Engineering firm sentenced over drill injury

Date:

23 February 2011

Release No:

HSE/NW/82JexEngineering

An engineering firm has appeared in court after a worker was badly injured when his hand became entangled in an unguarded drill.

Michael O'Brien suffered permanent loss of movement to three fingers in his left hand following the incident at a construction site in Leyland on 1 December 2009.

The 60-year-old from Clitheroe spent four days in hospital, required several skin grafts and has been unable to return to work as a result of his injuries.

Jex Engineering Company Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to ensure a guard was provided on the drill.

South Ribble Magistrates' Court in Leyland heard that he had been installing a machine in a new factory on Sustainability Way in Leyland when the incident happened. His hand got caught in the chuck, which holds the drill bit in place, while he was drilling holes into a steel plate.

The HSE investigation found the company failed to spot the guard was missing both when it hired the drill, and when it was issued to Mr O'Brien. It also wrongly indicated the drill had been fitted with a guard when it completed an assessment form for the work.

Jex Engineering Company Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1)(a) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 by failing to prevent access to dangerous machine parts.

The company, of Red Hall Court in Wakefield, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £3,250 towards the cost of the prosecution on 23 February 2011.

Speaking after the case, Mr O'Brien said:

"I'd only been working for the company for a couple of days but you just expect employers to know what they're doing when it comes to health and safety.

"Two of my fingers have been virtually paralysed and I now find it very difficult to grip with my left hand. Things I used to be able to do naturally, like holding a fork or opening a jar, now take real effort.

"I just hope the same thing doesn't happen to someone else as I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

Allen Shute, the investigating inspector at HSE, said:

"These injuries have had a devastating impact on an engineer who relies on being able to use his hands for his job. Sadly, he has been unable to find work since the incident.

"Jex had three separate opportunities to make sure the drill was fitted with a guard but it failed to act on all three occasions.

"Even small drills have the potential to cause serious injuries if they are not fitted with a guard. It's therefore vital that companies take the risk seriously."

A total of 25 workers were killed and more than 4,000 suffered major injuries in the manufacturing industry in Great Britain last year. Information on preventing injuries is available at www.hse.gov.uk/manufacturing.

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)(a) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states: "Every employer shall ensure that measures are taken...which are effective to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating stock-bar."

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