An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, has determined that Warmsworth Stone Limited failed to protect workers from exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The company, which specializes in carved stone masonry products using limestone, sandstone, granite and marble, has been inspected several times since May 2023. The company was initially served with seven improvement notices, but when the HSE conducted a follow-up inspection in September 2023, five of the improvement notices had still not been addressed. According to the HSE, Warmsworth Stone exposed employees to stone dust, failed to control legionella bacteria at the facility, and had inadequate welfare facilities.

Warmsworth Stone Limited of 1-3 Sheffield Road, Warmsworth, Doncaster, South Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching section 21 of Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by failing to comply with an Improvement Notice, breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 by failing to adequately control employee exposure to a substance hazardous to health namely RCS and breaching Regulation 9(2)(a) the same Regulations by failing to have local exhaust ventilation subject to a thorough examination and test at least every 14 months. They were fined £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,064.

What people are saying

In a recent quote, HSE inspector Charlotte Bligh said, “The company management responsible for health and safety were neither informed nor competent enough to carry out their role under the law. Over time, the basic measures to secure the health of all on site had not been taken, there had been no attempt to assess health risks and existing control measures had not been properly maintained. The company failed to take the initiative in health and safety matters and seek guidance, instruction and competent advice on implementation and communication of those measures necessary to control the risks at the site.”

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