Company fined GBP18000 after worker loses parts of fingers in machinery
September 29, 2009
Machinery workings must be guarded to prevent operatives contacting dangerous parts the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said.
The warning comes after a company was fined for an incident in which a worker lost part of three fingers as he was attempting to clean a probe on a bagging machine at a plastics factory in Crumlin on 13 October 2008.
A dangerous moving part of the machine was left unguarded and there were no systems put in place by the company at the time of the accident for cleaning and maintenance of the machine.
A. Schulman Inc. Ltd of Croespenmaen Industrial Estate, pleaded guilty to three health and safety charges at a hearing before magistrates in Abertillery on 24th September 2009 and were fined a total of £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,827.80.
HSE Inspector Mike Batt said: Our investigation showed that employees of this company were not aware of the dangers of putting their hands inside this machine, and there was no guarding to stop them from accessing dangerous areas.
There was also no clear procedure for cleaning and maintaining the machinery which meant that when operators attempted to clean the probe, they were running the risk of serious injury.
The company admitted one charge under Regulation 11(1)(a) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, relating to a failure to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.
They also pleaded guilty to a charge under the Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and a further charge under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
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The warning comes after a company was fined for an incident in which a worker lost part of three fingers as he was attempting to clean a probe on a bagging machine at a plastics factory in Crumlin on 13 October 2008.
A dangerous moving part of the machine was left unguarded and there were no systems put in place by the company at the time of the accident for cleaning and maintenance of the machine.
A. Schulman Inc. Ltd of Croespenmaen Industrial Estate, pleaded guilty to three health and safety charges at a hearing before magistrates in Abertillery on 24th September 2009 and were fined a total of £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,827.80.
HSE Inspector Mike Batt said: Our investigation showed that employees of this company were not aware of the dangers of putting their hands inside this machine, and there was no guarding to stop them from accessing dangerous areas.
There was also no clear procedure for cleaning and maintaining the machinery which meant that when operators attempted to clean the probe, they were running the risk of serious injury.
The company admitted one charge under Regulation 11(1)(a) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, relating to a failure to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery.
They also pleaded guilty to a charge under the Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and a further charge under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Find out more about Risk Assessment
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