Manufacturer fined after employee’s fingers severed in machinery

A wooden cable drum manufacturer has been fined £24,395 after an employee partially severed their fingers in a printing machine. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The employee had overridden an interlock that ran the rollers of the machine by lifting the guard, and her fingers were drawn into the nip point as a result, leaving two of her fingers partially severed.

An investigation by the HSE found that the company had failed to prevent employees from accessing dangerous parts of machinery, that the company had not maintained the printing machine, and had not provided employees with suitable training for the printing machine.