A timber gate manufacturer in Daventry has been fined after an employee lost two fingers while using machinery…
Main Line Timber Limited has been fined after a 27-year old employee lost two fingers on his left hand. The employee was pulled into the rotating blade of an inadequately guarded circular saw. The device was not fitted with a riving knife or take off table when the incident happened.
The case, which was brought before Northampton Magistrates’ Court, revealed the employee had been working on the saw alone when a piece of wood snagged. It pulled his left hand into the blade, causing significant injury to his little and ring finger—both of which were amputated later.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation, which revealed the company had failed to ensure safety features were in place. Furthermore the employee did not have the right training to use the saw.
The Daventry-based firm Main Line Timber Limited was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
HSE Inspector Jenna McDade said: “Had the company taken suitable measures to ensure workers did not come into contact with the rotating blade, had the saw been properly guarded and fitted with relevant safety features and had employees been provided with adequate training, this young man would not have lost two of his fingers.”
