Sawmill fined after worker’s finger is severed in machinery
A sawmill has been fined after a worker injured his finger when his hand came into contact with the moving parts of a machine.Plymouth Magistrates’ court heard how, on 20 March 2018, an employee of Truro Sawmills was examining the moving parts at the rear of a saw to check why it had been cutting inaccurately. The saw remained in operation while he did so, and his glove became caught in the moving parts causing him to sever his index finger on his left hand.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to ensure that access to a cross-cut saw’s dangerous moving parts was prevented by the use of a guard, and failed to deliver adequate training to their employees.
Truro Sawmills pleaded guilty to breaching UK Safety Legislation. The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,594.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Melissa Lai-Hung said: “This injury was easily preventable. Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.
“Those in control have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers.”
Skip hire company fined after employee’s arm was crushed in a conveyor belt
A Bristol based skip hire company has been fined after an employee sustained crush injuries to his arm.Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard that on 30 May 2018, an employee of Bateman Skips Ltd was asked to repair a conveyor belt feeding the picking station. He was injured when his arm was drawn into the mechanism whilst realigning the belt. The employee was rescued by the Fire & Rescue Service.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Bateman Skips Ltd failed to ensure that the workforce was provided with adequate training and suitable safeguards for dealing with blockages and adjusting the equipment.
Bateman Skips Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching UK Safety Legislation and the company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,205.80.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Berenice Ray, said: “Those in control of work have a duty to assess the risks and devise safe methods of working to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workforce.
“Employers must ensure that the power source of machinery such as this is isolated and physically locked off whenever the guards are removed.”
Conclusions
As employers in Ireland, we have a legal duty to follow the relevant legislation, Chapter 2 Part 2 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 to provide safe working machinery for employees and provide relevant training in its use and isolation prior to removal of guarding, cleaning, clearing blockages or maintenance operations.Apart from the obvious human suffering a company can face large fines, reduced morale within its workforce and unquantifiable reputational damage.
HR Desk can assist your organisation in these matters by carrying out machinery risk assessments, advising on risk reduction measures and ensuring that the necessary control measures are implemented as a matter of urgency. Bespoke training can also be delivered to employees.
