Liverpool mouldings manufacturer Universal Mouldings Ltd has been fined £5,000 after a worker suffered severe hand injuries in a sawing accident.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard that the 22-year-old worker lost sections of three fingers and broke his thumb when his hand came into contact with a large circular saw at the company’s Aintree factory in August 2009.
The court heard that factory workers had been instructed to reach under the saw guard to remove laminated material while the 0.65m-wide blade was still rotating. A 27cm gap existed underneath the guard.
The Health & Safety Executive investigation found that workers were expected to remove the cut laminate from the blade to stop it being damaged, and that there had been several near-misses in the past.
“Workers at Universal Mouldings’ factory were put at risk for more than nine years, and it was inevitable that someone would eventually suffer a serious injury,” said HSE investigating inspector Jane Carroll.
“The machine was simply the wrong one for the job. The only way for ensuring the laminate material wasn’t damaged when the blade was retracted was for workers to reach under the guard to remove it.”
Universal Mouldings admitted two health and safety offences and was also ordered to pay £7,500 court costs. It has now installed a more suitable machine.
The company manufactures a variety of laminated and veneered profiles to match laminate and engineered wood flooring.
