Company fined after worker loses an ear

Lafarge Cement has been fined £200,000 after admitting health and safety violations which led to an employee suffering severe facial injuries and losing an ear.

In 2007, the worker, Stuart Richardson, was working on a quarry when he was asked to help a fellow employee attend to a motor on one of the stacker machines. The electric fan on the motor had been left uncovered and he fell onto it when it was started.

Mr Richardson suffered severe injuries to his face and had to have one of his ears amputated.

He is unable to eat and drink properly and has been left with scars to his arms and rib cage.

The firm admitted liability in that it failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment and also did not provide staff with adequate training and supervision.
Edinburgh sheriff court fined the company £200,000 over the incident.

Sheriff Kenneth Maciver told the court: "This was a wholly avoidable accident, that is accepted by the company quite properly, and I was impressed by the way the company have made no excuses as is regularly the case."

Earlier this year, Weldex UK was fined £10,000 for failing to provide adequate training to staff after a worker was blinded by a shattered disc.