ianstone
09-21-2010, 05:51 AM
Falklands hero dies in industrial blender after colleague switches it on while it's being cleaned
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 10:41 AM on 21st September 2010
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http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/21/article-0-0B456D1B000005DC-567_233x346.jpg Tragic: Paul Palmer, who survived three war zones, was killed when a safety system on a giant mixer failed
A decorated war hero died when an industrial blender he had climbed in to clean was switched on by another worker.
Former paratrooper Paul Palmer should have been protected by a safety system designed to make it impossible to turn the machine on when someone is inside.
But two cut-off switches failed and the 44-year-old, who served in three war zones, was killed by the mixing machine's blade after suffering multiple injuries.
Yesterday the firm, Building Chemical Research (BCR) Ltd and its company director, Stuart Reich, 62, were fined a total of £20,000 at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety law at the factory in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Mr Palmer, a father of one from Radcliffe, Bury, climbed into the machine, a powerful, slow speed mixer, to clean it when it was switched on by another worker.
But it should have been impossible to turn on the machine while someone was inside, the court heard, but two safety cut-out switches failed to do their job.
Mr Palmer, an experienced worker at the firm who trained other staff, was killed by the mixing machine's blade after suffering multiple injuries.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/21/article-1313854-0B456D10000005DC-974_468x351.jpg Peril: The industrial blender that Mr Palmer was trying to clean when he died
He was brought up in Holywell in North Wales and served in the Falklands, Bosnia and Kuwait during his 13 years in the army.
He joined the elite 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment where he rose to the rank of sergeant and won five medals of honour.
His brother, Ted Palmer, said: ‘Paul was just a happy-go-lucky chap. Not a lot fazed him; he just took everything in his stride.
‘It just seems wrong that he survived over a decade in the army and then was killed by a machine in a factory.
‘I can't understand how manufacturing companies can become complacent over health and safety in this day and age.
'I just hope highlighting Paul's death will stop it happening to someone else.
‘My other brother, John, died from an asbestos disease a few years before Paul, and their deaths have really devastated our family.’
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought today's prosecution following the accident on August 30, 2005.
BCR Ltd was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 towards the cost of the prosecution.
The company's director, Mr Reich, of Gisburn, Lancashire, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,000.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/21/article-1313854-0B456C9F000005DC-458_468x351.jpg Decorated: Mr Palmer serving as a paratrooper in Kuwait during the first Gulf War
Both admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of employees.
HSE inspector Alan Meyer said: ‘This was a totally avoidable incident that resulted in the tragic death of an employee. The guard on the mixer was totally inadequate and both the safety switches failed.
‘Had the machine had a proper guard and a working cut-out switch, Mr Palmer would still be alive today.’
More than 3.2 million people are employed in the manufacturing sector in Great Britain, according to the HSE.
Last year, 35 workers were killed and there were more than 31,000 serious injuries in the industry.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313854/Falklands-hero-dies-industrial-blender-colleague-switches-on.html#ixzz109jTgpbW
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 10:41 AM on 21st September 2010
Comments (0) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313854/Falklands-hero-dies-industrial-blender-colleague-switches-on.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313854/Falklands-hero-dies-industrial-blender-colleague-switches-on.html)
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/21/article-0-0B456D1B000005DC-567_233x346.jpg Tragic: Paul Palmer, who survived three war zones, was killed when a safety system on a giant mixer failed
A decorated war hero died when an industrial blender he had climbed in to clean was switched on by another worker.
Former paratrooper Paul Palmer should have been protected by a safety system designed to make it impossible to turn the machine on when someone is inside.
But two cut-off switches failed and the 44-year-old, who served in three war zones, was killed by the mixing machine's blade after suffering multiple injuries.
Yesterday the firm, Building Chemical Research (BCR) Ltd and its company director, Stuart Reich, 62, were fined a total of £20,000 at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety law at the factory in Bury, Greater Manchester.
Mr Palmer, a father of one from Radcliffe, Bury, climbed into the machine, a powerful, slow speed mixer, to clean it when it was switched on by another worker.
But it should have been impossible to turn on the machine while someone was inside, the court heard, but two safety cut-out switches failed to do their job.
Mr Palmer, an experienced worker at the firm who trained other staff, was killed by the mixing machine's blade after suffering multiple injuries.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/21/article-1313854-0B456D10000005DC-974_468x351.jpg Peril: The industrial blender that Mr Palmer was trying to clean when he died
He was brought up in Holywell in North Wales and served in the Falklands, Bosnia and Kuwait during his 13 years in the army.
He joined the elite 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment where he rose to the rank of sergeant and won five medals of honour.
His brother, Ted Palmer, said: ‘Paul was just a happy-go-lucky chap. Not a lot fazed him; he just took everything in his stride.
‘It just seems wrong that he survived over a decade in the army and then was killed by a machine in a factory.
‘I can't understand how manufacturing companies can become complacent over health and safety in this day and age.
'I just hope highlighting Paul's death will stop it happening to someone else.
‘My other brother, John, died from an asbestos disease a few years before Paul, and their deaths have really devastated our family.’
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought today's prosecution following the accident on August 30, 2005.
BCR Ltd was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 towards the cost of the prosecution.
The company's director, Mr Reich, of Gisburn, Lancashire, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,000.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/21/article-1313854-0B456C9F000005DC-458_468x351.jpg Decorated: Mr Palmer serving as a paratrooper in Kuwait during the first Gulf War
Both admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of employees.
HSE inspector Alan Meyer said: ‘This was a totally avoidable incident that resulted in the tragic death of an employee. The guard on the mixer was totally inadequate and both the safety switches failed.
‘Had the machine had a proper guard and a working cut-out switch, Mr Palmer would still be alive today.’
More than 3.2 million people are employed in the manufacturing sector in Great Britain, according to the HSE.
Last year, 35 workers were killed and there were more than 31,000 serious injuries in the industry.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313854/Falklands-hero-dies-industrial-blender-colleague-switches-on.html#ixzz109jTgpbW