600 UK Ltd, operators of a factory at West Yorkshire received the maximum penalty at the Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court for non-compliance of the mandatory safety standards. A fine of £20,000 was imposed on the factory operators and they were also asked to pay £5,046 as costs. The factory was found to be in non-compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The factory operators were being prosecuted for an accident that a 47 year old employee met with due to lack of safety measures in place. The workman, while using an unguarded cutting tool at the factory, had suffered permanent damage to his arm. The injuries included multiple fractures in the arm, loss of tissue, and damages to both nerve and muscle. The incident occurred when his sleeve got entangled in the vertical jig borer and he was unable to free himself as the brakes of the machine failed to respond. The workman was finally rescued by his colleagues.

Commenting on the case, Geoff Fletcher, the Health and Safety Inspector, said that he found it surprising that the accident happened at a factory owned by 600 UK Ltd, as the company itself manufactures these type of machines and should have been aware of the necessary safety precautions for using these machines. Proper guards in place could have easily prevented the accident from occurring.

The incident has led the HSE to warn all manufacturers that they must ensure compliance with required safety standards.

Appropriate training for your staff and managers can help in reducing workplace accidents and avoid costly penalties handed down from the HSE. Find out more about the accredited nebosh course available from the training experts at Workplace Law.