Dental Laboratory Fined for Breach of Health and Safety Act

In yet another legal proceeding on the breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974, Swinton (Greater Manchester) based Rossford Dental Laboratory Ltd., was ordered to pay a fine of £4,000, after it admitted to the non-compliance of an Improvement Notice.

In March 2008, a HSE Inspector visited the company – which manufactures dentures, gum shields etc. – and found the premises in a deplorable state. Inspector Matt Greenly saw that the lab was covered with mounds of filth, garbage was littered all around and even sinks were choked with dust. The lab asked for two months to clean up and was issued an Improvement Notice for the same period. However, when the inspector returned in May nothing had changed and the place was as dirty as the last time.

HSE filed a case against the company in the Trafford Magistrates’ Court for violating Section 33(1) (g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, by failing to act in accordance with the terms of the Improvement Notice within the stipulated time. The company pleaded guilty to the charge and was asked to pay a fine of 2,500 pounds and an additional £1,500 towards costs.

Greenly said he was shocked at the sight of the lab as it was still dirty even after complying with an earlier Improvement notice. He said the company had failed in its responsibility to keep the workplace clean and maintain healthy and hygienic work conditions. Employers need to be aware of important health and safety issues and current regulations that apply in the workplace. The IOSH working safely programme can be tailored to meet the needs of an individual organisation; click for information on IOSH Managing from the experts at Workplace Law Training.

The Inspector added that improvement notices are a warning to the employers to make sure that the workplace is not only safe for the workers but also minimizes the risks to their health. However, this is sometimes forgotten by companies like Rossford, which thus end up paying fines.