International firm prosecuted by HSE after worker loses fingers
16:20 - 16/02/2011
International firm prosecuted by HSE ...
An international packaging company has been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay a further £2,553 towards court costs after one of its workers lost the tips of three of his fingers in an accident at their St. Helen’s factory.
Linpac Packaging Ltd, which is based in Solihull and operates in 19 countries, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the incident, which occurred on 13th March 2010. They pleaded guilty at St. Helen’s Magistrates’ Court to beaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The court heard how a 49-year-old male worker was attempting to clear a blockage in a machine when his fingers came into contact with a rotating screw, known as an auger, and were severed at the tip as a result. A subsequent investigation by the HSE found that workers at the factory were frequently at risk of this type of injury because the company had failed to implement measures to protect workers from the dangerous machine parts.
Commenting on the case, investigating HSE Inspector Chris Goddard said: “Unfortunately, the company became used to the machine being blocked, and did not realise the danger workers faced when they removed the pipe to clear jams.
“It should have looked in more detail at how its employees were dealing with the blockages, so that action could have been taken to prevent someone being injured.
“Instead, workers were able to reach into the machine and were at risk of coming into contact with the rotating auger.”
The manufacturing industry remains one of the most dangerous sectors in which to work in the UK. Last year alone, a total of 25 manufacturing workers were killed and over 4,000 others suffered major injuries.
As an established and leading provider of health and safety training services, First Response Training work hard to promote the message that health and safety is more than just legal compliance and that a properly trained workforce can add to productivity and reduce illness and downtime.
Delivering over 100 different courses to an average of 1200 students per week, First Response provides training to all industry sectors, covering aspects of first aid, health and safety and professional development. They can develop bespoke training solutions tailored specifically for a company’s own working environment and can off a wide range of options, from practical, direct provision training to blended learning and online training options.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director of First Response, says: “All organisations are required to provide appropriate health and safety training for staff and undertake all necessary measures to minimize the safety risks posed by their working activity. We are pleased to help organizations determine what their obligations are and help them work through their training options. We continue to expand and diversify and are able to offer more subjects and a range of training methods.”
Please call First Response today on free phone 0800 310 2300.
Linpac Packaging Ltd, which is based in Solihull and operates in 19 countries, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the incident, which occurred on 13th March 2010. They pleaded guilty at St. Helen’s Magistrates’ Court to beaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
The court heard how a 49-year-old male worker was attempting to clear a blockage in a machine when his fingers came into contact with a rotating screw, known as an auger, and were severed at the tip as a result. A subsequent investigation by the HSE found that workers at the factory were frequently at risk of this type of injury because the company had failed to implement measures to protect workers from the dangerous machine parts.
Commenting on the case, investigating HSE Inspector Chris Goddard said: “Unfortunately, the company became used to the machine being blocked, and did not realise the danger workers faced when they removed the pipe to clear jams.
“It should have looked in more detail at how its employees were dealing with the blockages, so that action could have been taken to prevent someone being injured.
“Instead, workers were able to reach into the machine and were at risk of coming into contact with the rotating auger.”
The manufacturing industry remains one of the most dangerous sectors in which to work in the UK. Last year alone, a total of 25 manufacturing workers were killed and over 4,000 others suffered major injuries.
As an established and leading provider of health and safety training services, First Response Training work hard to promote the message that health and safety is more than just legal compliance and that a properly trained workforce can add to productivity and reduce illness and downtime.
Delivering over 100 different courses to an average of 1200 students per week, First Response provides training to all industry sectors, covering aspects of first aid, health and safety and professional development. They can develop bespoke training solutions tailored specifically for a company’s own working environment and can off a wide range of options, from practical, direct provision training to blended learning and online training options.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director of First Response, says: “All organisations are required to provide appropriate health and safety training for staff and undertake all necessary measures to minimize the safety risks posed by their working activity. We are pleased to help organizations determine what their obligations are and help them work through their training options. We continue to expand and diversify and are able to offer more subjects and a range of training methods.”
Please call First Response today on free phone 0800 310 2300.
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