Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that the 43-year-old worker had been operating a rip saw at the Shieldhall site in Glasgow when he was struck by splinters that pierced his body.
One splinter passed completely through his thigh, narrowly missing major vessels and nerves. He required extensive surgery after a further three pieces of wood were found to have lodged in front of his pelvic bone.
The court heard the worker had previously drawn the company’s attention to pieces of wood being ejected from the saw through an apparent gap in the guarding.
A deflector had then been fitted, but the Health & Safety Executive’s investigation found the deflector would just have changed the potential trajectory of any material.
The HSE also found the saw’s kickback protection failed, allowing splinters to be ejected, while the blade’s side guards had been designed so they could be lifted, potentially giving unguarded access to a moving saw blade.
After the accident, Timbmet immediately took the machine out of service and replaced it with a newer model which complies with regulations.
