Worker has fingers amputated after gate incident

A company has been sentenced after a worker lost his middle two fingers while trying to repair its main entrance gate.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court was told that a guide roller on the underside of the gate at LKAB Minerals (Richmond) Ltd had collapsed. Two employees were tasked by their line manager to make the repair.

The two workers attached a four leg lifting chain to a fork lift truck to lift the gate, which weighed in excess of 400kg. However, the chains were too long so were adjusted using a shortening hook.

One of the men used the forklift to lift the gate approximately 18 inches above the ground so that his colleague could access the guide roller on the underside. As he reached under to do so the chains slipped and the gate fell onto his hand.

The man lost the ring-finger and his middle finger up to the first knuckle on his right hand.

Easily preventable

LKAB Minerals (Richmond) Ltd of Coleford Road, Sheffield pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £8,000 with £2080.40 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector, Eddy Tarn, commented: “This injury was easily prevented and the risks should have been identified.

“Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in those safe methods along with effective supervision and monitoring.”

Approaches to managing the risks associated Musculoskeletal disorders

In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, about the different approaches to managing the risks associated with Musculoskeletal disorders.

Matt, an ergonomics and human factors expert, shares his thoughts on why MSDs are important, the various prevalent rates across the UK, what you can do within your own organisation and the Risk Management process surrounding MSD’s.

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