Early coffee break saves worker from death by flying girder

The HSE has prosecuted The Moseley Rubber Company Ltd. after one of its machines exploded, sending a 5ft iron girder flying through the factory in 2008.

Fortunately only the factory was seriously injured, but if worker Dave Lomas hadn't gone for a coffee break 10 minutes early, he may have been killed.

The girder flew right into his workstation where he would normally be standing, but on that day the 56-year-old wasn't following his normal routine:

It just happened that, on that day, I'd got to work ten minutes earlier than normal so had set up my machine and gone to make a coffee before the explosion. I was walking back to my workstation when the force of the explosion blew me back about 15 feet.

If I'd got to work at my usual time then I'd have been killed without a doubt. The girder would have cut me in half.


Rather than being cut in half, Dave was thrown back by the force of the explosion injuring his arm and chest.

The reason for the explosion was an autoclave used to manufacture rubber rolls. It was found that regular inspections had not been done and the high-pressure machine was not being maintained.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 9(1)(a) and 12 of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000. In total the rubber firm had to pay £18,153 in fines and costs.

Source: HSE