Health and Safety Failings: Engineering firm fined after worker loses finger

Health and Safety in the Engineering Workplace

A Hampshire engineering firm was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £2,222.37 after a worker lost a finger in a lathe machine, underscoring the critical importance of prioritising Health and Safety in the Engineering Workplace.

Key Facts

• An engineering firm have been fined after a worker severed one of his fingers whilst working with a lathe.
• The investigation uncovered that unsafe work practices had been allowed to develop.
• The firm was fined £14,000 plus costs.

The Case

An HSE investigation was launched in the safety practices of a Hampshire engineering firm after a worker lost a finger in a lathe.

In an incident in July 2015, a worker’s hand came into contact with a lathe machine’s moving parts whilst he was attempting to fix a jam. He severed one of his fingers in the incident.

The subsequent HSE investigation found that the company allowed workers to defeat the interlock systems of the lathes, meaning that machines could be operated whilst allowing access to moving parts.

The case was heard at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court where the engineering firm pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The firm was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,222.37.

What the HSE had to say

Speaking after the case was heard, HSE Inspector Frank Flannery said

‘This incident could have been prevented by more active and robust management action, it sends out a message to employers that tampering with safety devices can lead to injury and prosecution’

What the law states

Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states

Every employer shall ensure that measures are taken in accordance with paragraph (2) which are effective—

(a) to prevent access to any dangerous part of machinery or to any rotating stock-bar; or

(b) to stop the movement of any dangerous part of machinery or rotating stock-bar before any part of a person enters a danger zone.

Not sure where to start? Discover the easy way to manage health and safety in the engineering workplace with advice from experienced health and safety consultant in Leicestershire.

Find details of our safety training courses here 

Follow us on Twitter: @safety_matters

Don’t hesitate to get in touch if we can help you find a solution to your safety matters