A manufacturing company has been fined after it failed to control the exposure of a hazardous substance to employees.

Templetown Canopies Limited, of Shaftsbury Avenue, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). It was fined £8,500 with £4,500 in costs.

South Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard how the manufacturer uses styrene to produce fibre glass door and window canopies. The material is hazardous to health and exposure can cause irritation to the nose, throat and lungs. It can also have neurological effects including difficulty in concentrating, drowsiness, headaches and nausea.

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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an inspection of the company and served an improvement notice on 03 May 2013. However the company did not take action to comply with the improvement notice until they moved premises in March 2015.

A further HSE investigation discovered that between May 2013 and February 2015, Templetown Canopies did not adequately control exposure of their employees to styrene. In addition, the company should have had an extraction system to remove the fume and provided masks with the correct filters to prevent operators breathing it in.

HSE Inspector Fiona McGarry said: "Workers' health was put at risk from exposure to styrene for a period of 22 months, even after the company had been made aware of the actions it needed to take.

"Whilst HSE is sympathetic to the pressures faced by small businesses, this is simply not acceptable. Employers need to take action to ensure they are providing adequate control to protect the health of their employees."

(LM/MH)