Company fined £10k after worker loses fingers
A CARTON manufacturer has been fined £10,000 after one of its staff lost three fingers in an industrial accident.
I2R Packaging Solutions, based on Stafford Park in Telford, was also ordered to pay costs of £5,677 following the incident in September 2008.
Telford Magistrates Court heard how the woman, who does not want to be named, was making foil food cartons and helping another worker remove a jam from a 130-tonne power press.
The Health and Safety Executive said her colleague had opened the protective guards which stopped the machine automatically but she had not switched off the pneumatic energy.
As the pneumatic system stores some energy within it, even when the power is turned off, it meant part of the machine snapped upwards and injured the female worker’s hand.
The HSE said a separate manual process would be needed to ensure the pneumatic energy had been dissipated before trying to get the blockage out of the machine.
When part of the machine snapped upwards it amputated the worker’s index finger, middle finger and the tip of her ring finger on her right hand.
HSE inspector Katharine Walker said: “The injuries may not have been life threatening, but they were life changing.
“Adequate safety mechanisms, to discharge the pneumatic energy automatically rather than manually, could have prevented this incident from occurring.
“While the machine had some protective guards and safety mechanisms in place, it seems they were not adequate to prevent danger to operatives during processes such as clearing blockages. This was an incident waiting to happen.”
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which relates specifically to ensuring employee safety and welfare.
Chief executive Peter Reay said: “We deeply regret the accident. Since the incident, we have worked closely and co-operated fully with the Health and Safety Executive ensuring that our robust plans continue to meet industry needs.
“We continue to take our health and safety responsibilities seriously with on-going training for all staff and regular checks on our machinery.
“Our priority is to ensure that such an accident never happens again.”
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