IN THE COURTS
CHEMICAL COMPANY PROSECUTED AFTER AGENCY WORKER SUFFERS CHEMICAL BURNS
A manufacturer of household cleaning products in Nottingham has been fined after an agency worker suffered burns to her face, eye, neck and arm when she was doused in a corrosive sink and drain unblocker.
Marzanna Sokolowska was working for Flowchem UK Ltd at its manufacturing site in Nottingham on 2 November 2023 when she was doused with a significant quantity of corrosive liquid after accidentally opening the wrong valve on a 1,000-litre container.
Ms Sokolowska was working in a team decanting sink and drain un-blocker liquid from bulk containers at shoulder height into smaller containers for sale.
Ms Sokoloska accidentally opened the outlet valve on an adjacent container to the one fitted with a decanting hose, which had no end cap fitted. The liquid sprayed out under considerable force splashing her in the face and upper body.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the system of work employed by Flowchem exposed their employees and agency workers to health and safety risks in the event of leaks or losses of containment.
Training arrangements, including the provision of adequate information to workers with limited understanding of English was inadequate. Whilst some personal protective equipment (PPE) was provided by the company, it was routinely not worn, and there was inadequate supervision or monitoring to ensure the use of PPE.
Whilst eye-wash bottles were provided, the first aid arrangements available did not take account of the potential scale of any exposure, including the lack of a shower for example.
CARE HOME CHARGED AFTER RESIDENT CHOKED TO DEATH ON MEAL
A Selkirk care company has been fined after a resident choked to death on food that had not been prepared in accordance with his dietary requirements.
Selkirk Sheriff Court heard that on 25 May 2023, Thomas Telford, known as Barry, aged 86, choked during lunch at Riverside Healthcare Centre, Bridge Street, Selkirk. Mr Telford had been a resident at the home since 9 May 2023, having been admitted directly from Kelso Community Hospital. He had a complex medical and a well-documented history of dysphagia – difficulty swallowing – that had been identified as far back as November 2019.
Mr Telford had been assessed as requiring a Level 5 (minced and moist) diet under the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), meaning all food should be minced into small moist pieces no greater than 15mm in length and 4mm wide. His care plan also required that he be supervised at mealtimes due to his tendency to overfill his mouth and eat quickly, and he had been identified as being at high risk of choking.
At lunchtime on 25 May 2023, Mr Telford was served a meal of beef, mashed potato and cabbage. The beef served to him had not been prepared in accordance with his Level 5 dietary requirements. A carer supervising the dining room noticed his lips turning blue and immediately raised the alarm. Backslaps and abdominal thrusts were administered, and an ambulance was called. He was pronounced dead at Borders General Hospital at 2pm.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Riverside Care Limited had failed to ensure a sufficiently robust system of work for the preparation and serving of texture-modified meals. Whilst the home operated a broadly suitable system of serving either normal or modified meals, and staff had received training
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on dysphagia and the IDDSI framework, that system had failed on the day in question. As a result, Mr Telford was served food that was not safe for him to consume.
Employers providing care to individuals with swallowing difficulties must ensure that systems for preparing and serving texture-modified diets are sufficiently robust to guarantee that only appropriate food is served to those who require it, at every mealtime without exception.
HSE provides extensive guidance intended to help those providing and managing care homes – to give them a better understanding of the real risks and how to manage them effectively.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg220.htm
On Tuesday 3 March 2026, Riverside Care Limited, of Bridge Street, Selkirk, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £16,000 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
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