£230,000 fine after worker hurt in industrial accident

A timber supplier has been fined £230,000 after an industrial accident resulted in a worker losing part of his hand.

Avon Joinery was hit with the punishment after pleading guilty at Coventry Magistrates’ Court to breaching health and safety regulations.

In February 2016, a 59 year-old employee at Avon Joinery’s workshop in Rugby was using a circular saw to cut tapered strips of wood, when his hand came into contact with the saw. The man lost the tip of his left thumb and the majority of his first finger as a result of this incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Avon Joinery Limited failed to provide the worker with the necessary training in order to carry out this work in a safe and appropriate manner.

HSE inspector Neil Ward said: “Avon Joinery failed to check if its workers had received the necessary refresher training to ensure they could safely operate the machinery.

“This incident could have been prevented if the company had the required standard of supervision in place to oversee this activity.”