Machinery incident results in fine for engineering firm

An engineering firm has been fined following an incident in which a worker suffered a serious hand injury after a machinery incident.

Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates’ Court heard how on 15 December 2015, 63 year-old employee of Thermal Engineering Ltd ,Chris  Davis, was working at the site in Royson, Hertfordshire using a manually operated  metalworking lathe, when his hand became entangled  with the rotating workpiece.

This incident resulted in the worker later requiring surgical amputation to part of his left index finger.

The HSE found:

• the machine operators were using an unsafe system of work
• the company failed to identify workers were routinely using this dangerous work practice
• the lathe Mr Davis used had a faulty emergency footbrake, which had been reported to the company at an early date, but had not been taken out of service.

Thermal Engineering Ltd of Orchard Road, Royston pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and was fined £40,000 with costs of £834.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Sandra Dias: “Thermal Engineering Ltd failed to identify that employees were routinely carrying out an unsafe work practice when hand applying emery cloth to a workpiece rotating at speed.

“The company also failed to take the faulty lathe out of service, resulting in Mr Davis not being able to stop the lathe immediately. All companies have a duty to ensure employees carry out work in a safe way and the machinery they are using is in good working order.”

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