Land Rover fined for health and safety breach

LAND ROVER has been fined for a health and safety breach after 10 workers suffered ill effects associated with the use of vibrating hand tools at its Solihull plant.

Land Rover pleaded guilty to the charges brought against it by the Health and Safety Executive for failing to take into account risks in relation to activities at its plant in Lode Lane, and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £60,606 costs.

The firm was prosecuted after a HSE investigation in 2007 into the working practices concerning two employees in the weld destruct section where air chisels were used to undo welds on cars to test the strength of them.

Two cases of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome had been reported in December 2006 and the subsequent investigation found vibrating hand tools were being used across the plant with a lack of assessment and management of risk. Later, other cases came to light.

Solihull magistrates also heard there was no system in place to measure how long was being spent using the tools by each employee or the levels of vibration. The recommended amount of time for one of the tools to be used was one hour per day per person, but it had been in use for three hours per day.

In all, 10 employees were thought to be affected by ill health attributable to the use of vibrating hand tools at the Solihull plant.

The HSE said yesterday the lack of assessment of risk or time spent working with the tools appears to be an oversight on the company’s behalf.

There was no previous record of this happening and an improvement notice was served in 2007 which was complied with. None of the employees appear to have been prevented from continuing in the job.

HSE inspector Gareth Langston said: “Land Rover had systematically failed to assess and manage the risk arising from using these tools. Some employees were found to be using vibrating hand tools for periods of time far in excess of the recommended limits.

“The fact that sister plant Jaguar had addressed the issues, does suggest that this particular instance was an oversight on the part of the company. However, lessons need to be learned by employers – to ensure that working practices are suitably assessed for any risk.

“Employers must ensure that the use of vibrating hand tools is properly managed, and it is unacceptable that Land Rover did not do this – as this is a disabling condition involving pain and significant loss of hand function, and is usually irreversible in later stages.”