HC Deb 18 October 1991 vol 196 cc258-60W
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how long the Health and Safety Executive staff who investigated the accident of Mr. Randall at Maxwell house, Chadderton on 31 August 1989 had been in post; what qualifications they had; and what disciplinary action has been taken against them.

Mr. Forth

The inspector who conducted the investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Randall's accident joined the Health and Safety Executive in 1978 and holds an honours degree in engineering. The Health and Safety Executive considers that the inspector undertook the inquiry in an appropriate manner. The question of disciplinary action does not therefore arise.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many times in each of the last five years accidents occurred on sites where Vanguard Engineering was a sub-contractor which were not reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the correct manner, or in the correct time.

Mr. Forth

The information requested is not available.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many notifiable accidents involving Vanguard Engineering (Northern) Ltd. happened during each of the last five years; and what action the Health and Safety Executive has taken to bring prosecutions against Vanguard.

Mr. Forth

The Health and Safety Executive is aware of two incidents in the last five years reportable to the appropriate enforcing authority under the Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1984 involving Vanguard Engineering (Northern) Ltd. Legal proceedings were not instituted by the Health and Safety Executive following the investigation of either incident.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cause of the accident to Mr. Randall of Reddish, at Maxwell house, Chadderton on 31 August 1989; and what consideration was given by the Health and Safety Executive to prosecuting(a) MCP in respect of reporting the accident and (b) Vanguard Engineering in respect of supervising the job.

Mr. Forth

The accident to Mr. Randall occurred when a lifting gantry frame fell over when a load was lifted through a floor opening and swung clear. It appears that brackets intended to secure the frame to the floor had not been fitted. Having investigated the incident the Health and Safety Executive decided that the prosecution of MCP was not appropriate and that of Vanguard Engineering could not be sustained.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Health and Safety Executive interviewed all those persons working with Mr. Randall at Maxwell house on 31 August 1989 when an accident occurred to Mr. Randall to ascertain whether verbal instructions as to how the work was to be carried out had been correctly given; and what steps the Health and Safety Executive is taking to see that all witnesses to accidents are interviewed.

Mr. Forth

In the course of the investigation into the cause of Mr. Randall's accident, the Health and Safety Executive did not interview all those persons who were working with Mr. Randall at the time. Inspectors are not required to question every witness to an accident and may decide to curtail an investigation if, in their opinion, further inquiries are unlikely to be productive for their purposes. There are no proposals to change this procedure.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents in 1989 were not reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the correct manner and were only subsequently found out about by the Health and Safety Executive; and in how many cases employers were prosecuted for their failure to report an accident.

Mr. Forth

The Health and Safety Executive's records do not distinguish between accidents reported voluntarily by employers and those reported following inquiries by HSE. In 1989–90, HSE inspectors obtained 89 convictions for non-reporting under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

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