Tyneside firm's failure to maintain health and safety may lead to compensation claims

A company in Tyneside has been prosecuted for putting workers health at risk.

Variable Message Signs were investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following a visit by an inspector, who identified serious failings in the way that the company protected workers against exposure to hazardous fumes.

The court heard that test engineers carried out soldering using rosin based solder flux - the fumes of which are known to cause occupational asthma.

HSE inspector Fiona McGarry stated: "In this case, a number of employees would have been significantly exposed to hazardous fumes and any health problems arising from it would not have been detected as there was no health surveillance procedure in place."

Occupational asthma can take weeks, months and years to develop depending on the patient and the substance to which they have been exposed.

Workers may have occupational asthma if their symptoms worsen during the working week, at work or after work, and improve after a being away from work for several weeks.

Employees of Variable Message Signs who develop occupational asthma in the future may be eligible to make a compensation claim.

Published by Kevin Round