Engineering company fined after drill incident caused broken bones

ENGINEERING firm KV Welding was fined £10,000 at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court after one of its workers broke bones in his arm.

23-year-old Deimantas Beinoras was working at the company in Bilston, which manufactures equipment for the material handling and logistics sector, when has gloved hand became entangled with the unguarded drill bit while using a pedestal drilling machine.

His arm was pulled around the drill and broke two bones in his right forearm, which also needed a skin graft.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told the court that injuries could have been prevented if the drill was guarded with a telescopic guard covering the rotating drill bit, the injured person had not been wearing gloves, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment had been completed to identify required control measures and if the employee had received proper training.

HSE inspector Richard Littlefair said: “It is vital that companies understand the importance of using suitable guarding when employees are operating drilling machines as there are significant risks involved which may lead to serious personal injury.

“Other simple measures such as not wearing gloves can be taken to eliminate the risk of entanglement involved with operating drilling machines or any other machinery with moving or rotating parts.”

KV Welding admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was also ordered to pay £2,168.73 in costs.