Playground firm fined after worker hurt
An international play equipment manufacturer has been sentenced after one of its workers severed four fingers using a circular saw.
The worker suffered severe injuries to his right hand while working for a subsidiary a part of one of the world's leading recreational equipment makers.
The Court heard he had been working for 20 years for the company, when the incident happened at its premises of the company.
He was using a circular saw to cut discs used for playground mini-roundabouts when the saw 'kicked back' pulling his hand across the blade.
He had fixed a disc to the worktable but as the blade came into contact with the disc, it kicked back and pulled both the disc and his hand across the rear of the blade. Doctors later had to amputate all four fingers above the first knuckle.
The company admitted breaching the regulations and was fined £4,700 and ordered to pay £2,382.40 in costs.
Inspector of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said:
"He suffered a severe injury in a completely preventable incident. The method adopted for trimming the discs was inherently unsafe as the machine used was not designed for such work and the training was inadequate.
"The company's failure to provide a safe system of work is a serious offence. The absence of a proper procedure for making the discs meant an improvised and dangerous way of working had developed over time without assessment and any managerial oversight or supervision."
Updated on 9/20/2011