Cheltenham Tool Company Limited has been fined after an employee was fatally injured while moving heavy machinery.

Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court heard how on 13 November 2019, 57-year-old Ian Challinor, a maintenance engineer at the company, was working with colleagues to move a large and heavy milling machine using a forklift and machine-moving skates. During the work at the site on Swindon Road, Cheltenham, the machine became unstable and toppled onto him causing fatal head injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to assess and plan the task of moving the machine to determine a safe system of work, provide clear instructions to the workers and supervise the activity. In addition, the skates used were not adequately maintained or subject to a suitable inspection programme to ensure that they were safe to use.

Cheltenham Tool Company Limited of Swindon Road, Cheltenham pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £13,033.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Annette Walker said: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to ensure that this one-off task could be undertaken in a safe manner.

“The lifting and movement of heavy machinery is a specialist and often complex task requiring significant planning, expertise, knowledge and specialist equipment to ensure the risks are controlled.”

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. For more information on how to work safely with machinery, please visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/

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A supplier of machined components has been fined after an employee sustained a severed finger, lacerations and tendon damage whilst operating a stud assembly machine at a factory in Brownhills, West Midlands.

Dudley Magistrates’ Court heard that on 20 February 2018, CNC Speedwell Limited employee Malgorzata Musiol, 23, was seriously injured when her gloved hand became entangled in the exposed rotating parts of a stud assembly machine. Her index finger and the tendon along her arm were severely damaged.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found employees had been using an unsafe system of work placing items by hand very close to exposed rotating parts of the machine whilst wearing gloves. Various options were available to prevent this injury had the work been risk assessed, including guarding and two-handed controls. A safe system of work should have been in place and operators should have received suitable training.

CNC Speedwell Limited of Lichfield Road, Brownhills, West Midlands pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £130,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,909.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Elizabeth Thomas said: “Horrific, life changing injuries sustained in entanglement incidents can be avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

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

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A company, which manufactures adhesive tape, has been fined after a worker was fatally injured while operating a rewind slitting machine.

Luton Magistrates Court heard how on 10 April 2018, Mr Brett Dolby was operating the machine, designed to cut a large roll of adhesive material into narrower rolls, when he was drawn into an in-running nip between a rotating roller and the adhesive material. Mr Dolby’s colleagues found him trapped in the machine at the factory in Dunstable, having suffered fatal crush injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Mr Dolby was required to work close to an unguarded in-running nip whilst the rewind slitting machine was in operation, which presented a hazard due to rotating parts. The risk assessment for the machine was inadequate because it failed to identify the in-running nips and other hazards on the machine. Therefore, machine operators were provided with inadequate information and training relating to the risks associated with this operation; and employees were placed at severe risk of injury.

The company previously received advice in 2012 from both HSE and an external consultant in relation to the guarding of machinery on site, but had failed to take action to ensure the necessary guarding of the rewind slitting machine prior to the incident in April 2018.

Scapa UK Limited of Ashton Under Lyne, Manchester, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £15,192.68.

After the hearing HSE inspector Emma Page said “This tragic incident could easily have been prevented if the company had properly assessed and applied effective control measures to minimise the risks from dangerous parts of the machinery.

“The dangers associated with in-running nips are well known, and a wealth of advice and guidance is freely available from HSE and other organisations.

“Employers should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

HSE guidance on the safety requirements for plastic sheet and film winders is available here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ppis11.pdf

Ends

Notes to editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. hse.gov.uk[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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A manufacturing company has been fined after a worker’s hand was damaged whilst carrying out machinery repairs.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 27 July 2018, an employee of Preston Board and Packaging Limited was trying to repair a cardboard slitting machine. Whilst in the process of lifting a chain back onto a sprocket, a roller attached to the chain dropped to the base of the machine trapping his fingers under the chain, resulting in his left-hand ring finger and the tip of his middle finger being severed.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was no risk assessment or safe system of work in place for replacing/repairing safety wires and chains on the slitter machine.

Preston Board and Packaging Limited, Green Bank Street, Preston pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £33,500 and ordered to pay costs of £5,527.16.

HSE inspector Mike Lisle said after the hearing “This injury was easily preventable. The task had been carried out a number of times previously and the risks should have been identified. Employers should properly risk assess machinery operations then apply effective control measures and robust safe systems of work to minimise the risk to employees from dangerous parts of machinery”.

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

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An engineering firm was sentenced for safety breaches after a worker severed two fingers.

Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard that on 5 June 2018 an employee of Essex Governor Services Limited was polishing a work piece with an emery cloth whilst it was rotating in a manual metal working lathe at the company site in Colchester. His index and middle finger were severed as they were dragged in between the tool and the chuck. He later had his index finger sewn back in the place of his middle finger, but the other one could not be saved.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the unsafe practice of using emery cloths in this way was custom and practice at the site. Essex Governor Services Limited had failed to identify the risks associated with the activity and as a result these practices had continued over a significant period. In addition, employees and their supervisor had not been provided with adequate information, instruction and training to work safely on the lathes.

Essex Governor Services Limited of Wormingford Road, Fordham, Colchester, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £24,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4414.48 and victim surcharge of £170.

After the hearing HSE inspector Carla Baron said; “This incident could have easily been avoided had appropriate training and supervision been in place.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the current standards. In this particular case, there is well-known industry guidance published on the HSE website that prohibits the application of a cloth directly by hand on a rotating manual metal working lathe.”

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/eis2.pdf

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