Manufacturer fined after employee suffered life-changing injuries

A building materials manufacturer has been fined £633,300 after an employee crushed their legs between moving metal frames on a production line. The company pleaded guilty to failing to discharge their duty under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The employee entered a fenced area to clean and inspect frames which carry large blocks through the manufacturing process. As he was working on a stationary frame, a second frame entered the section and struck him, crushing his legs between the two frames. He remained trapped as the frames moved along the track, pushing him towards the machinery in the next section.

An investigation by the HSE found that the company failed to prevent access to dangerous machinery or prevent frames from moving when employees entered the danger zone. It also found that the company had failed to act following several near misses, and that a risk assessment carried out a few years prior identified that additional control measures were necessary, but these were never implemented.