Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
How Jacobs keeps mental health in check
Th brilliance of resilience
January/February 2023 issue

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
    • Member accolades
    • Member tributes
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Achieving Fellowship
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Knowledge Bank
    • Back to basics
    • Book club
    • Infographics
    • Podcast
    • Reports
    • Webinars
    • Videos
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Behavioural safety
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
      • ISO 45003
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
      • Achieving Fellowship
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
      • Future Leaders
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Management
  • Human factors
  • Safe systems of work
Work equipment
Manufacturing and engineering
Transport and logistics
News

Pirelli fined £0.5m for failing to learn from broken arm

Open-access content Friday 28th September 2018

Two workers' arms broken in Pirelli's unguarded machine

Both accidents happened on the let-off machine, a unit at the start of the production line comprising a reel wrapped with rubber ply, and a bobbin. During operation, the rubber ply was fed on to the conveyor belt while the protective liner wound around the bobbin.

On 29 November 2013, machine operator Paul Irons was manually adjusting the bobbin with the unit in the loading position. The machine was running at a production speed of 18 m per minute and he was drawn into the exposed in-running nip, sustaining a broken arm.

After the accident Pirelli disabled the run-out function to ensure the machine could no longer operate while in the loading position. However, the nip-point remained unguarded.

Matthew Tinsley, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector who carried out the investigation, said: "Pirelli reviewed the machine and carried out a new risk assessment. They took action in terms of disabling the run-out function, which would prevent the exact same accident happening again, but they missed that the nip was still accessible when it was in the production position."

As a result, employee Karl Davidson received similar injuries on 31 August 2015 when he was caught in the same in-running nip. The unit was in the production position and operational when he saw that the liner was not wrapping around the bobbin correctly. He attempted to rectify the issue but became caught in the nip point.

"Pirelli reported both accidents to the HSE under RIDDOR but neither met its incident selection criteria and were not investigated. "With the incidents being the best part of two years apart and on the basis of the limited information provided by Pirelli, there was nothing to tell us they both happened on the same machine," said Tinsley.

The HSE launched an investigation in 2016 after it became aware the injuries were caused by the same piece of machinery. It found that the let-off unit had been unguarded since 2003, when Pirelli manufactured it in-house. The company later fitted it with fixed guards and an active opto-electronic protective device, which cuts out the machine when the beam path is interrupted, before decommissioning it.

Tinsley said: "Machines that are built in-house for a company's own use must meet modern guarding standards, just as if they were going to be placed on the open market."

Pirelli pleaded guilty to two breaches of reg 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. It was fined £512,000 and ordered to pay £5,820 costs at Carlisle Magistrates' Court.

After the sentencing on 25 September, Unite issued a statement in which it said Pirelli had a history of safety issues at the Carlisle factory.

The union's regional officer, Malcolm Carruthers, said: "There have been historic problems with health and safety at this site that were caused or exacerbated by the attitude of looking to blame individuals who had an accident, in a blame-shifting exercise, rather than address the root cause of the accident. This case shows that lessons were not learned from the first incident that should have prevented a further occurrence."

Pirelli was fined £150,000 in 2015 after employee George Falder died when he became trapped in an industrial autoclave, which heated tyre parts up to 145°C.

In making his sentencing remarks, District Judge Chalk noted that credit could not be awarded to Pirelli for a good safety and health record.

He fined the company £12,000 for the first accident because it was before March 2015, when new legislation was introduced granting magistrates' courts powers to issue unlimited fines for safety and health offices in England and Wales. See box below for how the judge applied the sentencing guidelines to the second offence.

Sentencing guidelines application:

Culpability:

Medium

Seriousness of harm risked:

Level C

Likelihood of harm:

Medium

Harm category:

4, moved up to 3 as the offences were significant causes of actual harm

Size of the organisation:

Very large but judge stayed within large category

Starting point for fine:

£750,000

Mitigation:

One-third discount for early guilty plea

Penalty:

£500,000


Topics
Safe systems of work
Work equipment
Manufacturing and engineering
Transport and logistics
News

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Project Health and Safety Manager

London (Central)
Up to £400.00 per day
Reference
5452796

Health and Safety Advisor – Career Progression role

Chesterfield
£26,824.02 and progressing through increments to £30,785.23
Reference
5452792

Regional Health and Safety Advisor

Newmarket
£43000 - £48000 per annum + Car and Benefits
Reference
5452785
See all jobs »

Today's top reads

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

© 2023 IOSH • IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites

ioshmagazine.com and IOSH Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ