Keep It Safe - March 2022

KEEP IT SAFE MARCH / APRIL 2022

CONTENTS FOREWORD

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Welcome to the March Edition of Keep It Safe

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FIRE SAFETY

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Fire Incidents Involving Refrigeration Units – Brian Dean PA for Essex County Fire and Rescue

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BFFF INITIATIVES

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Accident Statistics The Burnt Chef Project joins HSE’s Working Minds Campaign The UK hearing Conservation Association Conference Defibrillators fulfill your responsibilities - outsource your liabilities

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NEWS AND EVENTS

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BFFF speak at East Midlands Council Training event in February 2022 Covid-19 update – new public health principles apply in England from 1st April 2022 Ukraine crisis – where to find advice for those affected Latest NCSC guidance to reduce the risk of cyber attacks Advice for shift workers Downfall: the case against Boeing

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HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE

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ENFORCEMENT

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Business fined for death of forklift truck operator Farmer fined after worker becomes entangled in potato harvester Food manufacturing company fined after worker falls from ladder Sainsbury’s fined £1m after customer suffers ‘horrific injuries

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TRANSPORT HUB

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The Highway Code: 8 changes you need to know

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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The Frozen Food Business Conference Frozen Food Annual Luncheon 2022

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FOREWORD Welcome to the March Edition of Keep It Safe With things getting back to some normality, it was great to visit the Health & Safety Show at the NEC recently. It’s so important to keep up to date with legislation and new technology and to look out for suitable speakers for future BFFF events, in order to address pertinent topics at our events. It was encouraging to see so many Health & Safety professionals in attendance; all updating their continuous professional development, hopefully a good sign that the BFFF Health & Safety conference at the British Motor Museum 12th May will also attract many from the industry, with its excellent programme consisting of Workplace Transport, Mental Health, Road Risk and stories of sheer determination and resilience from our two motivational and inspirational speakers. Tickets are still available through our website https://bfff.co.uk/event/health-and-safetyconference-2022/

Simon Brentnall CMIOSH PIEMA AMIFPO

Head of Health & Safety BFFF

In the safety focus section of this edition we look at the importance of having defibrillators in the workplace, statistics tells us for every minute it takes to get a defibrillator to a person, their chance of survival reduces by 10%, this article also emphasises the need for maintained defibrillators that work effectively when you need them. Our case study section reports an interesting Q & A session with Charles Fidler the People, Safety and Culture Manager at Tesco; this to learn more about how they have incorporated leadership and behavioural safety into the workplace through their STAR initiative - See, Think, Act Report which has reduced injuries, lost time and cost.

BFFF continues to sit on the Food and Drink Manufacturers Forum and is currently involved in producing a new 5-year common strategy for reducing injury and ill health within the industry.

The new strategy includes the usual issues of slips and trips, MSD’s and Asthmagens, but will also focus on workforce engagement and leadership. We have also suggested to the HSE, that with the phasing out of refrigerant gases with a high global warming potential, (GWP) more risk will be introduced with the increased use of Ammonia and the highly flammable replacements; therefore these should be included in the strategy. Once the new 5-year strategy has been finalised, we will ask BFFF members to sign up to this strategy through the BFFF Health & Safety pledge as before.

Please continue to send us your accident data for 2020 and 2021 for our new online membership accident statistics platform more details in this edition.

Simon

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FIRE SAFETY Fire Incidents Involving Refrigeration Units – Brian Dean PA for Essex County Fire and Rescue Over the years some of the worst incidents attended by UK Fire Services have involved refrigeration units in one form or another leading to large costs to life of firefighters.

In 1993 there was the Sun Valley fire in Hereford, although not directly a refrigeration unit, the fire started accidently within a defrosting unit in a factory unit consisting of large amounts of sandwich panels. The fire led to the death of two firefighters.

2007 saw a totally different scenario with a possibly deliberate fire inside the Whealmoor Atherstone factory in Warwickshire, again the site had large amounts of sandwich panels. This led unfortunately to the deaths of 4 officers.

It is not only the UK that has been affected by large fires in cold storage units, the Worchester Cold Storage unit in Massachusetts USA was a six storey 93 year old abandoned building in 1999, but was still laid out as a cold storage unit. An accidental fire started by a candle left by a pair of squatters lead to the total destruction of the building with the sad result that 6 fire officers lost their lives looking for squatters.

It should be pointed out that incidents like these are few and far between, but they do happen and the main element that makes them into hazardous incidents is the main structure of any refrigerated unit, Sandwich Panels…that being said with modern understanding and procedures these risks are greatly reduced. In this issue we will look at not only the panels but other elements that could cause problems within refrigeration units.

An insulated sandwich panel is a product comprised of an insulating core sandwiched in between two metal or polymer composite skins. The cores can be made from different kinds of insulating materials such as rigid polyurethane (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR), expanded polystyrene (EPS), and mineral wool. The main issue being that with a combustible core a fire has the opportunity to spread undetected within the panel and release in other areas.

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Air vents often seem an innocuous element but without proper maintenance they can either be a cause or impounding factor.

Any increase in dust or grease can cause a motorised vent to fail or worse ignite.

A regular cleaning regime should be maintained.

Any refrigeration system that hasn’t been maintained properly can slowly develop faults which wreak havoc with the inner machinery of the unit. Most refrigeration units will accumulate dust over time which can cause overheating and drastically increase the risk of a fire breaking out. This is of course without the added risk of the refrigerant gases stored within.

Traditionally cooler units used CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbon) and HCFC’s (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) but these have been phased out over recent years because of ozone depletion. Other refrigerants include ammonia, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nonhalogenated hydrocarbons such as methane are now being used as alternatives. These of course bring their own concerns, whether it be involvement in fire or plain gas leakage with many incidents requiring fire service assistance.

It should be remembered that refrigerant poisoning is a serious condition that can lead to difficulty breathing, headaches, nausea and vomiting, skin and eye irritation, and coughing. If left untreated, the poisoning can lead to life threatening issues including the following: Laboured breathing. Irregular heartbeat.

This all may sound apocalyptic but of course refrigeration units are an everyday integral part of industry and the home and in 99% of cases will continue to operate effectively, but effective maintenance/ cleaning regimes will ensure that units continue to effectively meet the needs of the industry.

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BFFF INITIATIVES Accident Statistics There is still time to submit your 2020 Accident Data.

Log in to the website to submit yours today or email carlabrown@bfff.co.uk to request a manual entry sheet.

The Burnt Chef Project joins HSE’s Working Minds Campaign The Burnt Chef Project has joined forces with HSE’s Working Minds campaign to tackle workrelated stress in the hospitality industry.

The Working Minds campaign aims to help businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress and make tackling issues routine. Statistics published by HSE show that in 2020/21, 822,000 workers suffered a work-related illness due to stress, depression or anxiety.

The Burnt Chef Project will use Working Minds in its efforts to help hospitality professionals, who face long antisocial hours, tough environmental conditions and pressures to perform on a daily basis.

Read more on the Working Minds website

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The UK hearing Conservation Association Conference The UK Hearing Conservation Association are proud to introduce their first Conference; Listen Up to be held on the 3rd November 2022 in Manchester; they are compiling an exciting, inspiring and interactive event.

Listen Up will focus on the opportunities for Prevention of NOISE induced harm and Prevention of SOUND induced harm; looking beyond the workplace.

Read more on the Hearing Conservation Association website

Defibrillators fulfill your responsibilities - outsource your liabilities

Defibrillators have become a common place piece of equipment in both high street and workplace and rightly so. Many lives each year are saved through the deployment of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) to the point they may now be seen as the standard by which a company’s duty of care to staff and employees alike is judged. However, one of the stated barriers to ownership of AEDs has been a fear of corporate liability that might be associated with the ownership of what is essentially lifesaving medical equipment. The BFFF have recently joined forces with a specialist supplier of defibrillators, who not only supply, but unusually, support, service and maintain throughout the life of each device. The protocols they apply are all designed to demonstrate good practice and ensure the efficacy of each device day on day.

Defib Plus undertake monthly inspections of your devices and importantly, certificate each successful inspection providing the all-important, ‘duty of care’ documentation. In conjunction with these protocols, they carry insurances which are designed to defer liability and right of recourse solely to the original equipment manufacturer. Supplying the industry’s leading devices, all of their offerings are recognised as state-of-the-art equipment and are classified under the title of Public Access Defibrillators. This assures that all instructions are given in simple, practical, and clear audible and visual fashion at the time of deployment. This is of course important at a time when proper application is vital but might be undertaken by someone without any prior training.

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Training is indeed, not required as a prerequisite for use. Once a device is under commercial ownership, just like any other piece of workplace equipment, it falls under PUWER legislation and we feel comfortable that when all of the above are attached to your defibrillators, you will not only meet, but surpass these requirements.

Defib Plus advise that now is the time to consider either to renew or to adopt your defibrillator fleet under qualification of the Capital Allowances Super Deduction Scheme. This HMRC scheme provides 130% tax relief on each unit purchased, please speak to your independent tax advisors for confirmation. The scheme closes on 01/04/2023.

The news around defibrillators is 99% good and that’s as it should be, but for all commercial entities it is wise to avoid the downside, this is particularly true when it comes to defibrillators.

Whilst AEDs are not mandatory, they are sufficiently numerous now that there are No Win – No Fee legal entities who actively encourage claimants on their websites, titled Defibrillator claims.

These civil claims can vary from, there not being one when it’s felt there should, through to neglect of the device leading to its failure and therefore negligence. This is a regrettable but none the less a real state of affairs that Defib Plus state is the very reason for the company offering their maintenance and support packages.

We are pleased to have partnered with Defib Plus around this sensitive and important topic. We hope our members can benefit from the strategy that Defib Plus have towards the fulfilment of any and all compliance issues around defibrillators both stated and implied, it is their aim to provide hassle- and trouble-free ownership of defibrillators. We support them in this.

You can find out more about Defib Plus here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjXTzSQ-b2Y This film by West Midlands Ambulance Service shows the devasting effects of cardiac arrest

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NEWS AND EVENTS BFFF speak at East Midlands Council Training event in February 2022

Simon was asked to speak at the East Midland Councils 5+1 event which took place in February; this event provides Environmental Health Officers with training, and on this occasion an insight into the work completed by a trade association.

Attended by around 200 EHO’s from around the East Midlands, Simon is delivering the session on behalf of the BFFF from a Health & Safety perspective, to demonstrate how members within the frozen sector benefit from the help, support, guidance, and events provided by BFFF. Simon adds: ‘companies benefit from membership, whether it’s answering a member query, supplying industry level guidance or benchmarking accident data with member companies, the federation really does create an environment for continuous improvement for any organisation’.

Click the link to see Simon’s presentation https://player.vimeo.com/video/675472637?h=91be96f0c3

Covid-19 update – new public health principles apply in England from 1st April 2022 With England setting out its living with COVID plan in February, the UK Health Security Agency released its new public health information on 1st April which applies to England.

This outlines the actions we can take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others. These actions will also help to reduce the spread of other respiratory infections. These actions include the symptoms to look out for and what to do if a member of staff has the symptoms of a respiratory infection.

In order to reduce the spread of respiratory infections, employers should continue to comply with the requirements for cleaning, ventilation and welfare facilities in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 or the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 to control occupational health and safety risks.

The requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their health and safety risk assessment has now been removed. Many of our members may still choose to continue to cover COVID-19 in their risk assessments. Employers will still need to consider the needs of employees at greater risk from COVID-19, including those whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

Employers still have a duty to consult with their employees, or their representatives, on health and safety matters. To access the full guidance, please follow the below link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reducing-the-spread-of-respiratory-infections-including-covid-19in-the-workplace

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Ukraine crisis – where to find advice for those affected We are aware that many of you will have friends, family and colleagues directly affected by the current crisis in Ukraine.

Defra wish to remind members of advice available to British nationals affected by crises abroad including major political unrest, and information on what help the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can provide.

This can be found here: What to do if you’re affected by a crisis overseas – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Latest NCSC guidance to reduce the risk of cyber attacks In light of the situation in Ukraine we would strongly urge members to review their systems vulnerability to cyber-attacks.

To assist you in this process, the NCSC has produced guidance [Actions to take when the cyber threat is heightened – NCSC.GOV.UK] which outlines actionable steps to take in response to the heightened cyber threat.

We would therefore like to remind you of the resources available from the National Cyber Security Centre. (NCSC).

The NCSC has recently published guidance on Protecting Internet-facing Services. Although it is aimed at Critical National Infrastructure, the content is still relevant to you and will hopefully be of interest and use.

The NCSC’s Publications Subscription Centre has also been updated. You are now able to subscribe to receive a broad spectrum of NCSC publications in one place, including threat reports and advisories and the NCSC Small Organisations Newsletter.

NCSC have recently released a few Threat videos. They can be accessed via the links below: Ransomware: https://youtu.be/DWmMm5IhLDw Phishing: https://youtu.be/NhaPVefCjDo Security culture: https://youtu.be/Mz0VQx87xvc

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Advice for shift workers

Poorly designed shift-working and long working hours that d n’t balance work demands with time for rest and recovery can result in fatigue, accidents, injuries and ill health.

Worker fatigue is one of a number of human factor topics that can affect health and safety.

Visit our website to view our hints and tips for shift-workers.

We also have a downloadable publication Managing shift work, which will improve the understanding of shift work and its potential health and safety impact.

Downfall: the case against Boeing A searing investigation of a once-iconic company and its tragic failures, DOWNFALL: The Case Against Boeing exposes how Wall Street’s influence and Boeing’s crumbling internal culture resulted in two historic plane crashes, 346 fatalities, and a shocking cover-up.

Investigators reveal how Boeing’s alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other Watch Here

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HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE

Last week we delivered our first face to face Health & Safety conference since 2019, and attendance was excellent. Our speakers did not disappoint with some great sessions on workplace transport, mental health & wellbeing and road risk. Our inspirational speaker and motivational speaker added value with stories of sheer determination and resilience. The British Motor Museum proved to be the perfect venue for both delegates and exhibitors. Feedback from the event has been off the scale.

Our delegates were given the opportunity to visit our exhibitors throughout the day, including RiteHite, D.tec, Nebosh, Traffi, A-Safe, Mentor Training, Vue, Brake UK, AAK, National Cyber Security Centre, NARF and BOC – Sponsors of the Technical Conference. Our exhibitors brought along their products and explained their services and we hope that our delegates were able to take away some great product ideas.

Typically aimed at Health & Safety professionals, the event attracted both members and nonmembers. The day started with our inspirational speaker Lisa Ramos and her husband Dave.

Lisa was involved in a fork lift accident in 2006, she spoke about both the psychological and physical effects, together with the wider impact on family and friends. Continuing on the theme of forklift safety, Mentor Training’s Stuart Taylor highlighted the 7 deadly sins with fork lift trucks.

HSE’s Scientist Mark Liddle talked about the importance of completing workplace transport risk assessments.

Drugs and alcohol were next on the agenda, this relates to accidents and incidents both in the workplace and on the roads due to mistakes, errors in judgement and fatigue putting employees and others at risk. We were joined by D-tec who explained how this can be managed and how companies can conduct discrete and ethical testing in the workplace. Dr Andrew Kemp of Vue followed with innovation and vehicle telemetry to reduce the risk from workplace transport and road risk.

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We then moved on to our mental health and wellbeing section, with Alexis Powell-Howard of Fortis Therapy and Training. Alexis explained the 5 pillars of healthy wellbeing, and offered practical solutions on supporting good mental health. Alexis introduced the delegates to new techniques and used masks to show how someone’s game face can appear quite normal, when inside can be a totally different story. This was followed by Neil Catton of Sterling Risk Services who shared a deeply personal story about his fathers illness, and the long term affect that has had on him and his family. Paul Duncalf of Sysco shared their simple company initiatives that have changed the way they deal with mental health within their organisation. There was Curry and Chaat and Tea and Talk. Dialogue cards were used to start conversations and these were distributed around the tables to encourage delegates to interact with each other over lunch.

After lunch, we heard from Wim Zwikker of Rite Hite, who had flown over from Amsterdam to speak about the latest dock loading safety innovations available to protect the workforce. Sue Rowland from Brakes talked us through the practical management system they have in place for key control at the depots. To complete this session we heard from Brake UK (road risk charity) around the work of the charity and how businesses can help by becoming Global Fleet Champions. A volunteer and advocate for the charity explained how brake have supported him following the death of his son.

The day concluded with our motivational speaker Chris Moon, Chris took us on a roller coaster ride of resilience and determination. Chris is one of the most fortunate people to be alive, after being captured by the Khmer Rouge and successfully negotiating his release and that of two colleagues when they worked for a land mine clearing charity. While supervising mine-clearance in Mozambique in 1995, Chris Moon was blown up in a supposedly clear area of the safety lane. He lost his lower right leg and right arm and survived only through sheer determination. Less than a year after leaving hospital, he ran the London Marathon, raising money for charities assisting the disabled, defying all expectations for his own future. He has since completed more than fifteen other marathons, including the punishing Marathon des Sables, which is a 137 mile race across the Sahara. His unique experiences help people do what they do better. Having faced many challenges throughout his life he showed how a positive mindset coupled making the choice of not becoming the victim can completely change any situation.

We would like to thank our speakers for their support, our exhibitors and delegates for attending on the day.

Plans for our 2023 conference are underway, and we look forward to bringing you another packed agenda. Please click to see this year’s event brochure If you would like to be involved in the 2023 conference as a speaker, exhibitor or delegate please contact carlabrown@bfff.co.uk

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ENFORCEMENT

Business fined for death of forklift truck operator A building supplies firm has admitted breaching health and safety standards over the death of an employee who was crushed by a forklift truck.

Chestnut Building Centres, of Picton Road, Wavertree, was fined £94,500 for not maintaining on-site health and safety standards which resulted in the death of 62-year-old Robert Ambrose.

In addition to the £94,500 fine, the firm was also ordered to pay investigation costs of £66,025 awarded to Liverpool City Council.

The incident happened on 15 November 2018, when the forklift truck Mr Ambrose was driving toppled over after a delivery lorry made contact with it, trapping him underneath the truck. He sustained serious injuries and died in hospital a few days later.

An investigation undertaken by Liverpool City Council’s Environmental Health Officers (EHO) found a series of health and safety failings at the Picton Road builders merchants. Most noticeably, that forklift truck operators routinely did not wear seatbelts/restraints which would prevent the operator from being thrown out of the vehicle in the event of an overturn.

The investigating officers also found there were risks posed by a lack of proper management of delivery vehicles and the unsafe movement and poor separation of vehicles and pedestrians at the site.

Chestnut Building Centres Ltd had pleaded guilty to the breaches at an earlier hearing at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates Court on the 11 November 2021.

Mr Ambrose had been an employee of the company for more than 40 years and was due to retire in March this year.

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Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Cllr Abdul Qadir, said: “This is a dreadfully sad case and I thank the environmental health officers for their dogged determination in getting this case to court.

“Quite simply, this should never have happened. Nobody should ever go to work and not go home and it is the responsibility of all businesses to ensure they are doing everything in their power to ensure health and safety regulations are adhered to at all times.

“I’d like to express my deepest sympathy to Mrs Ambrose and her family, and we hope bringing this business to justice provides them with some comfort at this incredibly difficult time.”

In court, District Judge Hatton said: “This is an awful case in the most tragic of circumstances and nothing can be said to ease the pain of the family and friends. Robert Ambrose was a valued and respected member of the company. The incident was avoidable and shouldn’t have happened.

There was a basic failure to manage risk as vehicles interacted with pedestrians and there was a casualness about vehicles in the yard. I must impose a fine so casualness doesn’t creep in through the backdoor.”

Farmer fined after worker becomes entangled in potato harvester A farmer has been sentenced after a worker suffered multiple injuries after becoming entangled in the contra-rotating rollers of a potato harvester.

On 21 August 2020, the worker was involved in unblocking the potato harvester at a farm in Kent when he stepped down on to the rollers. The worker was pulled leg first into the machine and became stuck up to his knee. This resulted in burns to the leg, a pulled hamstring, torn calf, broken nerves and hairline fractures to the knee and ankle.

The HSE’s investigation found that the farmer had failed to implement a ‘safe stop procedure’ to isolate power and stop the movement of the rollers before the worker accessed them.

Alan Down of Main Road, Sellindge, Ashford, Kent pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1)(b) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. He was fined £4,992 and ordered to pay costs of £5,805.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Sam Brown said: “Too often we see incidents like this, where maintenance is carried out on live machinery and the principles of ‘safe stop’ and safe maintenance are ignored.

“The agricultural industry accounts for around one per cent of the workforce in Great Britain, yet it accounts for 20 per cent of worker deaths. Many of these deaths are due to poor working practices while carrying out maintenance on machinery. In addition, many more workers are seriously injured each year due to unsafe working practices while working on machinery.

“Those undertaking maintenance work on agricultural machinery should ensure that the principles of ‘safe stop’ are followed to prevent people being put at risk of injury.” HSE March 2022

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Food manufacturing company fined after worker falls from ladder A jam and preserve manufacturer has been prosecuted after a worker sustained multiple fractures after falling from a ladder.

On 6 April 2020, a worker was installing a security camera on the outside of The Clarendon Food Company Limited production building in Pwllheli, using an unsecured ladder. The ladder slipped and the worker fell approximately 15ft sustaining multiple fractures to his right arm, left leg, cheekbone and a dislocation of his backbone.

Investigating, the HSE found that: •

The work at height had not been properly planned.

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Alternative access equipment to allow safe working at height had not been considered.

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No training had been provided to either the injured party or others in relation to work at height.

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There was a failure to ensure effective monitoring of work at height practices to identify any shortcomings in the company’s procedures which had persisted for some time.

The Clarendon Food Company Limited of Bryn, Y Ffor, Pwllheli, Gwynedd pleaded guilty to breaching section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,344.30.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Matthew Pendle said: “Those in control of work at height have a responsibility to properly plan and supervise the work to ensure suitable equipment is selected. They also should provide the necessary information, instruction and training to workers.

“This incident could have been avoided if it had of been risk assessed, planned and suitable equipment selected, which employees were trained to use safely.”

HSE April 2022

Sainsbury’s fined £1m after customer suffers ‘horrific injuries The supermarket was fined following its first health and safety conviction after the jaw of a customer was shattered by the inadvertent car park trap.

The customer suffered life-changing injuries and needed titanium plates inserted in her jaw after falling victim to the trap while travelling in her mobility scooter. She could have been decapitated by twine stretched taut between two car park pillars, a court heard.

Reading Magistrates’ Court was told that the system put thousands of customers at the Sainsbury’s superstore in Newbury at risk.

Elizabeth Varcoe, prosecuting on behalf of West Berkshire Council, said the store had created a queuing system in the car park during the Coronavirus lockdown using high visibility, red and white plastic tape to mark lanes.

However, when these were vandalised, the store manager opted to use thin but strong baler twine drawn taut between two pillars in one area. On 21 June 2020 the customer arrived at the store on her mobility scooter and ran into the twine at speed, face first.

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Ms Varcoe said the twine caused horrific injuries, splitting the customer’s mouth open and fracturing her teeth, jaw and palate. She was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for emergency surgery.

Surgeons had to implant titanium plates and screws to rebuild her jaw and palate, and she now needs ongoing medical treatment.

No risk assessment Ms Varcoe suggested the twine amounted to an inadvertent “booby trap”, which could have strangled or even decapitated someone during the seven weeks it was used. She said no risk assessment had been conducted on the use of the twine to replace the plastic tape.

Sainsbury Supermarkets Ltd, who has an annual turnover of £24 billion, admitted exposing customers to danger and failing to make a suitable risk assessment contrary to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Kate Blackwell QC, a Sainsburys spokesperson pointed out that the company had a previously spotless health and safety record with zero previous convictions.

She added that store management had co-operated with the investigation throughout – immediate steps were taken to remove the twine and that the company had so far paid more than £31,000 towards the victim’s medical and care bills although a civil case was also pending.

Ms Blackwell added that the store manager had decided to use the twine “for the best of reasons” and challenged a suggestion that the customer could have been decapitated.

District judge Samuel Goozee responded: “Care should be taken not to sensationalise the risk”.

He acknowledged that the company “had to rapidly respond to Government guidance to protect the public during a pandemic while continuing to provide an essential service to the public,” but added: “A sufficient risk assessment would have identified the risks from the baler twine extended between metal posts.

“Ironically the manager’s decision to use the twine was a response to other health and safety issues that would have arisen from vandalism and weather damage. Nevertheless, it was a decision that was inadequate”.

The judge fined the supermarket £1 million and ordered the company to pay £18,263.62 costs, plus a statutory victim services surcharge of £190.

Following the sentencing, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “Safety is our highest priority and we were deeply concerned by this incident.

“We launched an immediate investigation and urgent steps were taken to prevent this from ever happening again. We are also in close contact with [the customer] and continue to support her recovery in any way we can.”

Sainsbury’s was prosecuted following an investigation by officers from the Council’s Public Protection Partnership supported by West Berkshire Council legal team.

Cllr Hilary Cole, West Berkshire Executive Member for Housing, Strategic Partnership and Transformation said: “This was a serious accident which is clearly reflected in the penalty.

It is important that all employers have robust risk assessments and they are effectively implemented”.

The Reading Chronicle, March 2022

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TRANSPORT HUB The Highway Code: 8 changes you need to know As a professional driver or operator, it is vital that you stay up to date with The Highway Code, checking it regularly to understand how changes affect you and your business.

New hierarchy of road users - The changes being made by the Government on 29 January introduce a new ‘hierarchy of road users’. The new hierarchy explains that those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.

This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, cars and motorcycles.

Other more vulnerable road users have a responsibility to reduce danger to people walking . None of this detracts from the responsibility of ALL road users, including people walking, cycling or riding a horse, to have regard for their own and other road users’ safety.

Changes at a glance - The latest changes to The Highway Code include: Giving people walking across and people cycling going straight ahead priority when turning in and out of junctions Leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.

Passing people riding a horse or driving a horse-drawn vehicle at speeds under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres of space Allowing at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a person who is walking in the road Encouraging people driving vehicles to open their doors with the hand furthest from the door, to help them look over their shoulder behind them to see people cycling or walking nearby People cycling may ride in the centre of the road or two abreast for their own safety, whilst allowing others to overtake when it is safe for them to do so The Highway Code: 8 changes you need to know from 29 January 2022 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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UPCOMING EVENTS The Frozen Food Business Conference 20th September Stratfor Manor Hotel Stratford Manor Hotel, Warwick Road CV37 0PY

With continuing issues within the supply chain, this years Frozen Food Business Conference aims to highlight and address industry key topics, issues and achievements through our lineup of key speakers.

BOOK TICKETS

Frozen Food Annual Luncheon 2022 22nd November The Hilton on Park Lane 22 Park Lane, London, W1K 1BE

This is the biggest event in the BFFF calendar. This is a great opportunity to make new connections in the industry and the perfect occasion to take current suppliers and colleagues for a day out networking and eating, tickets are only available to members.

BOOK TICKETS

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Warwick House, Unit 7, Long Bennington Business Park, Main Road, Long Bennington, Newark, Notts, NG23 5JR 01400 283090