles) east of Moscow.

Officials said fireworks caused the blast and that most victims had died from smoke inhalation.

More than 140 people were reported injured in the accident, the Lame Horse nightclub had been celebrating its eighth anniversary, emergency services said.

Regional public security minister Igor Orlov told Itar-Tass news agency: "There were fireworks launched at the scene, and one hit the plastic ceiling, setting all ablaze. People panicked and succumbed to burns, general crush and gas poisoning."

Russian state-run TV channel Vesti-24 showed bodies piled in the street outside the club.

Perm has a population of 1.2 million and is the sixth largest city in Russia.

Planes despatched

Svetlana Kuvshinova, who was in the club when the fire began, said the flames "took seconds to spread".

"It was like a dry haystack. There was only one way out. They nearly stampeded me," the Associated Press quoted her as saying.

Another eyewitness told local TV: "When the merry-making started, when they were warming up, they set off fireworks.

"When I turned back, I saw drops falling off the ceiling and then there was a lot of smoke. Later this huge flame was moving along the ceiling," the unnamed woman said.

A spokesman for the prosecutor-general's main investigative unit told Itar-Tass that it was not a terrorist attack.

"We are talking about a failure to observe fire regulations," he said.

The Russian government has set up a special commission to deal with the incident.

Regional officials said that fireworks used at the party were too big for closed premises and were intended for outdoor use.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, said two planes equipped to transport people with serious burns were being sent to Perm.

Government officials were also leaving for the city, he said.

The BBC's Tom Esslemont, in Moscow, says Russia has a very poor fire safety record with hundreds of people dying in similar incidents every year.  

Fine for Organic Farm after tragic death

An organic farm has been prosecuted by the HSE following the death of one of its employees who was riding in the bucket of a telehandler.

On 5 June 2007, Anthony Cripps was riding in the bucket of a telehandler, taking part in an elderflower harvest, when he fell and was crushed to death by the wheels.

Mr Cripps was employed as a market gardener by the company and was involved in the collection of elderflowers from hedgerows growing around the farm. He and a colleague were being carried in the bucket of an agricultural telehandler that had also been used as their work platform earlier in the day. As they travelled across the field, Mr Cripps fell backwards, out of the bucket, and fell under the offside wheels of the telehandler. He was crushed and died at the scene.

Speaking after the hearing last week, HSE Inspector, Caroline Bird, said:

“This tragic incident highlights the dangers of lifting and carrying people in the buckets of telehandlers. However short the distance or convenient the use, the buckets of telescopic handlers should never be used as a means of travel, or as a work platform.  Only properly constructed and compatible working platforms meet health and safety standards.  

“Sadly, a relaxed safety culture at this particular farm had meant that the practice of using telehandler buckets as work platforms had become an acceptable practice despite the obvious risks. Consequently, the use of the bucket for collecting elderflower was not exceptional, but tragically for Anthony Cripps, it proved fatal.”

Daylesford Organic Farms Limited, which is based in Gloucestershire but registered in Mondovia, Liberia, was charged with health and safety breaches following the death of Mr Cripps.

The court heard the company pleaded guilty to breaches under Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc.  Act 1974.  Daylesford Organic Foods Limited was fined £65,000 for the Section 2 charge and ordered to pay costs of £27,500 at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday 11 December 2009.

Adrian Darbishire, defending, said the company "set out to achieve the very highest standards in everything that it did"  but in some aspects of health and safety management had not reached that standard. 

Gross Negligence leads to jail sentence for firework pair

The owner of a fireworks company and his son were jailed today after being convicted of the manslaughter of two firemen killed in a huge blast at their family-run company.

Martin Winter, 52, was handed a seven-year jail term and his 25-year-old son, Nathan Winter, was sentenced to five years for the deaths of retained firefighter Geoff Wicker, 49, and support officer Brian Wembridge, 63.

The pair, both long-serving members of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, died in the blast at Festival Fireworks UK Ltd at Marlie Farm in Shortgate, near Lewes, on 3 December 2006.

After a five-week trial at Lewes crown court, both Martin and Nathan Winter were found to be "grossly negligent" through knowing an unlicensed metal container packed with fireworks could explode if a blaze broke out.

Their firm, now called Alpha Fireworks Ltd, was convicted of two counts of health and safety breaches in connection with the blast, which injured some 20 others, mainly police and fire officers. It was fined £30,000.

The judge, Mr Justice Cooke, told the father and son in the dock: "You had deliberately placed fireworks capable of causing mass explosion knowing that you didn't have the authorisation.

The Festival Fireworks site near Lewes, East Sussex, where two firefighters died after an explosion sparked a fire. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

"You deliberately flouted the explosives regulations for profits; no doubt familiarity bred contempt."

He described Martin Winter as "reckless" in the handling and storage of fireworks and failing to give full and accurate information.

The alarm was raised at 1.45pm on 3 December 2006. Nathan Winter had been preparing for a fireworks display that evening in Eastbourne town centre. Due to windy conditions, he did the preparations inside, but an igniter flared up and sparked a fire, which spread as fireworks exploded.

The fire brigade was called and the command passed upwards as more senior fire officers arrived.

A decision was made to evacuate the site, but a number of officers, including Wembridge and Wicker, were near the firework-packed container. What followed was described as a "mass explosion" which sounded "like a bomb" and shattered the container.The two firemen were killed and, 20 others, mostly fire and police officers, injured.

Another firefighter, Michael Sweetman said: "I was picked up and blown several feet into the wall beside me. My whole body went down immediately. I remember screaming and swearing. I honestly thought, 'This is it'."

Station manager Steven Wells said: "I ran round to be confronted by a scene that looked like war must look like. It was still smoking. A lot of the house had been blown over and there were khaki-coloured lumps lying down.

"I realised they were firefighters. Nobody was moving."

Jurors were told the container which exploded was not licensed to store fireworks, and that Martin and Nathan Winter were aware of that.

Under the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005, they would have been permitted to store a maximum of seven kilos of fireworks for no longer than 24 hours.

In interview, Martin Winter said the container was due to have been shipped out to Oman within 24 hours of the explosion. 

Investigation into on-stage smoking at Lily Allen gig

An investigation has been launched by Liverpool city council after it was reported that pop star Lily Allen was smoking during her set at the city’s Echo arena recently. It was alleged by some attendees that other members of the audience then followed her lead and began smoking. The council is now investigating photos which appear to prove the allegations. 
 
A council spokesman said if Allen was found to have been smoking she would have been in contravention of workplace legislation. Both she and the Echo venue could be fined.

Tim Banfield, Echo arena general manager, told the Liverpool Daily Post:

“We are disappointed that a number of our visitors decided to smoke at the event. 

“We take our anti-smoking policy very seriously and as a result several members of the audience were ejected.”

According to Workplace Law’s brand new Employment Law and Human Resources handbook 2010, employers and managers of smoke-free premises and vehicles have legal responsibilities to prevent people from smoking, namely to:

• take reasonable steps to ensure staff, customers, members and visitors are aware that the premises and vehicles are legally required to be smoke-free;
• display 'no smoking' signs in smoke-free premises; and
• ensure that no one smokes in smoke-free premises or vehicles. 

Smoking in a smoke-free premises or vehicle can attract a fixed penalty notice of £50 or a fine up to £200. Failure to display no-smoking signs in smoke-free premises and vehicles can attract a fixed penalty notice of £200 or a fine up to £1,000.

Failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free premises or vehicle can lead to a fine up to £2,500.

The smoke-free legislation is enforced by a number of bodies, but primarily by district councils.  

Door Supervisor Training at Top of the Agenda

Plans to raise standards by introducing compulsory additional training for UK door supervisors form part of a Home Office consultation launched today. 
  
The aim of the new proposals is to protect the public by raising standards of training across the industry. Additional training will include physical intervention, first aid, special considerations when dealing with young people, and awareness of the threat of terrorism. 
 
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has already included the additional training elements as part of the new qualifications being introduced from June 2010. The 14-week public consultation proposes making the additional skills a requirement for existing door supervisors in the form of top-up training that must be taken before renewing their licence. This would also apply to those who have an existing qualification and want to apply for a licence for the first time.

Home Office Minister, Alan Campbell, said:

"Door supervisors deal directly with members of the public, often working in difficult situations where conflict can arise. It is vital that they are properly equipped to carry out their role and meet the challenges they face to better protect the public. These proposals aim to improve public safety and raise standards of training for door supervisors."

Bill Butler, SIA Chief Executive, said:

"We welcome these proposals, many of which were suggested by the Industry. They understand the challenges faced by door supervisors and the skills needed to carry out their duties professionally, whilst protecting the public.

"We are encouraging those working in the door supervision sector, training providers and stakeholders to contribute to this important piece of work."

If the decision is made to implement the proposals, top-up training will be compulsory for all door supervisors from May 2011.

The SIA will work with awarding bodies to ensure training is available from October 2010. 

Weather halts KISS gig

KISS were forced to postpone a concert in Ontario, Canada on 15 Dec 09 due to severe weather conditions. 

The band was expected to travel from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the band performed on 13 Dec 09, to Sault St. Marie for their show at the Essar Centre.  
But the band pulled out of the gig after the wet and windy weather along the east coast of the U.S. made driving to Ontario too risky for the band and their crew.  

In a statement, KISS' manager Doc MCGhee said, "While our attitude is always 'the show must go on', the safety of our crew and drivers has to be our first priority. 
"Concerns about unsafe driving conditions between the two cities cannot be ignored."  
The Ontario date was KISS' final concert for 2009. The band have vowed to make up for the missed show next summer (10), after they complete their European tour.

"Walking in a Winter Blunderland"

IT'S a decision likely to make the March Hare seem sane.

A night time festive event has been scrapped by health and safety bosses – because it was being held in the dark.

The plug has been pulled on the ironically named Alice in Winter Wonderland festival in the New Forest after council safety chiefs said it was too dangerous unless the whole event was flooded with light. They feared they could be sued if anyone had an accident as they enjoyed the event, that would have been lit by Christmas fairy lights.

Now the decision has been dubbed “Alice in Blunderland” and the council has been accused of behaving like a “Madhatter’s tea party.”

The event was due to be held at the New Forest council headquarters at Appletree Court, Lyndhurst, on December 5-6, finishing after dark on both days. But civic leaders have pulled the plug after the cost of hiring lights and taking other measures to guarantee public safety spiralled past the £1,000 that had been set aside for the event.

The night would have featured fairy lights and characters dressed as Alice in Wonderland characters, plus Santa in his grotto.

David Harrison, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, said: “This does seem more like Alice in Blunderland than Alice in Wonderland.

“Scrapping the event because of a failure to app-reciate the need for basic health and safety facilities reflects very badly on the council, which will be likened to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.”

Alice in Winter Wonderland would have been the council’s contribution to the Alice Adventure festival, launched in May.

Council corporate communications boss Dave Atwill said: “We wanted to take advantage of the darkness and make it as magical as we could for the kids. However, our safety manager said we’d have to flood the area with light, otherwise the risk to public safety would be too high.”

The decision was backed by council leader Barry Rickman: “I think everybody went in to it with good intentions but with safety and security we have to do the right thing.”

Warning to small businesses over employee car usage

According to figures released today, the UK’s small businesses are seeing a significant number of driving offences being committed by employees. In the last six months, a third (31%) of employees using a vehicle for work committed an offence whilst driving on the road.

Over half (51%) of the driving offences committed were due to speeding whilst a quarter (24%) were due to drink / drug driving. Inappropriate insurance was the cause of one in ten (10%) offences and a failure to pay fixed penalty notices affected one in six (16%).

Currently, more than one in three workers (35%) use their own car for business purposes, making it the most common form of business transport.

Rob Ingram, Director of business rental at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, commented:

“The findings show that a significant number of small businesses are facing a problem when it comes to managing their drivers.

“Although employers cannot directly control their employee’s driving habits, they can ensure that the car they drive for work is regularly serviced and safe to drive. Whether a driver is in a company car or a private vehicle, responsibility remains with the employer. 

“They also need to be clear on what their drivers’ insurance actually covers. A lot of drivers use their cars for work without the appropriate business insurance. This can result in significant fines and time lost for small businesses with drivers off the road.

“We would recommend companies should also be checking their employees' driving licences at least once every 12 months to ensure they are legally allowed to drive a vehicle on company business."

Cameron pledge to end Health & Safety Madness

In a speech to Policy Exchange, David Cameron outlined how he proposes to cut down on what he sees as the UK's 'over-the-top' health and safety culture. 
 
Whilst he will admit that most health and safety regulations over the last couple of centuries have been 'noble' and saved lives, he will add that:

"I think we’d all concede that something has gone seriously wrong with the spirit of health and safety in the past decade.

"When children are made to wear goggles by their headteacher to play conkers. When trainee hairdressers are not allowed scissors in the classroom. When office workers are banned from moving a chair without expert supervision. When staff at a railway station don't help a young mum carry her baby son's buggy because they are not insured.

"It is clear that what began as a noble intention to protect people from harm has mutated into a stultifying blanket of bureaucracy, suspicion and fear that has saturated our country, covering the actions of millions of individuals as they go about their daily lives."

Cameron  highlighted the cost of health and safety legislation outlined proposals to amend Regulations such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and the Working Time Directive. He also discussed plans to tighten up Regulations surrounding compensation claims.

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, commented:

“None of the cases mentioned relate to health and safety regulation – they are either distortions of the facts or misunderstandings. People expect political parties to develop policies based on facts, not on half-truths and myths culled from newspaper headlines.

“The idea that employers are being over-zealous in their application of health and safety regulation is simply not true. The reality is exactly the opposite – last year 246,000 people were injured at work. Neither does the UK have an excess of regulation – there were more than twice as many health and safety regulations and laws 35 years ago than there are now. Today's safety laws are generally simpler and easier to understand.

“Since the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act was passed in 1974 the UK has seen disasters such as Piper Alpha, the Herald of Free Enterprise and Morecambe Bay. Occupational cancers still kill between 10 and 20,000 people every year and around 1.2 million people suffer from ill health at work.

“Health risks need to be identified and dealt with so that workers and the public are protected. While some organisations use health and safety as an excuse not to do something, and others misinterpret the law, the Health and Safety Executive has tirelessly campaigned to ensure that employers address the real risks at work, rather than concentrate on the trivial.”