How safe are your workshop flammables?
Dec 8, 2010
A report of a recent accident reminded me of many examples of poor practice I have witnessed over the last few years in workshops in a wide range of industries. The case involved a workshop employee being showered with burning liquid and sustaining 60 per cent burns. A spark ignited vapours from a can of paint thinners that had been left in the workshop causing it to explode. The injuries could have been even worse if a colleague had not been on hand to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.
The subsequent investigation by the Health & Safety Executive found:-
- Poor supervision of workshop activities;
- No risk assessment of highly flammable substances, and
- Unsafe storage of flammable substances.
The company was fined £10,000 with £5,227 costs. The report did not detail the current health of the injured person or the likely compensation claim the company would be facing.
As part of Wilby Risk Management’s work with industrial organisations we regularly inspect workshops. It is not unusual to see 5 litre steel containers of flammable substances with their caps off, left unattended in a workshop. Invisible flammable fumes will be spreading out from these cans into the workplace. It is also common to see steel cabinets being left open whilst being used to store flammables. Flammables not returned to the cabinets after use or the container being used for storage of other materials and flammables stored outside.
We would recommend a fire risk assessment, which includes flammable substance storage and handling, be carried out for all workshops or any existing risk assessments are reviewed.
At this time of year when temperature are plunging and workshop staff drag out all sorts of portable heaters to try and keep warm, perhaps now is the ideal time to review how safe your workshop is.
