Laundry Firm Fined For Worker Burns

A Stockport-based laundry company has appeared in court after one of its workers suffered third degree burns.

The employee, who is 34 and a father of one, was working on a mezzanine floor at Vineshield Professional Services Ltd, when it collapsed and he fell through. He landed on an industrial iron and suffered severe burns.

An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive gathered evidence from witnesses that there were leaks in the roof which dripped onto the floor. Bare metal was exposed in worn gaps in the wood of the floor. The HSE concluded that the firm had not properly monitored the condition of the floor, nor had it ascertained whether it was of suitable construction in the first place.

Fines

Trafford Magistrates’ Court fined Vineshield Professional Services Ltd, of Baxall Business Centre, Adswood Industrial Estate, Stockport, £20,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £7,915.50. The laundry firm was found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 12(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Helen Jones stated:

“Vineshield Professional Services failed to carry out checks to ensure the floor was safe to work on. This was of importance due to the heat and steam generated in the working environment. An industrial iron giving off steam was situated directly underneath the mezzanine floor. The injured worker was severely burnt and had to undergo very painful treatment in hospital.”

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Source: Health & Safety Executive