Roydon Granulation Ltd in St Helens, Merseyside

Factory Fined Over Hand Injury At Work

A factory has been fined £15,000 after a high-speed fan caused serious hand injuries to a worker, resulting in partial amputation of two fingers.

The fan blades cut off parts of two fingers in an accident which saw the victim seriously injured on four fingers on his left hand as he worked to repair a drying unit at Roydon Granulation Ltd in St Helens, Merseyside.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and found that the company's procedure for repairing the machine at the plastics recycling factory was inadequate, St Helens Magistrates' Court heard.

The HSE prosecuted the firm, based at Fieldhouse Road in Rochdale, for putting workers at risk at the plant on Fishwicks Industrial Estate, Baxters Lane.

The employee's fingers came into contact with the fan as it rotated at 1,450 times a minute in May 2009.

HSE inspector Richard Clarke said: "By law, the preferred solution would have been for the workers to switch off and lock off the power supply to the fan with padlocks. If this was not possible, then temporary guards should have been put in place. These or other equally effective measures were not taken."

Copyright © Press Association 2010

David Urpeth, a work accident expert at Irwin Mitchell said: "This is another example of a fine imposed following a work accident which could so easily have been avoided.

"Companies need to have an adequate and safe system of work so as to ensure workers are protected from the risk of injury or death following an accident at work.

"The tragedy is that I often have to help workers pursue their compensation claim after a work accident which, could have been avoided had workers safety being properly addressed and a safe system of work implemented."

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.