A Peabody maintenance subsidiary has been fined \u00a3400,000 after an employee died from inhaling toxic vapours from flooring adhesive.<\/p>\n
Darren Nevill was working for Ealing-based Connect Property Services Ltd laying a vinyl bathroom floor at a property in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, on 9 December 2020 when he lost consciousness and collapsed, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.<\/p>\n
The watchdog\u2019s investigation found that the 38-year-old had been using an adhesive containing high levels of dichloromethane (DCM), which the HSE described as \u201ca highly volatile solvent\u201d.<\/p>\n
The agency said small volumes of the glue will give off large amounts of colourless, low-odour vapour, even at room temperature.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the day of his death, the hose to the pressurised glue canister became damaged, releasing a large amount of adhesive into the poorly ventilated bathroom,\u201d the HSE said.<\/p>\n
The investigation found he had three times the fatal concentration of DCM.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Jon Mack said: \u201cHSE scientists calculated that the statutory 15-minute exposure limit for DCM would have been reached within 2-13 seconds, and the final concentration in the bathroom at the time of Mr Nevill\u2019s death would have been 84.5 times the exposure limit.\u201d<\/p>\n
The HSE said Connect Property Services Ltd had \u201cfailed to take appropriate precautions\u201d to ensure substances hazardous to health are not used when safer alternatives are available.<\/p>\n
HSE guidance recommends avoiding the use of DCM-based products whenever \u201creasonably practicable, by using suitable and safer alternative products or methods\u201d.<\/p>\n
It says: \u201cDCM-based products should only be used in well-ventilated areas, to prevent the build-up of vapour.<\/p>\n
\u201cExamples of poorly ventilated areas can include bathrooms, cellars, stairwells and sheeted enclosures.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the HSE, Connect Property Services pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 26 January.<\/p>\n
The firm – part of the Peabody Group – was fined \u00a3400,000 and ordered to pay \u00a39,676.81 costs and a \u00a3190 victim surcharge, the HSE added.<\/p>\n
HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed said: \u201cOur thoughts are with the family of Mr Nevill, who was just setting out on his career in construction.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe should have returned home safely to his family at the end of his working day but, because of the failings of Connect Property Services Ltd, he did not.\u201d<\/p>\n
The firm\u2019s latest accounts, for the year ending 31 March 2025, showed it had set aside \u00a3400,000 in provisions ahead of the hearing.<\/p>\n
The accounts said: \u201cIn December 2020, Connect Property Services experienced a tragic incident undertaking a repair in a resident\u2019s home. This tragic event resulted in [a] significant review of operations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Peabody maintenance subsidiary has been fined \u00a3400,000 after an employee died from inhaling toxic vapours from flooring adhesive. Darren Nevill was working for Ealing-based Connect Property Services Ltd laying a vinyl bathroom floor at a property in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, on 9 December 2020 when he lost consciousness and collapsed, the Health and Safety Executive …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155153,"featured_media":517681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[581,578],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-537218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-safety","category-legal"],"yoast_head":"\n