On 16 January 2017, a worker was cleaning around a conveyor when he put his arm into the moving machinery without turning it off. His left arm became entangled. The worker suffered a spiral fracture and an open wound to his left upper arm. Surgery to restore the blood supply to his arm was unsuccessful resulting in amputation of the arm.
Investigating, the HSE found the company had failed to ensure the guard that had been in place on the conveyor was working and could not be easily removed.
Northern Waste Group Ltd (formerly known as Northern Plasterboard Recycling Ltd) of Park Farm Road, Foxhills Industrial Estate, Scunthorpe, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £45,000 with £6,247.25 costs
After the hearing, HSE inspector Carol Downes commented: “This case highlights the importance of ensuring that dangerous moving parts of machinery are guarded.
“The incident could so easily have been avoided by having suitable guarding on the machine and appropriate safe working practices for cleaning.”
A waste and recycling company company director was jailed earlier this week after dangerous baling machine still in operation five years after it had been involved in a worker’s death.
Earlier this year, SHP reported that waste disposal has the highest fatality at work rate of any industrial sector.
The Safety Conversation with SHP (previously the Safety and Health Podcast) aims to bring you the latest news, insights and legislation updates in the form of interviews, discussions and panel debates from leading figures within the profession.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, subscribe and join the conversation today!
