Huntingdon firm prosecuted over worker's injury

Date:

25 May 2011

Release No:

HSE-E-23-11

A Cambridgeshire company that prints and manufactures pharmaceutical packaging has been sentenced after an employee's arm was dragged into a machine.

John Armstrong from Pidley suffered severe crush injuries which required almost a hundred stitches to his hand, wrist and arm while working at Firstan Limited, Cardinal Way in Huntingdon.

Mr Armstrong, 63, was working on a machine that flattens and folds boxes to be sent to pharmaceutical companies in which to pack medicines.

While supervising the machine's operation on 18 November 2009, Mr Armstrong noticed a box had been ejected from the machine rollers and he went over clear the boxes with a broom. However, as he did this the machine started to malfunction.

He reached around the machine to hit the stop button but his arm was pulled into the unguarded part of the machine, the 'in-running nip' of the rollers, and he sustained serious injuries to his arm.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuting, told Huntingdon Magistrates' Court that Firstan Limited had not put in place measures to prevent employees accessing dangerous parts of machinery.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Stephen Faulkner said:

"While Firstan Limited asserted Mr Armstrong should not have been engaging in that activity at that time, the court accepted he would not have sustained his injuries had the machine been properly guarded.

"In-running nips are a common hazard in many industries including printing and should be guarded to prevent human contact. They are caused by the rotating parts on machinery. These parts may be in contact, producing a nip point. This danger is common on machines with intermeshing gears and rolling mills.

"Employers using heavy machinery should take heed that suitable information, training and supervision should be given to all staff using such machinery."

Firstan Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1)(a) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and were fined £5,000 with costs of £2,521.20.

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive 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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states that: Every employer shall ensure that measures are taken in accordance with paragraph (2) which are effective- (a)to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating stock-bar; or (b)to stop the movement of any dangerous part of machinery or rotating stock-bar before any part of a person enters a danger zone.

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