Firm fined GBP5000 after employee struck by moving machinery

Teesside Magistrates Court heard how a Corus UK Limited - trading as Corus Special Profiles - employee was injured while clearing a jam in the production line.

David Harrison, 41, team leader at the Skinningrove factory, was working on the mill floor when the incident occurred on 24 May 2008. The Court heard how Mr Harrison was attempting to clear a jam in a machine, which requires an operator activating the controls above the mill floor. The operator of the controls was unable to see Mr Harrison clearly and so the instructions were relayed via a third man through a combination of shouting and hand signals. Moving machinery struck Mr Harrison and his right leg was severely injured.

Corus UK Limited pleaded guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and of breaching Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regualtions 1999. The company were fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,074 (plus £15 victim surcharge).

After the case, HSE Inspector Bruno Porter, explained: "This incident could have easily been avoided, but instead has left Mr Harrison with a badly injured leg for which he still needs medical help. Our investigations found that relaying instructions through another person was common practice on the mill floor, as radios were not always available and the noise in the factory made them hard to use. Despite the fact that clearing jams in machinery was a common operation, there was no record of a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for this activity and no recorded safe system of work in place.

Inspector Porter concluded: "While Corus was aware of the hazards and had implemented safe operating procedures to deal with some of the risks, it failed to install a full safe isolation system, which had been identified as necessary prior to the incident."

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