Quarry operator fined after worker severely injured

A Shropshire quarry operator has been handed a £44,000 fine for failing to keep fixed guards in place on moving machinery, causing serious injuries to an employee’s arm.

In December 2016, a new employee of Tudor Griffiths was injured on his first day working at the quarry after his arm got caught and dragged into the ‘nip point’ between the conveyor belt and rotating tail drum.

The worker’s injuries resulted in the need for multiple skin graft operations.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to ensure that the fixed guards were effective to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery, despite this risk having been identified several months before the incident.

Tudor Griffiths of Wood Lane, Ellsmere was also ordered to pay costs of £2,866.05.

HSE inspector Simon Edwards said “This could have easily been prevented and the risk should have been identified.

“Entanglement in conveyor systems is a significant cause of serious incidents in the quarry industry. Quarry operators should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.”