Malorkan News

The HSE has successfully brought to the book another company and its director for not taking adequate care of employee health and safety. The business entity is question is a recycling company registered at Glasgow. It was found during investigation, that due to the recycling of electrical equipments, which was the main business, the workers were exposed to dangerously high levels of mercury.

The company, Electrical Waste Recycling Group Ltd (EWR) earlier operated as Matrix Direct Recycle Ltd, and was engaged in the business of recycling electrical equipments like fluorescent light tubes and TV monitors which contain high levels of toxic substances like mercury and lead.

At a plant situated on School Lane, Kirkheaton Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, twenty workers were found to have mercury in their system in levels which were higher than the UK guidance level, while five others showed extremely high levels of toxins in their system. Many of the company’s employees were found suffering from ill health arising from exposure to these toxins, including a pregnant woman, who was concerned about the health of her unborn child.

This exposure was found to have occurred during the period October 2007and August 2008. The investigation revealed that the workers were exposed to such high levels of toxic fumes because the ventilation in the plant was improper.

Following this, the company was fined £140,000, plus £35,127 towards costs after the case was heard at Bradford Crown Court. It was charged under various regulations of the Health and Safety Act of 1974 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. Company Director Craig Thompson was also fined for breach of Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.

In addition to this, the HSE has also issued five Improvement Notices and one Prohibition Notice to ensure that the company does not jeopardise the health of others in the future.

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