Company Fined Over Safety Failings

A manufacturing firm in Huddersfield has been fined after an engineer lost part of his finger in an accident at work in August 2010.

Metal Closures Ltd admitted safety breaches and was fined £4,000 in relation to the incident, in which development engineer James Hill was injured while trying to help to run and de-bug a new production line featuring two power presses.

One of the presses was causing misfeeds and the worker inserted his hand into the mechanism to discover the cause. However, a technical manager did not see him crouched by the press and reset a number of buttons which started the machinery back up.

The incident is similar to a number in which workplace injury specialists at Irwin Mitchell currently act, helping victims to gain answers over the problems they have endured.

Sally Rissbrook, a lawyer who specialises in work accident claims at the law firm, said: “Machine guarding is put in place for a reason and this awful incident fully demonstrates the consequences which can occur when it is not used.

“Safety in the workplace is paramount in all industries, but the manufacturing sector is one where workers can particularly be exposed to a number of risks if proper standards are not enforced.

“We hope that other companies can learn lessons from this incident which will ensure that the same mistakes are not made in the future.”

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.