UKBA censured
 

I am not sure if this should be in military aviation or freight dogs ..... either way it is stunning

HSE brings Crown Censure against UK Border Agency

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has been censured over safety failings that could have caused an explosion at Robin Hood airport in Finningley, South Yorkshire. Ten people were present and other aircraft nearby when UKBA staff unsafely examined a plane's munitions cargo - despite being warned not to by the pilot.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today (19 December 2012) completed its Crown Censure procedure of UKBA following its investigation into the incident on 10 November 2009. A flight carrying anti-tank ammunition had landed at the airport and UKBA workers were told by their manager to carry out checks on the load. The plane was taken to a separate part of the site because of the hazardous cargo.
The aircraft pilot warned UKBA staff that the crates of ammunition were explosive and should not be examined. Despite this warning, they opened the crates and partially removed some of the explosive devices from their protective packaging while ten people were there.
This entailed removing three separate layers of packaging, including opening the protective tubing and exposing live rounds of anti-tank ammunition. There were five crates, each containing five rounds.
The HSE investigation found that UKBA had failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment to enable them to complete the checks safely. Had they done so, they would have recognised several problems.
There was a significant risk that the ammunition could detonate if it was dropped which could have detonated the whole cargo. As a result, members of the public, airport workers and nearby aircraft were all put at risk on that day.
Mr Paul Darling, Corporate Director, Resources and Organisational Development, of the UK Borders Agency attended the Crown Censure meeting on 19 December 2012 at the HSE premises in Sheffield and accepted the findings on behalf of UKBA.
By accepting the censure, UKBA has formally acknowledged there were health and safety failings.
UKBA cannot face prosecution from HSE in the same way as non-Government bodies. Crown Censures are agreed procedures applicable to Crown employers in lieu of HSE criminal proceedings.
David Snowball, the HSE Director for Northern England, who chaired the Crown Censure meeting, said:
"Our investigation into the details of the cargo verification by UKBA staff at Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield airport found that the failings by the Agency were serious enough to warrant this course of action.
"The evidence brought to light by the HSE investigation would be sufficient to provide a realistic prospect of conviction of UKBA in civilian courts. This Crown Censure is the maximum enforcement action that HSE can take and should serve to illustrate how seriously we take the failings we identified."
The Crown Censure proceedings relate to UKBA's discharge of its duties as an employer, under Sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The individuals involved should be fired!

Its a bit of a over sell though about the danger.

If its is infantary mobile the stuff gets taken from the box and humped about by grunts.

If its tank or arty rounds its either a kinetic or has to be spun by the rifling before it goes live. The carts are a different matter and have a metal protection clip across the firing CAP.

Only time I have seen folk getting upset was when one idiot decided the shell was to heavy carrying it to the gun and dropped it and it rolled down the hill.

BSM kicked his bum and the SMIG decided that it was time that we changed gun position and EOD came in and xrayed it and pronounced it hadn't armed itself but blew it anyway.

Saying that though its about typical though that as soon as you tell any of the cutoms peeps that really isn't a good idea they will do it.

It will have been more of a pain to get someone qualified to repackage it. Soldiers are qualified to unpackage it but you need an ammunition technican to package it up again before transport.

The difference is soldiers are trained in handling ammunition and explosives, even something relatively simple such as a grenade, requires precautions i.e. don't pull the pin out.:E

It's nice to know the UK Border Agency is right up there with the American TSA when it comes to ineptitude.

"It's nice to know the UK Border Agency is right up there with the American TSA when it comes to ineptitude"


Made me laugh

Jazz Hands,

People should know better than to make comments, serious or not, about blowing up aircraft/airports.
Will they EVER learn?
Imagine the first time it was ignored and something was blown up, killing goodness knows how many and maiming/injuring countless others.

Imagine that and you will understand why people take this seriously and react accordingly.


Doc C