Worker Loses Two Fingers Due To Moulding Machine

It has been reported that company William Lee Ltd has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following investigations into an accident that took place on 28^th February 2018 after worker loses two fingers.

The Dronfield based engineering firm, who manufactures automotive components, was found to have had inadequate risk assessment in place at the time and it was decided that if a sufficient one had been in place, the company would have been aware of the foreseeable risk of injury to their employees for the task being carried out and therefore could have taken action to reduce the risk of it occurring.

The worker suffered a crush injury to his hand after it got trapped in a moulding machine whilst he was trying to clear a blockage. Due to the severity of the injuries sustained, unfortunately his fingers could not be saved and resulted in him having to have two of his fingers amputated.

William Lee Ltd admitted to have breached the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and were fined £60,000 plus costs.

It is the duty of every employer to ensure the safety of their employees whilst working on their premises. The level of action required to be taken by the employer will depend on exactly what work is being carried out and what equipment is being used by their workers.

In a case like this, a higher level of health and safety measures would be needed due to the complexity of the equipment and higher risk of injuries occurring.

If employees ever have concerns over any aspect of their working environment, it is important that they report such issues so that steps can be taken to investigate and rectify any problems that are found.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

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