Joinery company fined for health and safety breach

A Hampshire joinery company has been fined a total of £52,000 after a worker became seriously ill after suffering an allergic reaction to wood dust.

Millbrook Furnishing Industries of Southampton admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act during a hearing before Southampton Crown Court on May 26.

The court heard that in 2007 an employee had suffered anaphylactic shock after using an adhesive and being exposed to wood dust while sanding frames at the site.

The company specialises in building hot tub deckings using western red cedar wood, bonded with isocyanate-based glue.

The Health & Saftey Executive (HSE) prosecutor said the company had failed to carry out an adequate investigation into the incident and had continued with the same work practices until the employee who had become ill informed the HSE.

HSE inspectors then discovered that the company had failed to identify materials likely to cause allergic reactions and provided no health surveillance for employees building the hot tub decking.

HSE Inspectors also found that local exhaust ventilation was inadequate to control exposure to the harmful wood dust and glue vapours. Protective face masks were provided on the site, however these were not always worn.

Following the inspection enforcement notices were issued to ensure the company altered its work practices.

Millbrook Furnishing Industries was fined £27,000 with costs of £25,000.

"A lack of understanding regarding the hazards associated with adhesives and wood dust, plus a clear failure to control exposure meant Millbrook Industries failed in it duty to its employees,“ said HSE inspector Dennis MacWilliam.

"Not conducting a risk assessment meant the firm did not identify which employees were exposed to these substances and in turn employees were not told about the risks of working with such substances,

"Staff had access to overalls, gloves and masks on site but, unbelievably, there was no training, guidance or rules provided regarding their use.

"Work of this nature must be properly planned and an effective and safe system needs to be in place to protect workers when exposing them to isocyanates and wood dust. Had this been done then employees‘ health would not have been put at risk."