The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a recycling company and its director for exposing employees to toxic mercury fumes at a site in Huddersfield.

The Electrical Waste Recycling Group Ltd of Denmark Street in Glasgow – formerly known as Matrix Direct Recycle Ltd – recycles electrical equipment, including fluorescent light tubes that contain mercury and TV sets and monitors containing lead.

Between October 2007 and August 2008, 20 employees were found to have amounts of mercury in their systems above UK guidance levels – and five of them showed extremely high levels. An HSE investigation found that ventilation problems at a plant on School Lane, Kirkheaton, meant employees were being exposed to potentially harmful emissions from both substances.

Several workers reported ill health as a result of the exposure, including a pregnant worker concerned that her unborn baby was at risk.

The HSE issued five Improvement Notices and one Prohibition Notice to the company in relation to the incident.

On Friday (05/02/10) at Bradford Crown Court, the Electrical Waste Recycling Group Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 – as well as three separate breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, and one breach of the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. The company was fined £140,000 with £35,127 costs.

Company director Craig Thompson, 38, of Reinwood in Huddersfield pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. Mr Thompson was fined £5,000.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Jeanne Morton said that the company had ‘failed to see’ the risks created by their recycling work – and failed to develop effective plans for safe working. The company also took no measures to check their workers’ health after exposure.

‘This is a shocking case involving a large number of employees – many of them young and vulnerable – who were suddenly faced with the worrying possibility of damage to their long-term health,’ Ms Morton said.

‘The risks associated with handling toxic substances like mercury have been known

for generations, so it is all the more unacceptable that something like this has

happened.

‘Workers have a right to expect a reasonable level of protection in the workplace – and employers have a legal duty to provide it,’ she added.

Site inspector for the Environment Agency, Max Folkett, said the agency had worked closely with the HSE and other organisations during the investigation that lead up to the prosecution of the company.

‘Electrical Waste Recycling Group Limited requires an environmental permit from us for the recovery and processing of hazardous waste – and we routinely inspect the site to check the company is complying with the permit,’ said Mr Folkett.

‘We suspended the permit following this incident in August 2008 – removing the risk of mercury escaping from the site – because of our concerns the operation posed a serious risk of pollution from mercury.

‘Our soil monitoring around the site to check for long-term contamination showed metal levels not unusual for urban areas,’ he added.

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