Machinery risks were overlooked

Safety & Health Practitioner

A Cardiff based steel manufacturing company has been fined after a worker suffered crush injuries to his hand.

The magistrates’ court, North Staffordshire Justice Centre, heard how on 23 October 2015 the 51-year-old employee of Rom Ltd was removing leftover steel from a machine called the Koch Straightener, used for straightening steel wire, when he trapped his hand between the rotating rollers inside the machine.

The worker suffered serious crush injuries to his hand and lost the top of his right index finger as a result of this incident at the firm’s site in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

The HSE investigation revealed that the company had failed to identify the risks associated with workers manually operating this machine, and had not taken steps to ensure the machine was correctly guarded.

It was also found that the company had failed to provide the required level of supervision to this activity and as a result led to the worker suffering the injuries.

Rom Ltd of Castle Works, of Cardiff, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and was fined £200,000 with costs of £17,200.63.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector David Keane said: “This man suffered a life-changing injury. The company failed to protect the worker from harm by not properly considering the risks associated with manually operating dangerous machinery such as this.”

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