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Employee loses three fingers at Heywood factory

A Rochdale engineering firm has been prosecuted after a 21-year-old employee had three fingers cut off by an industrial saw at its factory.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the case against Adelaide Engineering Company Ltd. after the worker, from Bury, lost parts of three fingers on his left hand at the plant on Aspinall Street in Heywood.

Trafford Magistrates’ Court was told the blade was 64cm long but was being used to cut a piece of steel with a width of just 5cm. There was no adjustable guard in place around the part of the blade not being used, putting workers at risk.

The HSE investigation found the employee had not received any instructions or training on how to safely use the saw, which rotates the blade at high speed. He had also been left unsupervised at the time on the incident on 21 October 2010.

Adelaide Engineering Company Ltd. admitted breaching Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £2,514 in prosecution costs on 25 November 2011.

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