A manufacturer of glass bottles has been fined £600,000 following an incident in which a worker was burnt by molten glass and hot water.
The worker had been using a shovel loader to clear waste molten glass and hot water from the floor. There was no protective door on the cab of the vehicle and some of the material spilled from the bucket onto him. He suffered scald burns to 8 per cent of his body. Fortunately, he made a full recovery.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive established that the protective door had been removed after being damaged but never replaced. It had been missing for nearly two years before the accident occurred. Prior to the accident, other workers had also been struck by molten glass falling into the cab.
The manufacturer pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Section 33(1) of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by failing to maintain the vehicle in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. It was fined £600,000.