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Worker suffers serious crush injuries at recycling firm

A Derbyshire recycling firm has been fined after an employee was crushed in a machine at their depot at Griffon Road, Ilkeston.

Thomasz Hac was working for Donald Ward Limited (trading as Ward Recycling) when the incident happened on 17 June 2009. Mr Hac and a colleague were attempting to clear a blockage from a 'fragmentiser', which crushes and shreds scrapped cars for recycling. They were working inside the machine, having opened a canopy to gain access, when a car, which had been trapped in the upper part of the machine, slid down and landed on top of Mr. Hac.

He suffered severe abdominal crush injuries and broke his shoulder blade and four ribs. He returned to work at the site in September 2009 but has since left the company.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found there was no safe system of work in place and the incident could have been easily prevented.

Donald Ward Limited (trading as Ward Recycling), of Rawdon Works, Moira Road, Woodville, Nr. Burton on Trent, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Today, Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court fined the firm £20,000 and ordered it to pay costs of £19,970.

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