A polymer distribution company has been fined after an employee’s hand was trapped in machinery whilst attempting to remove a blockage.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how, on the 12 October 2018, an employee of Albis (UK) Ltd was filling an autoloader machine when a blockage occurred in the chute, preventing the product from dropping into the mixer. The employee opened the mixer in order to insert their hand into the chute to remove the blockage, at which point, the butterfly valve was released. This caused the index finger of their right hand to be trapped resulting in the loss of the tip of the index finger below the first joint and the tip of his middle finger above the first joint.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), found that the company had made alterations to the roof area of the premises sometime before the incident. Due to these, the length of the chute had had to be decreased making access to dangerous parts of the machine possible. A risk assessment had not been carried out subsequent to the shortening of the chute, neither had operatives been fully instructed on how to unblock the autoloader. The machine had also been reconfigured unbeknown to the safety manager, allowing the valve to continue moving when the interlock had been broken. The machine should have cut out when the mixer lid was opened, but it failed to do so, resulting in the incident.

Albis (UK) Ltd of Montgomery Way, Parkgate Industrial Estate, Knutsford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £33,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,684.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Heywood said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided. Employers should ensure they carry out an assessment of the risks and put in safe system of works for the operation of all machinery. Employers should also ensure that adequate information, instruction and training is provided to all who use it.”

Notes to Editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: Why is machinery safety important? 
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A handrail manufacturing company has been fined after an employee’s hand was drawn into a roller and crushed.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how, on the 27 March 2019, an employee of Dealercast Ltd in Hardy Street, Eccles was being trained by company director Chris Ellor to use a rolling machine to bend pieces of steel tube. While the employee was feeding the tubing between the rollers of the machine, the heavy-duty gloves he was wearing caught between the tubing and one of the rollers. His hand was drawn into the machine injuring his little finger, which later had to be amputated from the second knuckle.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had not performed a machine specific risk assessment so the risk of entanglement in moving parts had not been highlighted. The employee had no previous experience of working on this type of machine and had not completed training. As employees were under pressure to carry out jobs quickly, they were feeding metal tubing into two rollers at a time. The company failed to recognise the dangers of using gloves when working with machinery, which was standard practice, as the company had not provided instruction on the correct procedures.

Dealercast Ltd of Barton Hall Industrial Estate, Hardy Street, Eccles, Manchester pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,661.

Director Christopher Ellor of Arncliffe Road, Bury, Greater Manchester pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, by virtue of 37(1) of the Act. He was fined £1,280 and ordered to pay costs of £3,461.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE principal inspector Peter Lennon said: “Employers should ensure they carry out an assessment of the risks and put in place a safe system of work for the operation of all machinery. Companies should be aware of the responsibility upon company directors to recognise the way in which their employees are working. Employers should also be aware of the risk of entanglement when wearing gloves whilst operating machinery.

“Had the company put in place a clear system of work and prohibited the wearing of gloves when operating this machinery, the incident could have been avoided.”

Notes to Editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/122.htm
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A farming company has been fined after two employees severely injured their fingers while trying to replace a part on farming machinery.

Lincoln Magistrates Court heard that on 12 April 2018, two employees of Beeswax Dyson Farming Ltd had the ends of their index fingers severed whilst attempting to re-insert a 37kg shaft into the housing of a pump. The employees were holding the shaft as it was pressed back into its housing with the aid of a hydraulic press when it dropped through a gap. The workers were unable to support the weight with their fingers and unable to get their hands out of the way in time. The employees both underwent amputation of their index fingers following the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found  the company had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to ensure that the risks from dismantling, transporting and then inserting the shaft into the pump housing were adequately controlled. They had failed to appropriately plan a safe system of work and employees had not been provided with adequate information, instruction, training or supervision to carry out the task safely.

Beeswax Dyson Farming Limited, of The Estate Office, Cyclone Way, Nocton, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.  The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £27,685.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Charlotte Cunniffe said: “Employers have a duty to carry out an assessment of the risks and put in place safe system of work for activities, including for infrequent maintenance work. It should not be left to employees to decide on the most appropriate means of carrying out a task. If safe working practices had been implemented this incident would have been prevented.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk

2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/

3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Two sister companies based in Grantham, Lincolnshire that manufacture cardboard items, and a company that manufactures flat-bed die cutting (FBDC) machines have all been sentenced after a worker sustained serious injuries to his left hand.

Lincolnshire Magistrates’ Court heard that Postpack Limited and Damasco UK Limited of Hollis Road Grantham, manufacture cardboard items including packaging materials, flat pack boxes and toys. They purchased five FBDC machines from DIG Corrugated Machinery Ltd of Cullen Place, Eastlands Industrial Estate, Leiston. A worker using one of the supplied machines caught  his hand under the rotating main roller and the fingers and thumb of his left hand were crushed, leading to their amputation.

An investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the machine was supplied with inadequate guards to prevent access to its dangerous parts. Following the incident and service of Improvement Notices the guards were extended.

Postpack Limited xxADDRESSxx and Damasco UK Limited xxADDRESSxx pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 The companies were fined £4000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,152 with a victim surcharge of £340.

DIG Corrugated Machinery Limited xxADDRESSxx pleaded guilty to breaching the duty under Section 6(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work  Act 1974 The company was fined £6500 and ordered to pay costs of £3529.20 with a victim surcharge of £170.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Mr Martin Giles commented:

“Those supplying machinery have a duty to ensure that it is safe. Purchasers and users of machinery must assess the equipment that they purchase and ensure that it is adequately guarded and that they have appropriate safe systems of work in place.

“If the flat-bed die cutter had been adequately guarded, then the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have easily been prevented.”

There is guidance to help companies assess the safety of machines on HSE’s website at www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/machinery/safety.htm

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk

2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/

3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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A food manufacturing company has been sentenced after repeated failures to maintain safety devices on its food processing machinery.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard that on three separate occasions between July 2008 and March 2016, HSE inspectors visiting the premises of Coldconnection Limited found multiple food processing machines that had non-functional or defeated interlock safety devices. Notices were served on each occasion, requiring the company to remedy the defects, but on a fourth visit in August 2019, the same issues were found again.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the firm due to the repeated contraventions relating to these safety devices and the failure to maintain improvements.

Coldconnection Limited of Bladen Street Ind Est, Jarrow, Tyne And Wear pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 (3)(c) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £928 costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Stephen Garner said: “While HSE would prefer to engage with businesses proactively through alternative enforcement tools, we can and will bring action through the courts where businesses are found to put their employees at unnecessary risk through repeated contraventions of health and safety law.”

Notes to editors
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. Further information about health and safety in food and drink manufacturing can be found at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg252.pdf

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