Warning on machinery guarding after prosecution of North Wales company

Date:

2 October 2009

Release No:

COI/SE/0210

Employers operating machinery need to ensure that risks are fully assessed and that potentially dangerous moving parts are suitably guarded, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said.

The warning follows the prosecution of a North Wales company for two separate incidents on the same machine in which employees' hands were trapped, causing them serious injury.

Chemical manufacturing company Warwick International Group Ltd of Mostyn, Holywell, Flintshire pleaded guilty to two charges under section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 when the company appeared before magistrates in Mold on Friday (2 October). The company was fined £12,000 for the first offence, £14,000 for the second offence and ordered to pay costs of £1,947.20.

In the first incident, on 20 December 2007, employee Clwyd Roberts' gloved hand was trapped in the rollers of a bagging machine, causing severe friction burns on his hand, which later required skin grafts.

After this incident, the company carried out a review and risk assessment but while the danger of the powered conveyor and idler rollers was identified, the remedial action put in place did not prevent the risk. The company risk assessment also did not identify guarding as a requirement.

Less than a month later, on 13 January 2008, another employee, Allan Breeze, also got his hand trapped in the rollers and suffered friction burns and tendon damage to his hand and multiple breaks to his ring finger.

HSE inspector Jo-Anne Michael said:

"The company clearly failed to learn from the first incident and it took a second similar incident before the necessary guarding was put in place on this machine. Their risk assessment was not adequate and both incidents could have been avoided.

"Both employees needed substantial time off work following this incident and while their injuries were significant, the potential for much more serious injury was always present."

"The company has now put much tighter procedures into place for those working on this machine.

Notes to editors

1. Warwick International Group Ltd were charged under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 which states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
2. The hazards associated with in-running nips are well known in industry and have for many years been covered in the British Standard Publication 'Code of Practice. Safeguarding of machinery' which was first written in 1975.

Press enquiries

Regional reporters should call the appropriate Regional News Network press office.

Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News & PR (London & South East).