Lawford Kidd's Blog

A chemical firm has been fined £120,000 after an employee sustained severe burns when he was engulfed by a fireball at a factory in Wirral.

The 45-year-old was kept in an induced coma for seven weeks following a chemical explosion at the plant on 28th February last year.

The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an investigation into the incident, which left the employee with burns to his face, right arm and upper body.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has opened a three-month consultation on proposals to exempt self-employed people whose work activities pose no potential risk of harm to others from health and safety law.

The Löfstedt review recommended that people who work for themselves be taken out of health and safety law if their work posed no risk to others.

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 places duties on self-employed people to ensure that they and others affected by their activities are not exposed to harm.