Case ‘Demonstrates Importance Of Machine Guarding’

By Rob Dixon

Printing company Swallowtail Print Ltd has been fined £6,700 and ordered to pay costs, in relation to an accident at work in which an employee suffered a finger injury.

The unnamed worker was injured whilst working at the Drayton Industrial Estate site in November last year, when he was leaning into the service compartment at the side of printing press to make adjustments.

However, he slipped and put his hand out, which then became entangled in the machine’s drive belts and pulleys. The incident almost severed the man’s right index fingers.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that a metal guard had been removed weeks earlier and had not been replaced.

Sally Rissbrook, a specialist in workplace injury claims at Irwin Mitchell, helps people who have suffered as a result of accidents at work to gain justice over the problems they have faced and access vital funds to aid their recovery.

She said: “Something as simple and basic as a piece of machine guarding can play a hugely important role in keeping workers safe from harm.

“This case is like so many we have seen when people have suffered a serious injury as a result of safety issues which could and should have been avoided in the workplace. It is also important to note that this worker was off work for three months after this incident, which shows the long-term disruption that workplace injuries can have on a victim’s life.

“We would urge employers in heavy industry to always ensure that lessons are learned from cases like this, so that other workers do not face the same issues in the future.“

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in relation to Accident at Work claims