Workers finger amputated following an accident at work
A worker had his finger amputated after he slipped and put his hand into an unguarded machine - 19th December 2008
Confectionery Company Britannia Superfine has been
prosecuted after a maintenance engineer was involved
in an
accident at work resulting in him requiring a
finger amputating.
The engineer received his
workplace injuries after slipping whilst viewing
some unguarded machine gears on the 5th October
2007. He put is hand down into the unguarded machine
to regain his balance as the pinion rolled past,
this led to his right index finger being crushed and
needing to be amputated above the second knuckle.
Britannia Superfine were sentenced at Lewes Crown
Court and fined £30,000 for violating the Provision
and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, another
£10,000 for an infringement of the Management of
Health and Safety at Work Regulations. They were
also ordered to pay a further £13,000 in costs.
Russell Adfield of
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said:
"Industrial machinery presents many
safety hazards and the proper safeguarding of
equipment is essential if staff are to be protected.
To expose staff to the dangers from unguarded
machinery is unacceptable - and HSE will take action
against those who fail to prevent injury risks."
This unnecessary
accident
in the workplace could have been prevented if
the company had carried out the necessary risk
assessments. Employees’
health and safety at work should be of the
uppermost importance, particularly around dangerous
machinery.
