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Health and Safety News

Occupational health and safety news and guidance

Blog posts : "machinery"

Worker lost arm in unguarded farm machinery

A worker employed to clear out an industrial chicken shed lost his arm after it became trapped in unguarded machinery.

Mike Aubry, 27, of Bradninch, near Exeter, was working at Millard Poultry Ltd at Little Acre, Lower Godney, Wells, when the incident happened on 4 December, 2010.

In a prosecution…

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Man loses finger at Birmingham factory

A Birmingham engineering company has been fined after a man's finger was severed in a tube bending machine.

Robert Cuzick, 53, from Birmingham was working at Hydrapower Dynamics on 24 January 2011 when he put his hand on the machine's clamping arm to restart it.

However, the unguarded metal arm su…

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Printing company fined £112,500 over death of worker

One of the UK's leading printing groups has been fined £112,500 at Peterborough Crown Court after a maintenance engineer was crushed to death in a printing press.

Ian Ebbs, a 43-year-old father of two from Morton, near Bourne in Lincolnshire, was working the night shift at the Wyndeham Peterboro…

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Manufacturer fined after hydraulic press crushes Stranraer worker's arm

A machinery manufacturer has been fined after its hydraulic press crushed a Stranraer worker’s arm which was later amputated.

James McKay, 47, had been operating the machine which had been designed by Composite Integration Limited to produce fire helmets. The hydraulic press was being used at M…

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Warwickshire company fined after worker loses fingers

A Warwickshire components manufacturer has been fined after a man's hand was badly crushed in a power press.

The 23-year-old agency worker lost two fingers following the incident at Studley firm Ricor Ltd. on 21 July 2011.

Leamington Spa Magistrates' Court heard how the man was removing a complet…

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Huddersfield firm fined for safety breach

A West Yorkshire manufacturing firm has been fined after an engineer lost part of a finger while test running an unguarded power press.

Metal Closures (Huddersfield) Ltd. was prosecuted after James Hill, a development engineer, was injured while helping to run and de-bug a new production line inc…

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Nestle fined £180,000 after safety failures led to worker's death

Bradford Crown Court has been told that a Halifax man was killed at a Nestle factory because the company failed to implement basic safety measures.

Father of three Nazar Hussain died at food giant Nestle's Albion Mill plant in Bailey Hall Road in December 2008 after a colleague re-started a conve…

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Liverpool bedding firm in court after worker's fingers severed

A Liverpool bedding firm has been prosecuted after one of its employees had three fingers and a thumb cut off in machinery.

The 32-year-old worker was trying to stop a quilt becoming entangled in a duvet-making machine when the fingers and thumb on her right hand were struck by a blade.

Her employ…

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Factory fall leads to prosecution for Lincolnshire company

A Lincolnshire food manufacturer has been fined after a worker fell from a breadcrumb-making machine.

The 39-year-old maintenance technician from Gainsborough had climbed onto the machine at Kerry Ingredients (UK) Ltd in Carr Lane, to install a lifting beam across the top of the large vessel in or…

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Council fined after worker loses arm in wood chipper

Durham County Council has been prosecuted for safety failings after a grounds-man's arm was severed in a wood chipper machine.

The 25-year-old council worker, from Ferryhill, who does not wish to be named, was cutting back bushes near Atherton Close, Spennymoor when the incident occurred on 4 Augu…

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Worker suffers multiple fractures at international paper firm

DS Smith Packaging Ltd. has been fined after an employee suffered breaks to his arm and ribs in machinery at a Lincolnshire factory.

The 27-year-old man, who does not wish to be named, was being trained to use a re-winder - a rotating spool that winds corrugated cardboard packaging into a roll - …

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London manufacturer fined for major safety breaches

A manufacturing company based in Uxbridge has been fined for a series of health and safety breaches which put its employees at risk.

The large number of Notices were issued between September 2010 and March 2011, after a wide range of health and safety failings were discovered at the company's pre…

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Automotive component manufacturer fined after worker loses fingers

A firm specialising in manufacturing rubber components for the automotive industry has been prosecuted after a worker suffered disabling hand injuries.

The 46-year-old worker from Coalville, Leicestershire, who has asked not to be named, has been left with only the thumb on his left hand fully intac…

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Cheshire manufacturer sentenced over finger loss

A Macclesfield firm has appeared in court after one of its employees lost two fingers in machinery.

The 34-year-old was polishing a 12-centimetre-long piece of metal, spinning on a lathe at up to 850 times a minute, when his right hand was dragged into the mechanism.

His middle and ring finger were …

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Dorset firm fined after worker's arm was crushed in machinery

A man had his arm crushed while trying to feed metal sheeting through machinery, Bournemouth Crown Court heard, on 16 February.

David James, 34, of Queensland Road, Weymouth has been unable to return to his job because of the injury which caused him severe pain.

Aden Pro Form Ltd, of Parkstone Road,…

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Company fined £133,000 after unguarded machinery death

At Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday, Railcare Ltd. were fined £133,000 (reduced from £200,000 on account of their guilty plea) for a breach of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, following the death of one of their employees on 15 December 2008 at the company’s premises on Charl…

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Company fined after worker's arm impaled by steel bars

A company in Tonypandy has been fined after a worker's arm was impaled by two steel bars.

Allevard Springs Ltd was prosecuted for failing to adequately prevent the risk of injury to employees using machinery after Steven Rowe was seriously injured while operating a machine at the firm's Clydach Va…

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Guidance - Using work equipment safely

Following a number of recent news items about prosecutions for machinery related workplace injuries, I'd like to remind my visitors that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides valuable advice on what you can do to eliminate or reduce the risks from work equipment.

The HSE's free-to-downl…

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Buckinghamshire worker's fingers severed in bubble wrap machine

An international manufacturer has been prosecuted after a worker lost three fingers in a bubble wrap making machine at a Buckinghamshire factory.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Sansetsu (U.K) Limited for beaching health and safety regulations on 18 May 2011.

Milton Keynes Magist…

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Lincolnshire flooring firm fined for worker injury

A hardwood floor company has been fined after a worker's arm was punctured by a large piece of wood.

Paul Murdoch, 40, of New Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, was cutting walnut boards on a circular ripsaw at Weldon Contracts Ltd's workshop in Caunton Road, Norwell, on 11 September 2009 when a 90 centim…

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20 Blog Posts