A manufacturing firm has been fined for health and safety failings after a worker was left paralysed following an “easily preventable” incident.
Last month, Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court heard how the worker, a 65-year-old man from Worcester, suffered “life-changing” injuries when working for Mountfield CNC Ltd on 4th January 2022.
He had been setting up a CNC machine at the firm’s site on Berry Hill Industrial Estate in Droitwich when he became entangled in the machine’s rotating saw. This resulted in him fracturing his neck and becoming paralysed from the chest down.
Firm failed to take effective safety measures
A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Mountfield CNC Ltd had failed to take effective measures to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the CNC machine.
Although the machine was fitted with interlocked guards, the interlocks had been disabled before the incident took place, thus allowing the machine to move without the safety guards in place.
The HSE ruled that the company should have identified the need for effective interlocking guards and monitored these safeguards to ensure they had not been tampered with.
They prosecuted Mountfield CNC Ltd for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and the firm pleaded guilty to their serious health and safety failings.
They were fined £18,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £3,094.
Health and safety failings led to life-changing injury
Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Harry Shaw said:
“This life-changing injury was easily preventable, and the risk should have been identified.
“Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”
The HSE provides free-to-download health and safety guidance for engineering workshops.
Training is vital for worker safety
First Response Training (FRT) is one of the UK’s largest and leading national training providers.
They deliver a wide and diverse range of training for businesses and organisations across all industry sectors and throughout the UK. Their course range includes training in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, mental health, food safety, health and social care and more.
Their health and safety training is mapped to UK standards and legislation and follows HSE guidelines. The portfolio includes courses such as Health and Safety, Managing Health and Safety, Risk Assessment, Accident and Incident Investigation, and many more.
Based on a common sense, proportionate approach to workplace safety, training helps learners to understand the true benefits of creating a healthy and safe environment at work.
A trainer from FRT explains:
“Health and safety law is there to keep people healthy, safe and protected from harm as they carry out their work; this is the least that any employee should expect.
“It is important to ensure that you are up to date and well informed about health and safety legislation, guidance and best practice and that you have carried out suitable and sufficient risk assessments to identify hazards and risks in your workplace, and implemented suitable control measures to remove or reduce those risks. All risk assessments and associated control measures should be regularly reviewed to ensure they continue to protect people.
“This may sound simple, it may even sound boring or repetitive, but it is what keeps people safe and prevents life-altering incidents like this from occurring.”
For more information on any of the training courses that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.