A Wigan manufacturing company has been fined £12,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,703 after an employee lost part of his finger whilst operating a drilling machine.
B&B Group Ltd., was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after an investigation found that the company had failed to ensure basic health and safety controls were in place at the factory. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. This rule states that ‘every employer shall ensure measures are taken…. which are effective to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating stock bar, or to stop the movement of any dangerous part of machinery or rotating stock bar, before any part of a person enters a danger zone.’
Imogen McMillan specialises in injury compensation claims. She says "The court heard that the drill being used by the 46 year old employee took 30 seconds to stop after it had been switched off, and was still rotating as the worker reached to switch it on again. The glove on his right hand caught in the rotating mechanism and pulled his hand into the machine. The company should have installed a guard round the drill bit to protect employees using this equipment."
The investigating inspector at HSE, Andy McMahon, said "Manufacturers who fail to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery are breaking the law and we will continue to take enforcement action against them. If there had been a guard around the rotating drill then the worker’s injuries would almost certainly have been avoided. This case highlights how important it is for manufacturers to make sure the health and safety of staff is their top priority."
If you have been injured at work and feel that your company did not put adequate safeguards in place, please get in touch with Imogen on 01202 499255.