Maintenance company fined after employee's hand is trapped in machine

Date:

26 November 2009

Release No:

YH/427/09

Businesses are being urged to the take correct precautions when their staff operate machinery, after an employee sustained serious injuries when his hand became entangled in a lathe.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today (26 November) successfully prosecuted I S Maintenance Limited, of Smithies in Barnsley, for breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act over the incident in January 2008. The company pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,085 costs at Sheffield Crown Court.

The court heard that I S Maintenance employee Craig Chappell, of Wombwell, Barnsley, who was 29 at the time, had been polishing a metal component on a lathe, when his hands became caught and were pulled into it. He had been using an emery cloth and wearing gloves, entangling him further into the machine, which was set to rotate at 1,200 revs per minute.

Although Mr Chappell managed to free his hands from the gloves, he suffered serious injuries to his left hand, including three broken metatarsal bones, muscle damage and severe bruising, as well as muscle injuries and bruising to his right hand.

The HSE investigation revealed that the company had neither carried out the necessary risk assessments, nor had they implemented any safe systems of work to prevent such an incident. Mr Chappell had been employed by the company as a fitter in October 2007 but had no experience of operating metal working lathes and was not given the appropriate instruction or cleaning tools to carry out the task.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Denise Fotheringham commented:

"We found serious health and safety failings at the company, which resulted in Mr Chappell suffering severe, long-term injury to both hands. Mr Chappell is still unable to clench his left fist or lift heavy items, which has affected his career, given his background in manual work.
"I hope this serves as a warning to other employers who have machinery on their premises, as they have a duty to protect their staff. Had the correct precautions been in place, this incident could have been avoided."

Notes to editors

1. Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that: " 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. More information on health and safety can be found on our website.

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Issued on behalf of HSE by COI news & PR Yorkshire and the Humber.