A teenager suffered horrific burns when he was set alight while working with flammable chemicals at a construction depot in Kent.
On 26 October 2009, an 18-year-old man was spray-painting a lighting tower in a shed at O’Keefe Construction Ltd’s depot in Sevenoaks. He was using thinners in the process and accidently spilled some of the chemical on to his trousers. As he went to his locker to find a change of clothes, he walked near a gas burner, which was being used to heat the workshop. His clothes caught fire and he ran outside, where his colleagues used a hose to put out the flames.
He suffered serious burns to his legs, left arm and hand and spent 16 days in hospital. He has subsequently undergone skin-graft operations and was unable to return to work for six months.
The HSE’s investigation found that the company had failed to ensure that paint containers had their lids on, and they were not stored in fire-resistant boxes. HSE inspector, Caroline Penwill, revealed the firm should have been aware that mixing paint and thinners in the shed could potentially lead to an explosive atmosphere, and it should have ensured that no open flames were present in the same space.
She said: “The process of risk management involves assessing the risks that arise in the workplace and putting sensible health and safety measures in place to control them.
“In this case, the company had assessed the risks from paint-spraying and had identified measures to control the risks, but had not put them in place. It is important that the findings of a risk assessment are acted upon. Had the company done so, then this terrible incident could have been prevented.”
O’Keefe Construction Ltd appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on 15 February and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974. It was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £6329 in costs.
Following the hearing, a company spokesperson said: “We are deeply distressed following the accident in October 2009 and the injuries sustained by a member of our team. Following an investigation by the HSE, with whom we fully co-operated, and resulting in our plea of guilty, we would confirm that the company does not wish to be in this position ever again.
“We are constantly looking at ways to improve the business with health and safety being our number one priority. We are pleased to report that the injured party returned to work and remains within our employment. Our health and safety practices remain under constant scrutiny to ensure every member of our team has the surety of being safe in an environment which is accident and incident free.”
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