A scrap metal company and a businessman have been sentenced for serious safety breaches after a site worker lost both legs when he became trapped in the doors of a 16-tonne baling machine.
The 42-year-old worker was dealing with a problem inside the five-metre long baler when the doors of the machine began to close. He tried to use a remote control to stop them, but it failed to respond.
The force of the jaws was so strong it severed one leg and severely crushed the other, which had to be amputated later in hospital.
The subsequent Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the company’s isolation procedure for the baler was totally inadequate. It also found that the remote control, built by the co-defendant, was seriously flawed.
In addition, there was a lack of suitable control, which meant workers were able to get too close to the crushing and shearing hazards presented by the machine.
The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £34,633 in full costs after admitting breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The businessman, who built the remote control, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 6(1) of the same Act. He was fined £10,000 with £5,000 to pay toward costs.
“This was a horrific incident in which a worker suffered the loss of both legs, endured a sixth-month period in hospital and who will now spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair,” commented HSE Inspector Stephen Green.
“There are well-known and significant risks in the waste and recycling sector and it is imperative that employers fully identify and recognise those risks on their sites and take the necessary action to protect their workforce from the dangers they present,” he added.
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