A message from Lex Russell, Chair of the UK Health & Safety Committee. Sunday 19th February marks the 14th anniversary of the death of Gary Ward, an experienced contract Maintenance Engineer. Andy Taylor and I attended the site the day after the accident had happened. I remember the painful hurt we felt when we stood beside the crusher and tried to imagine the events surrounding the accident. The fact that someone had lost their life so tragically on one of our sites was devastating and the memories of that day still haunt me.
This sad occasion should serve as an opportunity for us all to reflect on the importance of keeping Health & Safety absolutely front of mind throughout our day, and never becoming complacent.
In particular, those working on our sites should spend time considering isolation procedures and ensuring they are suitable and fully understood by all; if isolation procedures cannot be followed, or you think they can be improved, please speak with your line manager as a matter of urgency. While infrequent, there are still occasions where people fail to follow isolation procedures before starting work on live equipment, putting themselves and others at risk of injury. Please, look after yourself and each other; always Lock Out, Tag Out, Try Out (LOTOTO).
If we all make Health & Safety our number one priority, then together we can achieve Zero4Life and ensure all our colleagues return home to their families safely.
Full details of the tragic incident can be found on the UK News download page: Never Forget..... Stay Safe tragic incident (1264 downloads )