Worker almost loses finger, promoting importance of working safely courses

Category: IOSH Working Safely
Friday 26th of February 2010

A woodwork company has been fined after one of its employees almost lost a finger when their hand came into contact with a wood plane.

Richard Burbage, an Oswestry-based company which manufactures stair wooden decking and balustrades, may benefit from participating in working safely courses following the incident with a rotating cutter.

The employee came into contact with the cutters as a guard had not been fitted, with the worker cutting his middle finger and suffering a fractured thumb and severed tendons .

Kidderminster Magistrates' Court gave the firm a £5,000 fine and costs, with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Grayam Barnes stating: "Richard Burbidge should have ensured this piece of equipment, with sharp, fast-moving parts, had safety guards in place."

There were 165.5 reported cases of serious injury per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry in 2008-09, according to the HSE, which was a decline on the previous year's figures.

Posted by Sam Lowther

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