Firms fined under CoSHH for chemical exposure
Published Date: 26th May 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that Pulse Printing Products was hit with a £340 fine and costs of £839 after pleading guilty to a breach of the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002. Garnett Dickinson Print was also fined £1,330 by Rotherham Magistrates Court and was ordered to pay costs of £2,520 after admitting an offence under the CoSHH Regulations 2002.
Failure to implement a sufficient CoSHH assessment and risk management system led to failure in personal protection when spillages occurred. Prosecution related to cases of dermatitis which were linked to the use of UV curable lacquers used to apply a glossy finish to products such as magazine covers.
Steve Kay, HSE inspector, commented: "Design problems meant workers came into contact with the lacquers through spillages, yet because of some basic flaws in Garnett Dickinson's management of the situation, workers' health was put at risk by repeated exposure to this irritant substance." He also pointed out that the workers were given insufficient protective equipment and had a lack of necessary training.
A study by dermatologists in Denmark shows the significance of skin disease is a clear and costly affair.
| Principal diagnosis | Compensation claims |
Skin diseases (36%) |
2,853 1,640 791 320 278 2078 |
Total |
7960 |
Halkier-Sorenson C, Occupational skin diseases, a case study from Denmark, Contact Dermatitis, 1998, 39, 71-78 |
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If you are concerned with skin desease we have an interesting article on inhalation and skin exposure which can be found within our news section.