Manufacturer fined following machinery injury
A plastic sheeting manufacturer has been fined after an employee suffered serious injury to his hand, when it was caught and dragged into machinery.
Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard that the employee worked in the maintenance crew at ITW Limited. He was working for the Swansea company on 30 May 2012 to repair a break in the plastic sheeting.
While he was rethreading broken plastic sheeting into a pinch roll, his gloved hand was caught and dragged into the rollers. The first finger on his right hand was so badly damaged that it had to be surgically removed below the knuckle.
ITW Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £20,000 with costs of £6,018.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that there was inadequate guarding along the length of the production line, despite the company having identified the risks.