HSE Penalises Electrical Faults

A Suffolk plastics manufacturer has been fined after electrical fittings at its production site were found to be dangerous. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uncovered serious issues with the construction and maintenance of the electrical systems at Techplas in Sudbury after investigating a separate unrelated issue. HSE inspectors found live 400 volt cabling hanging off the wall, a broken socket with live 400 volt cabling coiled on the floor and fused spurs and electric switches hanging off single-core cabling, leaving the live 230 volt wiring inside exposed. Guards had also been removed from a plastic forming machine, exposing heating elements that could become dangerous as soon as the machine was switched on. HSE served three Prohibition Notices on the company ordering urgent improvements to be made. Magistrates were told the electrical systems posed a significant and immediate danger to workers. After the hearing HSE inspector Saffron Turnell, said: “The state of the electrical systems at Techplas was simply appalling and it is only a matter of luck that nobody had been injured or electrocuted. “Employers have a duty to ensure the workplace is a safe environment and this must include electrical installations, whether or not the work carried out at their premises directly involves electricity.”