Worker's injuries lead to fine for Nottinghamshire firm

Date:

9 November 2011

Release No:

HSE/261/11

A Nottinghamshire manufacturing company has been fined after a worker suffered severe hand and arm injuries.

A 52-year-old production operative from Heanor, Derbyshire, suffered fractures in two fingers, a twisted knuckle and burns to his forearms after his hands became trapped in a pre-preg machine, a large piece of equipment containing heated rollers.

The incident happened at Amber Composite's Langley Mill factory on 28 May 2010 when the worker was cleaning the machine as it was still running. One of the rubber gloves he was wearing to carry out the cleaning became caught in the rollers which were heated to around 40 degrees Celsius. His hand was dragged in to the machine and when he tried to free himself, his other hand also became trapped.

A colleague saw what was happening and stopped the machine. The fire service was called and firefighters took around an hour to free the man.

He spent a week in hospital having skin grafts and stitches to both forearms and then underwent physiotherapy and twice-weekly hospital visits due to the loss of grip in his hands. He was off work for five months.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found there was no guarding to prevent access to the moving rollers and the company had failed to carry out a risk assessment for the cleaning of the machine. There was also evidence that the cleaning regularly took place with the rollers still running.

After the hearing HSE inspector Fiona Coffey said:

"This was an entirely avoidable incident which left a man with severe injuries. The company had a legal duty to prevent access to dangerous parts of their machinery, but failed to comply with this duty.

"It had become common practice to clean the machine with the rollers still running. The company failed to proactively assess the risks of cleaning this machine. The risks of running rollers and unguarded machinery are well documented by the HSE and free guidance is available on our website. Employers should ensure measures are taken to prevent access to dangerous machinery parts."

Amber Composites Ltd, of Station Road, Langley Mill, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Today Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court fined the company £14,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £3,603.

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 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states: Every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work.
3. The full text of Regulation 11 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2306/regulation/11/made

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