Industry news
Worker dislocates arm in machine
Posted Wed, 15 Feb 2012
A fencing firm has been ordered to pay more than £15,000 after a worker dislocated his elbow and had skin ripped off when re-threading a piece of machinery.
Betafence Ltd of Shepcote Lane, Sheffield, which is an international manufacturer, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive for a serious breach of safety following the August 2009 incident.
The worker suffered injuries to his left arm, including a dislocated elbow, compound fractures and skin damage. He was attempting to re-thread wire into a machine block, Sheffield Magistrates' Court heard.
Magistrates were told that the company had a system in place for checking the guards on machines, but that this system did not tell workers to check the functioning of interlock switches on moveable guards..
In 2003, Betafence Ltd was convicted in a prosecution brought by the HSE for a 2002 incident involving machinery safety, the court heard.
The company, which used to trade as Bekaert Fencing Ltd and Tinsley Wire Ltd, was also the subject of other HSE enforcement notices regarding the guarding of machinery in 2003 and 2005.
The firm was also sent advice letters about the guarding of machinery. A £12,000 fine was handed to Betafence Ltd, which has a Belgian head office. Betafence must also pay £3,762 costs for breaching the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.
Copyright Press Association 2012