Unfortunately we have to record our first lost time injury in 17 weeks following an incident at one of our Plants where a contract tanker driver suffered chemical burns to his eyes whilst discharging cement.  The driver had noted a leak at the junction between the delivery hose and the silo inlet, so attempted to release and then reconnect the securing clamp.  Regrettably, he failed to consider that the line contained product under pressure and powder was blown into his face.  It is estimated it will take the driver up to seven days to fully recover from his injuries.

An investigation is underway to establish the root causes of the incident, which will be shared via a Safety Alert, however, the following apparent shortfalls in the application of our procedures have already been identified:

• The driver was undergoing training in the use of cement tankers and may not have been signed off as fully competent.
• He did not hold an MPQC Driver Skills Card and this was not verified at the dispatch terminal or delivery point.
• He was not given a full induction at the dispatch terminal.
• There may have been a fault on the silo equipment.
• He was wearing safety glasses, rather than safety goggles.

It is essential that procedures are rigorously followed, without deviation, if we are to avoid injuries such as this.