Welcome to HSE prosecutions in brief. A selection of this weeks prosecutions by the HSE.
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Company fined after worker’s fingertip is severed
A Cardiff manufacturing company has been fined after a worker lost the tip of a finger while using an unguarded drill.
Vaughan Thomas, 21, from Caerphilly, was working at MIB Manufacturing Ltd’s factory on Rising Sun Industrial Estate, Blaina, when the incident happened on 26 April 2011.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the company which produces light steel frames and panels for the building industry, after an investigation revealed it had failed to ensure its workers were protected from dangerous parts of machinery.
Abergavenny Magistrates Court heard it was Mr Thomas’ first time working at the Blaina factory and he had been sent there to work on placing and tightening bolts and screwing boards onto steel panels. However the panels were not yet ready and Mr Thomas was instead sent to help another employee who was drilling holes into steel frames.
He was asked to help load and unload the steel and was given gloves to wear. During the morning the employee carrying out the drilling was called away and Mr Thomas took over. It was during this time that his right glove became entangled in the drill bit, resulting in the loss of the top of his ring finger down to the first knuckle.
HSE’s investigation revealed that Mr Thomas had not received any information, instructions or training on using the drill and that it had been unguarded at the time of the incident. Also the operation of the drill had not been risk assessed and there was no formal system in place for checking the drill guard.
MIB Manufacturing Ltd (now known as Blaina Manufacturing Ltd) of Rhymney River Bridge Road, Cardiff, today pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9,947. The company was also ordered to pay £3,000 in compensation to Mr Thomas.
Comments from the HE through the link.
British Standards for Safety of Machinery
Worker suffers severe burns at Staffordshire firm
A Leek company that makes webbing for seatbelts and harnesses has been fined after an employee trapped both arms in a machine and suffered severe burns.
Stewart Wood, a dye machine operative at Marling Leek Limited, was working a night shift on August 2 last year when webbing became wrapped around the machine’s rollers.
He climbed onto the machine without isolating it to try to unravel the webbing and his left arm was drawn in between the unguarded rollers. He tried to push the top roller upwards to open a gap but his right arm was drawn in as well.
A colleague outside heard Mr Wood scream but did not know how to stop the machine so ran to get another employee. By the time he was freed he had suffered severe burns and skin damage.
Mr Wood, 60, of Leek, was taken to North Staffordshire hospital before being transferred to the special burns unit in Birmingham where he remained for two weeks. He has had skin grafts on both arms and has permanent loss of sensation to the injured area. He was off work for a number of weeks but has since returned to work for the company.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Marling Leek had failed to implement a safe system of work for the job Mr Wood was doing and had exposed employees to risks over several years.
Stafford Magistrates’ Court was told that despite Mr Wood having worked at the company for 12 years he had never received adequate information, training or written instructions on how to carry out the common task of removing wrap-arounds safely.
HSE served two Improvement Notices after the incident. The first required Marling Leek to carry out a thorough risk assessment to include dealing with wrap-arounds and working at height.
A second, not connected to the incident, concerned the electrics in the powder dye room, as they were found not to be waterproof, despite being in a wet environment.
Marling Leek Limited, of Marling Mills, Leek, Staffordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £5,827.
Comments from the HSE through the link.
British Standards for Safety of Machinery
