Workers Injured in Two Separate Accidents at Lead Smelting Works
Two separate accidents at a lead smelting works in Derbyshire have resulted in workers being injured.
The first accident happened in August 2009. An unnamed worker was moving molten lead slag in a pan balanced on the forks of a fork lift truck. However, the pan fell off during transportation, sending the 800 degrees Celsius liquid all over the floor.
As the molten liquid hit water in the drains, it caused explosions that resulted in the drain covers being propelled into the air. The worker jumped from the fork lift in an attempt to get to safety, but fell onto the molten lead slag. He suffered serious burn injuries.
The HSE investigated and found that a rotary bar that reduced the chance of the forks on the truck moving had been removed days before the accident. They also had no measures in place to stop the molten metal from entering the drains. HJ Enthoven Ltd were fined £10,000 at a court this week for the health and safety failures in regards to this incident.
A second incident at HJ Enthoven Ltd happened in May 2010, when an employee of Key Engineering (Chesterfield) Ltd was on site inspecting a fault on a crane. His arm became trapped between a crane control panel and a roof beam, causing serious injury. His arm had to fitted with four metal plates by doctors. Both companies were fined £5,000 in regards to this accident.
