In Court

Employee suffered hand lacerations due to poorly maintained machine

Alison Fava

An electrical contracting firm has been fined after one of its employees suffered severe lacerations to his hand when he made contact with the moving blade of a mitre saw due to a faulty guard.

The guard failed to return to position and cover the blade when the saw was in the upright position, meaning that when the employee reached across it he severely cut his wrist.

The HSE’s investigation found that a lack of suitable maintenance meant the guard did not operate as intended and did not come down to cover the dangerous blade and protect the user.

AllRound Electrical Services Limited of High Street, Coleshill, Birmingham pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 (3) of the Provision and Use of Workplace Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,060.50.

HSE Inspector Philip Gratton said: “This case highlights the importance of regular proactive maintenance of work equipment, including mitre saws, to ensure equipment does not deteriorate to the extent that it puts people at risk. In this case AllRound Electrical Services Ltd failed to effectively maintain equipment which resulted in life-changing injuries to its employee.”

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