Case Study Shows Importance of Health and Safety Training

An accident case study carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in which two employees were seriously burnt when working alongside flammable solvent fumes, is being used to promote the necessary confined space training which may have prevented the accident. The solvent fumes were ignited by an electric sander whilst the two workers removed paint from a small yacht which was under repair.

There is a very high risk of serious injury when working in such confined spaces and using such hazardous substances, and the correct health and safety training for both supervisor and workers would have assisted the employees in making the decisions that may have averted the accident.

The investigation showed that the employer failed to carry out the adequate risk assessment for entry into the yacht, which is considered to be a confined space.

There was no safe system of work in place for cleaning the paint from the surfaces, and the employees within the confined space did not have suitable work equipment for the task they were carrying out.

The overall safety of the employees when working within the confined space was severely compromised, and the case study helps to illustrate the very real dangers which come as a result of working in such conditions without the correct training.

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