HSE WM/514/08 23 May 2008

Burntwood company fined £7,000 after employee suffers crushed fingers

Employers are being warned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to ensure they assess workplace risks properly and inspect moving machinery to ensure that it has adequate safeguards. This follows HSE’s prosecution of a Burntwood engineering company after one of its employees had the tops of four fingers crushed by unguarded parts of a 60-ton power press.

HSE brought the case following its investigation into an incident that occurred, on 25th June 2007 at Metal Products (Arden) Ltd’s site at Prospect Road, Burntwood Industrial Estate. An employee was routinely operated a 60-ton power press without any fixed guard. On this occasion they had pulled a plate towards themselves, to make an adjustment, when the press came down on four fingers of the right hand.    

Speaking after the case, HSE investigating inspector Wai-Kin Liu said:

"Operating power presses without suitable and appropriate guards is reckless and blatantly ignores the safety of employees, an act which cannot go unpunished. Power presses without suitable safeguards are among the most dangerous machines used in industry and the risks are well known.Serious injuries such as amputation can result when limbs, or parts of limbs, become trapped by moving parts. It is has been a requirement in law for over 40 years that such machines have guards to stop serious injuries to operators and that has resulted in a significant and steady reduction of injury rates. It is intolerable in this day and age that incidents like this are still happening."     

Metal Products (Arden) Ltd was fined a total of £7,000 and full costs of £4,131 were awarded to the prosecution at Stafford Magistrates’ Court (on 22nd May, 2008) after the company pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation. 

Mr Liu continued: 

"HSE and industry has published a wealth of advice and guidance for employers to help them reduce the risk of such injuries.   There really is no excuse for failing to do so."

Notes to editors:

1. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety”.
2. Further information on work equipment and machinery in the workplace can be found on the HSE website at:  http://www.hse.gov.uk/equipment/index.htm

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Call HSE's InfoLine, Tel: 08701 545500,
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Issued on behalf of the HSE by Government News Network.