Incident Highlights Workplace Machinery Risks

A company in North Yorkshire has been fined £15,000 after one of its supervisors suffered serious hand injuries in a work accident.

A One Feed Supplements Ltd of Thirsk pleaded guilty to an offence under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 following an incident in August 2010 when a man had his hand crushed and two fingers severed while cleaning an air slide under an animal feed machine.

The Health and Safety Executive told the court that the man had been told the air slide was not operating due to a build-up of deposits on the slide and runners. He was injured when his hand touched the moving parts of the machine.

David Urpeth, national head of workplace injury at Irwin Mitchell, said this work accident highlighted the serious risks that machinery can pose in industrial environments.

He outlined: “We act for workers who have suffered similar, devastating injuries as a result of machinery and equipment not being used in the correct manner.

“Such injuries tend to have a life-changing impact on not only workers but also their loved ones, with them all having many questions as to how such problems happened and how they will be avoided again in the future.

“We hope that employers take note of the devastating facts of this case to ensure they are doing everything they can to protect their workers from any potential machinery-related risks. Hopefully this will ensure that lessons are learned and further problems avoided.”

If you or a loved one has suffered due to an accident at work, our personal injury lawyers could help you make a No Win No Fee compensation claim. See our Accident & Injury At Work Compensation page for more information.