A manufacturing company based in Swansea has been fined following a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into an employee who was seriously injured by machinery.
The employee was working as part of a maintenance team at ITW Limited in Swansea when his gloved hand got caught while he was repairing a break in some plastic sheeting. The employee was subsequently dragged into the rollers of the machinery, where he was seriously injured and later had to have a finger surgically removed.
If your business is involved in hazardous working environments, it is your responsibility to ensure the safety of your employees. As well as good health and safety policies, your business should also consider employers’ liability insurance in addition to the required general business insurance.
The HSE investigated the 30 May 2012 incident and found that ITW Limited had failed to provide adequate guarding along the length of the production line. This was in spite of the fact that the company had previously identified the risks.
The case was heard at Swansea Magistrates’ Court. ITW Limited pleaded guilty to the charge of breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The manufacturer was subsequently fined £20,000 and told to pay court costs of £6,018.
