Firm Fined After Worker Loses Finger

A building firm has been fined £10,000 after a worker had to have part of his middle finger amputated.

The man, who does not want to be named, was employed by Building Adhesives, based in Trentham, near Stoke, when the accident happened last July.

The 49-year-old caught his right hand on a machine while loading large fabric bags with rubber inside into a hopper to be sent around the factory.

Building Adhesives was fined and ordered to pay costs of £4,000 at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates' Court after it heard the machine had been modified incorrectly before the man used it.

The machine had recently been incorrectly fitted with an interlocked guard which allowed the man to put his hands near the screw conveyor and cause serious injury, the Health and Safety Executive said.

The firm pleaded guilty to breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

After the accident the man's ring finger was damaged and his middle finger was amputated past the first knuckle.

HSE inspector Mhairi Duffy said: "This incident would have been prevented had the guarding on the machine been fitted properly, or if there had been adequate systems in place to detect the failed guard before the accident."

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David Urpeth at Law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “I welcome the fine imposed following this serious work accident. Dangerous parts of machines must be guarded to prevent injury or death in an accident at work. Companies must ensure that they comply with health and safety legislation to prevent the misery caused by injuries sustained in a work accident.

Our serious injury claims team could help you claim compensation if you have suffered an injury at work that resulted in the amputation of a limb. Visit our Amputation Claims page or Accident at Work Claims page for more information.