Wienerberger fined after employee hospitalised

Brick and tile manufacturer Wienerberger has been fined for two breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations following an incident that left one of its workers hospitalised.

Bishop Auckland magistrates handed Wienerberger a £2,000 fine and ordered it to pay £8,516 costs following the incident at its Todhills works in Newfield, County Durham.

Two employees were asked to cut up trolleys used for transporting bricks through a dryer using oxy-acetylene torches. But the men receive high exposure to metal fumes which left them with flu-like symptoms.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Fiona MacNeill said that the company should have conducted a proper risk assessment. "Fumes from hot cutting galvanised steel contain zinc and are particularly hazardous to people and can cause illness," she said.