Telford firm fined after worker loses fingers

Date:

19 July 2010

Release No:

WM122/10

A Telford company has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after one of its workers lost three fingers while working with machinery.

A female employee, who does not want to be named, had her hand trapped in the incident at I2R Packaging Solutions, while making foil food cartons.

Telford Magistrates Court heard how on 22 September 2008, the employee was helping another worker remove aluminium foil from a 130-tonne power press, which had become jammed.

Her colleague had opened the protective guards which stops the machine automatically, but had not switched off the pneumatic energy. As the pneumatic system stores some energy within it - even when the power is turned off - it meant part of the machine snapped upwards and injured the female worker's hand. A separate manual process would have been needed to ensure the pneumatic energy had been dissipated before trying to get the blockage out of the machine.

When part of the machine snapped upwards it amputated the worker's index finger, middle finger and the tip of her ring finger on her right hand.

HSE inspector Katharine Walker said:

"The injuries may not have been life threatening, but they were life changing.

"Adequate safety mechanisms, to discharge the pneumatic energy automatically rather than manually, could have prevented this incident from occurring.

"While the machine had some protective guards and safety mechanisms in place, it seems they were not adequate to prevent danger to operatives during processes such as clearing blockages. This was an incident waiting to happen."

The company, based at Stafford Park, Telford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £5,677 costs.

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce 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.
2. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 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."
3. For more guidance regarding machine guarding and using equipment safely go to: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg229.htm.

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 (West Midlands)