Employees 'need health and safety training'

Staff need to be provided with thorough health and safety training by employers in order to reduce the risk of injury in the workplace, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has claimed.

The authority made the declaration following the prosecution of Just Frames for failing to deliver adequate health and safety training to an employee who suffered partial amputation of his thumb and index finger in a sawing accident.

Southern Derbyshire magistrates' court ordered the firm to pay £7,297 in fines and costs for failing to ensure employees using equipment received adequate health and safety training, a breach of Regulation 9(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Samantha Farrar, HSE inspector, said: "This incident could have been avoided if the company had trained its staff to use woodworking machinery.

"Employers must ensure that woodworking machine operators are properly trained and that they are made fully aware of the risks associated with such machinery".

Medway council was recently penalised by health and safety officials after failing to carry out suitable risk assessments, which led to an employee having two fingers partially severed by a lawnmower.