£30k fine for Mistras after worker suffers radiation burns

A Hartlepool engineering company has been fined £30,000 after a worker suffered radiation burns while carrying out tests on safety equipment.

The incident took place at Mistras EST Ltd's base on Graythorpe Industrial Estate on 19 September 2012. The company provides industrial radiation services, including x-rays.

The anonymous worker from Redcar suffered severe tissue damage but has since returned to work.

Following an investigation by the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE), Cambridge-headquartered Mistras was prosecuted at Teesside Crown Court earlier this week (31 March 2014) for serious safety failings.

The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,930.

Paul Wilson, HSE inspector, said: "The level of x-ray radiation to which this worker was exposed was capable of causing serious ill-health, including the potential for death if the x-rays had hit vital organs of his body.

"This incident could have been easily prevented if Mistras ETS Ltd had ensured proper planning and control of the work.

"Deviation from agreed safety protocol had become commonplace and on this occasion an employee was exposed to dangerous levels of x-ray radiation because important safety devices had been turned off."

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