Industry news
Worker lost fingers in accident
Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012
A leading manufacturing company has been fined £7,000 after an employee suffered a serious hand injury in a factory accident.
Prosecutors told Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court that Daniel Winters, from Leighton Buzzard, was removing debris from a machine that makes bubble wrap when the accident happened.
Sansetsu (U.K) Limited had not fitted a guard to stop access to the dangerous parts of the machinery and the 29-year-old caught his right hand in the device.
The Health and Safety Executive, which investigated the incident, said the temperature of plastic material in the machine was more than 200C, resulting in Mr Winters losing the majority of three fingers. He has since returned to work at the Buckinghamshire factory but in a different role.
As well as the fine, Sansetsu (U.K) Limited, of Bradbourne Drive, Tilbrook, Milton Keynes, was ordered to pay £2,742 costs after admitting breaching Regulation 11(1) of Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
Copyright Press Association 2012