Work accident news
24/11/2011

Factory worker's hand injury costs firm £14,000

A Nottinghamshire company has been fined after one of its employees sustained severe hand injuries in a factory accident.

The composites manufacturer was ordered to pay £14,000 following a work accident investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The 52-year-old victim suffered fractures in two fingers, a twisted knuckle and burns to his forearms when his hands became trapped in a large heating machine.

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard that he was cleaning the machine whilst it was still running.

Heated rollers caught on the rubber gloves he was wearing, dragging first one hand and then the other into the machine's inner workings.

The man's attempts to free himself only resulted in his being drawn further in by the rollers. He was then trapped in the machine for over an hour after fire crews arrived to save him.

Recovering from the work injury meant a week of skin grafting in hospital, followed by twice-weekly physiotherapy visits due to the loss of grip in his hands. He was on sick leave for a total of five months.

HSE investigators said there had been no guarding installed to prevent access to the dangerous moving parts, and that the company failed to risk assess their system of work for cleaning.

They also found it was common practice to service the heating machine with the rollers still running.

An HSE spokesperson deemed the workplace accident "entirely avoidable".

"The risks of running rollers and unguarded machinery are well documented by the HSE," she said. "Employers should ensure measures are taken to prevent access to dangerous machinery parts."

Company bosses pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations prior to the factory accident. They were fined £14,000 and ordered it to pay court costs of £3,603.