Worker suffers severe injuries when hand caught in industrial drill

Solihull Magistrates Court heard how an employee of Thor Hammer Company Ltd suffered severe injuries when his hand was caught in an industrial drill.

Emplyee Aaron Watts Solihull was operating an unguarded pedestal drilling machine on 6 November 2008. His right hand glove became entangled in one of the rotating spindles of the drill and he suffered injuries to the back of his right hand and a deep laceration to the palm. Mr Watts required a month off work due to the severity of his injuries.

Thor Hammer Company Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £2,500. and ordered to pay £2,594 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Clive Neil said: "Once again we have an incident of an employee who suffered serious injury simply because there wasn t the necessary protection around the drill. Mr Watts is lucky he didnít lose a finger or worse. This offence is all the more serious because the company had received previous advice from HSE about the need to guard its drilling machines - and had even identified the need in its own risk assessment - but did not do it.

Inspector Neil concluded: "It would have cost far less than the fine handed out to install the required protection. Only weeks before the offence the company received a quote to fit a suitable guard at a cost of only £165."

Find out more about Hand & Wrist Injuries