Firm Fined Over Incident In July 2010

A company has been fined after pleading guilty to breaching safety regulations following an incident when a man suffered serious burn injuries at work.

Asim Qureshi was left with burns to his right arm, shoulder, leg and face and continues to receive treatment on the injuries following the work accident at JVM Castings’ premises in Worcester in July 2010, when molten metal sprayed from the back of the machine.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive revealed the rear of the machine was unguarded, while the worker’s overalls and eye protection were unsuitable for the amount of spray. It also revealed that there had been three other incidents before the one involving Mr Qureshi.

JVM Castings was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,000 in relation to the incident.

Stephen Nye, a Partner and expert in accident at work claims at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, said: “Personal protective equipment and machine guarding can play a fundamental role in ensuring that workers are kept safe from harm, and it is vital that employers to do not underestimate its importance.

“This is a terrible example where a company has failed to learn lessons from the past, leading to devastating consequences which have left the victim needing long-term care and support to recover.

“We would urge all organisations involved in industrial work to ensure the same mistakes seen in this incident, which could and should have been avoided, are not repeated ever again.”

If you have suffered a burn, laceration or scarring due to a workplace accident, our accident at work solicitors could help you to secure compensation. See our Burns, Scars & Lacerations At Work Claims page for more information.